So 40 players, who's in?

[Adder]

I was thinking about a revised 40 and I must admit I was struggling with Scots bias.

Brown has a shot at the 3rd hooker spot.
Not inspired by the 3rd options at TH, Nel might be fit end of April and I'd take a punt if he is.
Gray x2. Both are performing well and have chances of going.
Watson for me has been the stand out GB+I 7 this championship.
Barclay is a very good utility option in the back row and a sneaky good option as a midweek captain.
Russell, 10 is wide open behind Sexton. Ford, P Jackson and Russell are all there or there abouts.
Centres are wide open.
Hogg is the best 15 in GB+I.
Seymour is IMO in the top 2 wingers in GB+I.

There is no way there will be 8 or more Scottish Lions but I couldn't help myself.

Sexton // Farrell // ...

[Mikey Brown]

Yup. Wrong as that may be.

I'm struggling to pick holes in that list other than that. This must be a mistake.

I also feel slightly strange that my dislike of Ben Youngs has reached the point I am really happy to see Murray and Webb playing so well.

[Big D]

I was thinking about a revised 40 and I must admit I was struggling with Scots bias.

Brown has a shot at the 3rd hooker spot.
Not inspired by the 3rd options at TH, Nel might be fit end of April and I'd take a punt if he is.
Gray x2. Both are performing well and have chances of going.
Watson for me has been the stand out GB+I 7 this championship.
Barclay is a very good utility option in the back row and a sneaky good option as a midweek captain.
Russell, 10 is wide open behind Sexton. Ford, P Jackson and Russell are all there or there abouts.
Centres are wide open.
Hogg is the best 15 in GB+I.
Seymour is IMO in the top 2 wingers in GB+I.

There is no way there will be 8 or more Scottish Lions but I couldn't help myself.

Sexton // Farrell // ...

I was counting Farrell at a 12 but your probably right.

[Mikey Brown]

I think he should be in the squad and fighting but I don't think he's one of the best 2 or 3 locks. If you look at the BBC page there's an article where he basically says Bigger took that penalty decision out of his hands.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Who should be captain? Is the best option still Alun-Wyn Jones? I bet the Welsh locker room was unbearable after that loss to Scotland.

Best. Not because he's a certain starter - though I think he's highly probable - but because he won't throw his toys out of the pram of he doesn't in the end make the test team. He can be this tour's Rob Wainwright.

[Big D]

Who should be captain? Is the best option still Alun-Wyn Jones? I bet the Welsh locker room was unbearable after that loss to Scotland.

Tour captain should be Best. Squad will should be mostly Irish and English so it makes sense IMO for one of those nations to have the tour captaincy. Best is the obvious candidate from that lot.

I honestly would be considering not taking AWJ although we know Gatland will take him.

I can't see any real bolters as captain, most of the ones with club our country captaincy experience are all fighting for their tour spots.

[switchskier]

Best looks the obvious candidate. I wouldn't take Hartley (think George offers more) but if he tours he might get the nod and hookers not a strong position. Has Sexton had any captaincy experience?

[Numbers]

I'm not sure I would even pick Best in the squad, his lineout work is suspect, I would have George, Owens and either Best or Hartley as third choice as it currently stands. Hooker is probably the weakest position for the Lions.

[Mellsblue]

Most frequently selected players on the Lions app.

[morepork]

George North in the top 10? Really?

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Quite a few Irish players have really hurt their chances this morning. They were fucking awful.

Aye. Stupid and insipid. Signs of believing their own press. Handling considerably worse than the game in Waikato swimming pool in currently watching.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Conversely North and Biggar are now near certainties. I'd take the former but not the latter.

[Digby]

Ken Owens and Rob Evans continue to push, and maybe Scott Williams.

I thought a lot of Irish players did well or were at least competitive and sometimes a game just goes against you, especially away from home

[Sandydragon]

Conversely North and Biggar are now near certainties. I'd take the former but not the latter.

Me too. Although I can see a case for his combativeness in the dirt trackers, I still think Sexton is head and shoulders above the rest.

If North remains that fired up then he is an option.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Conversely North and Biggar are now near certainties. I'd take the former but not the latter.

Me too. Although I can see a case for his combativeness in the dirt trackers, I still think Sexton is head and shoulders above the rest.

If North remains that fired up then he is an option.

Sexton was dreadful last night. I'd pick Jackson against England and take both to New Zealand with Russell.

[morepork]

George North in the top 10? Really?

He played reasonably this morning in an otherwise uninspiring side playing an even worse one, but his health should be cause for concern. How many concussions has he had now? Considering how the pre-test fixtures have often been about knocking the shit out of the tourists, will he even make it to the test matches if he's fielded in those?

He ran into people quite hard, but it wasn't particularly impressive. He is definitely prone to concussion and any more episodes would mean a serious think about future options I reckon. The two Welsh flankers were outstanding, particularly Tipuric. That guy links better than their centres.

[Sandydragon]

Conversely North and Biggar are now near certainties. I'd take the former but not the latter.

Me too. Although I can see a case for his combativeness in the dirt trackers, I still think Sexton is head and shoulders above the rest.

If North remains that fired up then he is an option.

Sexton was dreadful last night. I'd pick Jackson against England and take both to New Zealand with Russell.

Your team looked a lot less threatening without him. He was operating in the back foot for much of the night and got clattered a few times. I would still rate him as the best fly half the lions could pick, provided he stays fit.

[Numbers]

George North in the top 10? Really?

He played reasonably this morning in an otherwise uninspiring side playing an even worse one, but his health should be cause for concern. How many concussions has he had now? Considering how the pre-test fixtures have often been about knocking the shit out of the tourists, will he even make it to the test matches if he's fielded in those?

He ran into people quite hard, but it wasn't particularly impressive. He is definitely prone to concussion and any more episodes would mean a serious think about future options I reckon. The two Welsh flankers were outstanding, particularly Tipuric. That guy links better than their centres.

I take it you didn't see the first Wales v NZ test last summer, the one where Savea was being made to look foolish by North?

He will be on one of the wings.

[morepork]

Fatty Bus Boy has always been susceptible to being turned. I'm hoping Nehe M-S stays unbroken to mad step around blocks like Norf.

[canta_brian]

Fatty Bus Boy has always been susceptible to being turned. I'm hoping Nehe M-S stays unbroken to mad step around blocks like Norf.

Didn't he do an ankle? Was it not too bad?

[zer0]

Just some boo-booed toes. All going well he's projected to be available again in early April. Sauce.

[Mellsblue]

Stephen Jones has excelled himself in The Sunday Times today. He has left Hogg out the squad completely, and has included Maitland. Scott Williams is in, and starts at 12 in his 1stXV, Haskell is picked but no sign of Tipuric. The icing on the cake is him name checking Jake Cooper-Wooley as being in contention if it weren't for mid-season issues with concussion. On the plus side, he hasn't mentioned either Burrell or Attwood which must've hurt.

[Mellsblue]

Did Maitland appear during the 6Ns? I don't remember seeing him at all.

I think he started but was injured and didn't regain his place.

[Stom]

I think a few positions have become clearer over the past few weeks.

I honestly now think a backrow of O'Mahony, Warburton and BillyV would be excellent.

Sexton should be 10, with Murray at 9.

Questions remain over who starts at 1, 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15...

MakoV, Marler, McGrath
Best, Hartley, George
Cole, Furlong, ?
Launchbury, Lawes/Itoje, Gray
Gray, AWJ, Henderson
POM, Robshaw
Warburton, Tipuric, SOB
BillyV, Faletau, Stander
Murray, feck knows
Sexton, ??? I really can't make up my mind here
North, Daly
Henshaw, Te'o
Joseph, Ringrose
Watson, Earls, Seymour
Halfpenny, LWilliams, Hogg

ENG 13+probably 2 more
IRE 12+maybe 1 more
WAL 7+2-3 more
SCO 4+maybe 1-2 more

[Mikey Brown]

I hate Keith Earls so much that I genuinely cannot tell if he is any good at all. Appears to have no talent whatsoever but does get on the end of some walk-ins for Ireland so fair play. Their Chris Ashton almost?

The wing positions are a real weak spot. Williams is good (still perhaps more a fullback) and I think Seymour is underrated though; finishes superbly, fast, great in the air, runs good lines through midfield and is great at picking out wide opposition passes.