By that logic, how on earth did the 1997 Lions win in the backyard of the World Champions?

Johnson,Dallaglio et al had zero experience of beating the SH sides at that point in their careers before England became the best in the world.

Or to the other extreme, how did the 2005 Lions lose 3-0 to New Zealand? Although Johnson had retired from Int rugby by then, there were still enough of the '03 world cup winners and Woodward as Head Coach to show they had the experience.

I don't think sensoria understands the concept of the British Lions. To recap, there are 15 Welsh players in a squad of 37 - that means there are 22 non-Welsh players. It is quite conceivable by the time of the first test that the team may be made up of a majority of non-Welsh players. The players who might be considered to be fortunate to have made the squad are all non- Welsh players ie Tommy Bowe, Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland, Dylan Hartley, Matt Stevens & Sean O'Brien.

This is an Aussie reaction to the team.


I actually really think it was probably the best squad he could pick. I do beleive that the quality of the Northern hemasphere is pretty limitied. We can smash it up but there isnt a lot of flair. Wales has gone from a running rugby side to a defencive kicking side, with the exception of the final game of the chamionship.

Austraila on the other hand have got better and better in the build up. Thier key players are also hitting great form. If the lions were last year I would have been 100% confident we could win. Now I am not so.

tbf that England team had peaked by the time of RWC, some even say before that. By the time of the Lions tour Clive was relying on past their best players, so the story goes.

Having said that am I the only one who think that squad sizes need to be bigger than the standard 37/38 we were expecting and got for this tour.

I think Clive was right to be a large of 40+ players, his main mistake was separating the midweek and Test teams. Nobody who played on Wednesday ever felt like they stood a chance at cracking the weekend squad.

40+ squad allows cover for injuries and means you can look at more players. Obviously the negative is that too many players makes it harder to settle on fixed side (but I think that's work the risk)

World Cup venues announced

Sky win rights to RaboDirect Pro 12

deal will run alongside current S4C and BBC arrangement, for 30 games a season

more money for the regions..... well that's the plan at least

Really looking forward to the four games @ Kingsholm!!

If we can get tickets, of course!!!

I know a few within the game were disappionted more rugby only grounds aren't being used but I guess its about making the most moneythey can.

It might be a new experience for some of these football ground to have opposition fans sitting together/no abusive chanting!

Christ, will that mean Ieuan 'nodding dog' Evans and Scott 'mugnificent' Quinell doing the commentary and punditry?

We could probably do with the Lions being underdogs going into a series. A lot of the media talk so far seems to have been backslapping the home side.

I predict a series that'll be as close as at least the first two tests were against the 'boks in '09. The Lions can certainly be on the right side of the results this time.

Im not sure. I think this Aus team has been struggling with injuries for a few season but are peaking at the right time.

If he brings George Smith in who is in the form of his career, the loss of pocock will be negated. They have a front row that can now hold a scrum which is all they need.

In Will Genia they have a one man threat, then the new boy Isreal Folau is a massive talent, then the ever consistand ADam Ashley Cooper, digby ione, James Horwell, higgenbottom this Aussi team is good.

If the lions think they will scrum it into submision they are going to get turned over.

I think all of the seven back three players bar North and Halfpenny were fortunate to a degree, Cuthbert included, who I'm not yet convinced about. I've not seen a lot of Maitland but overall there seems a lack of flair, spark or unpredictability sacrificed for size. The same mistake Johnson made at England.

Personally I only had those 2 I mentioned in my squad. I'd. have preferred Zebo over Bowe, Visser over Maitland, Foden over Hogg and Wade over Cuthbert. Most of all I have had 5/2 wingers over FB rather than 4/3. Johnnie May would've been ideal as cover.

Oddly the rest of the squad was about right, bar the 3rd F/H but no wildcards or non caps was the disappointment and wingers are ideal for that.

It's a development tour rather than a competitive tour. For seasoned players with GS and WC experience it would be pointless.

As for Ryan, I think it's a case of him being a 1st choice Lions replacement callup possibility, so it's possible the Lions coaching team have asked that he be kept out of situations where he could be injured and rule him out.

James Simpson Daniel has turned down the chance to play for the BaaBaas against the British Lions in the Hong Kong game, as although fit, he wasn't able to play for Gloucester before the end o this season.

Pity, as id have love to see him up against them. The sort of flair in the wingers we may end up lacking.

Agen forward plays pinball with Wilkinson-Ouch!!!

http://www.rugbydump.com/2013/05/317...ig-opeti-fonua

Haven't posted on here yet about the Lions...

For me, he's gone a bit Woodward and relied on the players he knows... I don't blame him for that; it's potentially lazy but it's not the be all and end all. I am confident we'll win the series 3-0, this is based purely on watching the Super Rugby... i'm yet to see someone tackle. The Aus players also appear to be imploding, Beale, Cooper and O'Connor all having varying degrees of not focussing on what they need to.

The players that I would like to have seen in but I don't think it will necessarily detract from the squad as we have great players there already:

Robshaw, not sure what he has done wrong other than not being Welsh, that said, Lydiate, Tipuric and Croft are all world class right now.

Launchebury, for me the form 2nd row in the 6N... again though, Evans, WJ, Parling are all class.

Care, I think a great threat but it appears Gats wants a big SH and Murray is a like for like on Phillips.

Players I think are unlucky and could have added to the squad.

Morgan, I just do not get the furore around Felatau... I've never seen him play amazing, never seen him take it to the opposition, he's just steady. Heaslip has been below par for a couple of seasons now, still steady but I just don't see him setting anything alight.

Best, He did drop away during the 6N, but I am not trusting of Hartley to not get sin-binned and Youngs throwing is suspect. Hibbard is average but will probably start.

Zebo, just think he's a class "footballer" does things other players can't and had potential to be one of the "flyers" as such.

Incredible first half at Sarries.

Who is the ESPN pundit alongside Healey and Durden Smith?

Leicester vs Northampton. As a neutral, I can't wait. Got my ticket last week, it'll be a definite sellout with these two meeting each other.

What do neturals think of Saracens - I hear they aren't the most popular of clubs?

I don't mind them, even though I'm Wasps fan. I guess they must rub people up the wrong way with their style of play and the whole "something special is happening at Saracens" press releases.

Anyway well done Saints pretty impressive performance today, still favour Leicester after they steamrollered Harlequins yesterday.

Over in the RabDirect Pro 12 it's an all Irish affair as Ulster and Leinster meet in the final. The sentimentalist in me wants Ulster to win for Nevin Spence, but Leinster are a tough tough side to beat

Also hoping for a shock Stade Francais win on Friday, which will put Wasps into Heineken Cup

My only objection to Saracens is the god awful 'Stand up for the Saracens'song from a few years back. It was played at every stop in play and almost moved me to violence. Home supporters liked it, apparently, away supporters hated it. So i guess in its own twisted way, it would be considered a success.

They have taken domestic rugby backwards but playing a negative brand and winning with it.

Unfortunalty for them though that brand is very easy to undo if you can play an aggressive clinical style agaisnt it.

They dont seem to have a plan B. So if you can disrupt plan A you have a good chance of winning. They are just throwing money at everything. Also Owen Farrel......now dont get me started on that lad.....

Agree... it's kind of like watching Leicester in the late 90's early 00's... they have a formula of weight and height for every position... not enthralling but gets results...

But staying within the salary cap of course....

The problem with Sarries is they haven't done anything to endear themselves to the other clubs. They have very rich backers with more money than sense and when they walk away the club will fold because what they have at the moment is a very long way from a sustainable business model.

On the plus side it does look like teams are starting to work them out. Gloucester, Toulon, and Saints, have all shown in the last month that if you get in their face, deny them space, and most importantly don't give away cheap kick-able penalties, they are very beatable because, as you say, they don't have a Plan B.

Far prefer them to Jiffy, Charlo and Stuart Davies in English or Dr Gwyn and Huw Llanelli-Cardiff in Welsh.

I have always thought, as a rule of thumb that whenever the Aussie press start slagging off the opposition, it really means they are genuinely worried about the results, like RWC 2011 when they took great pleasure in slagging off Ireland.....and wwe all know the result.