Lions tour to Oz

So after today, with the tests so soon now, what're everyone's XV picks?

If i were coach (which unfortunately I'm not) I'd be looking at the Following

Vunipola
Youngs
Jones

O Connell
Evans

Croft
Tipuric
O Brien

Phillips
Sexton

Tuilagi
O Driscoll

North
Cuthbert
Halfpenny

Hibbard
Corbs
Cole
Parling
Heaslip
Youngs
Farrell
Hogg



thought Roberts was dire today, continually knocking on, getting isolated and turned over etc, and i like the BOD/Manu combo when they played. Richie Gray is a scottish lawes hence he misses out. With Hogg I'm tempted to move halfpenny to the wing and get rid of cuthbert, who i think has been a little off the pace, but he is a proven finisher and i prefer his actual wing experience. Phillips/Sexton wa going to happen. Mako at loose is debatable; he is an excellent impact player but still an unproven test starter. But equally I think hes been v impressive.

anyway i'll quit rambling and open up to your criticism now

Agree with pretty much everything.

I don't like Cuthbert, his defence is poor, his hands aren't great. He's very good at running in tries when people get the ball to him in space, but that's nothing exceptional for a winger, I haven't seen him do anything much in attack that I've felt was something I'd not expect of any of the others. Don't know if any of the others will actually be able to displace him unfortunately, lets see how Bowe goes.

North is an amazing player, to think he could have been English, him on one wing, Wade on the other... what could have been...

Grant
Hibbard
Jones
Jones
O'Connell
O'Brien
Tipuric
Faletau
Phillips
Sexton
North
Roberts
O'Driscoll
Cuthbert
Halfpenny

Youngs
Vunipola
Cole
Gray
Warburton
Murray
Farrell
Hogg

And if I could think if a way to have less English players on the bench i'd opt for that

I agree mostly with moo but with picnics back row

Warburton is going to start

very likely, and on such basis it's hard too to see Lydiate not being picked.

I'd like to see Cuthbert picked at Number 8

why not indeed

36 is off to Australia according to RFU twitter.

Gives Eastmond a proper go I guess, but I'd have loved to have seen them again against arg.

Bollox.  Thought the fat controller might have taken Hook

And Biggar must be in Japan

Biggar was in Japan in case he was needed by the Lions

i cant put my finger on it exactly but that team just screams losing test team, i think its the backrow and bench and cuthbert cant defend

yeah, it does not have me excited either. Alot of great players but just doesnt seem right.

then again not an australian team that totally instills fear into me

got to feel for mako, after the way he's stepped up on tour.

I imagine corbisiero was picked for his scrummaging, and the fact that mako is so often seen as an impact sub, probably rightly atm

Normally i have corbs ahead of mako, i just feel for him in the current scenario

Would have preferred tipuric to Warburton, and O Brien ought to be on the bench to cover both flanks: O brien can also come on both as a breakdown scavenger or a ball carrier. Lydiate just tackles.

and why not take zebo over cuthbert? he looked so exciting when he played, and cuthbert has frankly looked bored and slow, and i stil have question marks over his general ability.

I don't think any other coach would have picked this side had they been given the job

I would have had faletau over heaslip, zebo or maitland over cuthbert and SOB on the bench. Not convinced this team can win a series

if tuilagi is fit, no idea why he isn't either starting, or the impact sub on the bench as well.

going to assume, for my sanity's sake, that he is not quite fit yet

This too ^^^

Also must have been close between the 2 hookers

Tuilagi has a trapped nerve in his neck, could even be his tour is over

SOB should be on the bench as he can cover 6/7. Lydiate is such a limited sub

SOB's not exactly a bad 8 either

But Gats does have a lot of man love for Lydiate, very much his sort of player

Yeah he can cover the whole backrow. I'm not surprised as Gats loves lydiate but he has been blinded on this one

quite. Lydiate is great, but that requires a proper scavenging 7 (tipuric) and a booming 8 (SOB or Faletau)

Can't overlook croft imo so lydiate wasted.

Im hoping tuilagi will return to fitness soonish, jsut gives us something different.
Kinda hoping roberts is out... thought he's been dire so far...