Rugby Union

[John Lambies Doos]

Raging

Love it. Can't wait to hear Heaslip

[Savage Henry]

1 hour ago, GAD said:

Ali Price is pretty underrated outside Scotland isn't he? He seems to be the focus of much of the seethe online but I think he's proven himself one of, if not the best scrum halves in the UK. It's funny, a lot of focus on those two charged down kicks in the Calcutta cup, which didn't even come to anything, yet the same people are bemoaning Johnny Sextons absence without any reference to any of his horror shows over the last couple of years.

He had a fairly beige 6 Nations and made some incredibly dumb decisions, but there’s far more to be confused about than him.   If you were going for one Scot to mouth off at, on face value, Chris Harris seems to be more highly rated than his performances merit.  “Defensively excellent centre” is a nebulous concept. 

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

12 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

He had a fairly beige 6 Nations and made some incredibly dumb decisions, but there’s far more to be confused about than him.   If you were going for one Scot to mouth off at, on face value, Chris Harris seems to be more highly rated than his performances merit.  “Defensively excellent centre” is a nebulous concept. 

The swingometer on Harris has gone all the way from "a bit underrated" to "a bit overrated" in the last few months. He still has decidedly iffy games, even on the defensive side (Wales) and doesn't do very much ball in hand (funnily enough except Wales) 

[Detournement]

I think Harris is just there to understudy Henshaw. The Test team is probably already half picked and there are guys who will just be making up the numbers while others who would be challenging for jerseys are at home. 

Townsend does this. Leaves guys out the squad all together but after an injury they are straight into the starting line up.

[Savage Henry]

5 minutes ago, Detournement said:

I think Harris is just there to understudy Henshaw. The Test team is probably already half picked and there are guys who will just be making up the numbers while others who would be challenging for jerseys are at home. 

Townsend does this. Leaves guys out the squad all together but after an injury they are straight into the starting line up.

And if you are a South African born number 8, that could mean years between caps. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Savage Henry

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

1 hour ago, Detournement said:

Murray Russell Farrell Henshaw possibly?

 

With Townsend and Tandy in there that would make sense tbh

[peasy23]

[nessies long lost ghost]

What are peoples thoughts on a 23 test team from the 37 named today

I would go 1. Sutherland, 2. George, 3. Furlong, 4. Henderson, 5. Wyn Jones, 6. Beirne, 7. Watson, 8. Simmonds, 9. Murray, 10. Russell, 11. Watson, 12. Henshaw, 13. Harris, 14. Williams, 15. Hogg. 16. Owens, 17. Jones, 18. Fagerson, 19. Itoje, 20. Curry, 21. Price, 22. Farrell (if he picks up form), 23. Daly

I would imagine the 9 and 10 combo will depend on who starts at fly half - if Russell then Price and if Biggar then Murray

The 3 Scottish players unlucky to lose out are Gray, Ritchie and Maitland

[nessies long lost ghost]

1 hour ago, Savage Henry said:

He had a fairly beige 6 Nations and made some incredibly dumb decisions, but there’s far more to be confused about than him.   If you were going for one Scot to mouth off at, on face value, Chris Harris seems to be more highly rated than his performances merit.  “Defensively excellent centre” is a nebulous concept. 

Harris fully deserves to go - I watch him in the Premiership and he good at attacking too - very good player

[nessies long lost ghost]

3 hours ago, GAD said:

So we got 8 in then. More than I expected. A few real shockers in there though. Johnny Hill? Bundee Aki? Only two scrum halves?

there are 3 scrum halves

 

Ali Price, Gareth Davies and Connor Murray

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

23 minutes ago, nessies long lost ghost said:

What are peoples thoughts on a 23 test team from the 37 named today

I would go 1. Sutherland, 2. George, 3. Furlong, 4. Henderson, 5. Wyn Jones, 6. Beirne, 7. Watson, 8. Simmonds, 9. Murray, 10. Russell, 11. Watson, 12. Henshaw, 13. Harris, 14. Williams, 15. Hogg. 16. Owens, 17. Jones, 18. Fagerson, 19. Itoje, 20. Curry, 21. Price, 22. Farrell (if he picks up form), 23. Daly

I would imagine the 9 and 10 combo will depend on who starts at fly half - if Russell then Price and if Biggar then Murray

The 3 Scottish players unlucky to lose out are Gray, Ritchie and Maitland

Sutherland, Cowan-Dickie, Furlong, Itoje, AWJ, Curry, Watson, Faletau, Murray, Russell, Williams, Farrell, Henshaw, LRZ, Hogg - George, Jones, Zander, Beirne, Henderson, Tipuric, Price, Watson.

 

[Savage Henry]

1 hour ago, nessies long lost ghost said:

Harris fully deserves to go - I watch him in the Premiership and he good at attacking too - very good player

I’m sure he is.  I just haven’t really seen it for Scotland.  It does, however, explain Hutcheson’s complete omission. 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

3 hours ago, honestly united said:

I was wondering if they picked Daly for goal kicking if they are thinking of starting with Russell?

I think Daly is more likely to be a utility sub. Cover for Full back, wing, centre and can kick.

I wonder if there could be plans for a 6-2 split on the bench.

[Mark Connolly]

Absolutely delighted for the Scottish boys. Ali Price offers something different to the other two 9s, and could well end up on the bench (at least) for the Tests behind either. Great to see Zander's red didn't cost him, and Chris Harris is an unsurprising surprise, given how much trust both Tandy and Townsend have in him, and his recent performances for Gloucester. The others were all pretty much as certain as a Scotsman in a Lions squad under Gatland could be. 8 is the most we've had as an original selection since the 9 chosen in 1989, with 7 plus a late addition in 1993. All absolutely deserved. 

Daly is lucky, but is also a very good rugby player who Gatland trusts, and who I think Townsend might get a lot more out of than Jones. With Lawes and Simmonds, it's more surprising that they aren't always in the England squad than they're in this one, and the 2nd rows have clearly been picked as big dirty ball carriers when you see the general makeup of the back rowers. Wyn Jones ability to get opponents sent off is clearly a huge strength.

I make no apologies for absolutely fucking loving the Lions, but it has been a tough shift as a Scottish Lions fan over the last few tours, even back as far as Australia in 2001. I genuinely cannot wait for this.

If the first Test was on Saturday, 

Quote

Hogg, A Watson, Henshaw, Farrell, Rees Zammit, Biggar, Murray, Sutherland, George, Furlong, AWJ, Itoje, Curry, H Watson, Faletau.

Subs: Cowan-Dickie, Fagerson, Vunipola, Beirne, Simmonds, Price, Russell, Williams

 for me please.

[Mark Connolly]

 

 ETA: Oli Kebble at Price's name being announced!

Edited May 6, 2021 by Mark Connolly

[GAD]

1 hour ago, Mark Connolly said:

 

 ETA: Oli Kebble at Price's name being announced!

Love that.

[Savage Henry]

Its not entirely unreasonable to pick a starting XV with no Irish players in it.  That’d be a crying shame if that happened. 

[John Lambies Doos]

Its not entirely unreasonable to pick a starting XV with no Irish players in it.  That’d be a crying shame if that happened. 

Henshaw and Furlong would be in

[nessies long lost ghost]

2 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

3 hours ago, Savage Henry said:

Its not entirely unreasonable to pick a starting XV with no Irish players in it.  That’d be a crying shame if that happened. 

Henshaw and Furlong would be in

I agree

Furlong is better than Fagerson - I like Fagerson but Furlong is better

Henshaw is a great player

 

[Mark Connolly]

Just another quick point on Harris - the fact that he'll have played about every game this season alongside one or more of Hogg, Duhan or Rees Zammit creating space for them will definitely have counted in his favour