Stephen Jones' Lions XV

[Isaac4leinster]

Lads, lads, lads, you just don't get it.
This is about selecting the Bristish and Irish Lions team.
We're Irish, we pick the Irish players for the team, Stephen and Ian pick the UK players.
On that basis my Lions team would be.
Court
Flannery,
Hayes,
O'Callaghan (Cap
O'Connell
Ferris
Heaslip
Wallace
Stringer
Sexton
Earls
D'Arcy
Fitzgerald
Bowe
Kearney

My Bench
Hayes, Best, O'Kelley, Ryan, O'Leary, O'Gara, O'Driscoll.

Blatant mischief making on the part of the 'old' one

[ceemec]

I’ve a bad feeling Ferris may well be the WTF omission.

I am alone in thinking Kearney could be the WTF omission? There is only going to be 35 men in the squad. 2 of the other fullbacks in the 6N were nominated for player of the tournament. One is the best 15 in the NH, the other finished very strongly and is very versatile. Kearney finished the 6N solidly but unspectacularly and there are better wingers than him. Whilst it would be a surprise would it be beyond the realms of possibility that he doesn't travel?

For the record, I'd have him in the squad but think the call is closer than people reckon.

[nelly the elephant]

A very good point and unfortunately you may well be right. Kearney's form has slipped a good bit from his showing in a blue shirt from December/January(Wasps away anyone??) With Armitage's strong finish he might well lose out. A pity really as I regard him as one of the true intuitive footballers we have and to see him given his head on the hard fast pitches in SA would be exciting.

As for Stephen Jones, I bought the ST on the way home on a long drive from Westport on Sunday morning. I hadn't bought it in ages but just wanted their view on the match itself. I couldn't believe the drivel in the lions squad article. That really is the last time I buy that rag as the man hasn't a rashers. He's so off the mark you would think he's doing it on purpose!

[simonno6]

I’ve a bad feeling Ferris may well be the WTF omission.

I am alone in thinking Kearney could be the WTF omission? There is only going to be 35 men in the squad. 2 of the other fullbacks in the 6N were nominated for player of the tournament. One is the best 15 in the NH, the other finished very strongly and is very versatile. Kearney finished the 6N solidly but unspectacularly and there are better wingers than him. Whilst it would be a surprise would it be beyond the realms of possibility that he doesn't travel?

For the record, I'd have him in the squad but think the call is closer than people reckon.

After the first 3 games it was a given that Byrne and Kearney would travel. However, Armitage finished very strongly as you said but on the overall scale of things, I reckon he (armitage) will miss out.

Kearney does have the extra bonus of having a showpiece European match to stake extra claims over the other two. (Assuming Byrnes injury rules him out).

[fourthirtythree]

Lads, lads, lads, you just don't get it.
This is about selecting the Bristish and Irish Lions team.
We're Irish, we pick the Irish players for the team, Stephen and Ian pick the UK players.
On that basis my Lions team would be.
Court
Flannery,
Hayes,
O'Callaghan (Cap
O'Connell
Ferris
Heaslip
Wallace
Stringer
Sexton
Earls
D'Arcy
Fitzgerald
Bowe
Kearney

My Bench
Hayes, Best, O'Kelley, Ryan, O'Leary, O'Gara, O'Driscoll.

I know you have a high opinion of Hayes but that double jobbing may be just beyond him.

On a more serious note he was in trouble at scrum time both for Munster and Ireland recently. Don't think anyone would fancy that in SA.

[Durkah Durkah]

Stephen Jones (vomit) is nothing compare to this highly insulting piece of toilet roll journalism from Tom Humphries. A colleague stuck it up on the wall and I could not believe it when I read it. Absolute disgrace.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 946900.ece

[simonno6]

Stephen Jones (vomit) is nothing compare to this highly insulting piece of toilet roll journalism from Tom Humphries. A colleague stuck it up on the wall and I could not believe it when I read it. Absolute disgrace.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 946900.ece

Utterly disgusting article... We get it Tom - you dont like rugby, now f%~k off back to your bog ball.

He's right though in fairness, the 1.2 million peak audience would indicate that nobody in the country gave a shite about the match. And the 18,000 that stood around for hours on dawson street to welcome the boys home, never mind the 2,000 that trecked out to the airport.

I am ashamed that that article was printed in a foreign newspaper - hopefully the English public will see him for exactly what he is - a complete tw@t.

[tones]

DD, Have seen the Tom Humphries article. The usual bile from a petty man and some more - of course I remember being vilified here before for criticising him.
He's entitled not to be interested, different strokes for different folks. But if he really wasn't interested would he write this?
Struggling to see the link between not being interested in the Grand Slam and the Famine, but hey!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm a huge fan of Tom Humphries but that article is awful.I've often heard him talk about rugby before and been able to look past it because the rest of his articles are so well informed,brilliantly written and funny but that really is appalling.

[Oldschool]

Lads, lads, lads, you just don't get it.
This is about selecting the Bristish and Irish Lions team.
We're Irish, we pick the Irish players for the team, Stephen and Ian pick the UK players.
On that basis my Lions team would be.
Court
Flannery,
Hayes,
O'Callaghan (Cap
O'Connell
Ferris
Heaslip
Wallace
Stringer
Sexton
Earls
D'Arcy
Fitzgerald
Bowe
Kearney

My Bench
Hayes, Best, O'Kelley, Ryan, O'Leary, O'Gara, O'Driscoll.

I know you have a high opinion of Hayes but that double jobbing may be just beyond him.

On a more serious note he was in trouble at scrum time both for Munster and Ireland recently. Don't think anyone would fancy that in SA.

Perhaps I should have explained some of my selection.
As it is only South Africa we are touring, I feel that this is chance to develop some of our players
Hence, Court, Sexton and Fitzgerald's selections.
Apologies to Hayes, I meant to select Horan at tight head.
I also believe that McGeechan likes a big man as captain, so again trying to broaden our captain's base I selected DOC.

[RoboProp]

DD, Have seen the Tom Humphries article. The usual bile from a petty man and some more - of course I remember being vilified here before for criticising him.
He's entitled not to be interested, different strokes for different folks. But if he really wasn't interested would he write this?
Struggling to see the link between not being interested in the Grand Slam and the Famine, but hey!

Yeah the Great Famine really effected Humphries the salad dodger. I like the way he uses the turtle neck and the goatee to try and disguise the fact that he has more chins... I forget how the rest of the expression goes!

[intothewest]

I'm a huge fan of Tom Humphries but that article is awful.I've often heard him talk about rugby before and been able to look past it because the rest of his articles are so well informed,brilliantly written and funny but that really is appalling.

This is exactly how I feel aswell. Can understand (and he has explained before) his dislike of rugby (and he does have a slight point about it being non-inclusive in dublin)...but everything about the article stinks really...plus it was printed in the Times in England. Poor Stuff Tom, very poor.

[intothewest]

15. Byrne (better than Kearney or Armitage IMO) I'd say way better tbh. A lot of people here think that Byrne had an average 6N, but I thought Kearney started well, before fading badly. Not sure if the lack of real counter-attacking from the England game was a personal choice, or a coaching decision. His defense is rock solid, catching too, and ball presentation, but he makes annoying mistakes which hamper his game. The last matches, Kidney wiped Kearney off immediately after a horribly bad unforced error in both games. Room for improvement.
14. Bowe (not many contenders) True, but that shouldn't detract from what was a really good tournament. The yellow card and peno try against the All Blacks, plus te hesitant definding that day, seem a million miles away
13. O'Driscoll (Duh)
12. Henson (if Geech can sort his head out) Lions tours are invariably lost on a range of mistakes, and this could be the same. Henson would the worst man to have in the side if things fall apart. Must be Shanklin
11. Kearney (not best position, but I wouldnt have Williams, even though he prob will play) Better chance of Fitzgerald because of his excellent defense.
10. Jones (no standout really..Wilko if fit, may start!)
9. Phillips (again, no standout..Peel when fit is best scrum-half in B&I IMO)
1. Sheridan (showed signs of moving his @rse recently..has all the attributes when going well)
2. Flannery (again, no standout..Flan did well in Cardiff..lineout may swing it for him)
3. Murray (better than competition in scrum)
4. O'Connell (Duh)
5. Alun-Wyn Jones (a superb athlete and at 6 8' could be needed in lineout)
6. Ferris (a big bruising Bok type 6..perfect)
7. Wallace (or Williams..its 50/50..id go for Wallace as Boks don't have McCaw!)
8. Ryan Jones. (Heaslip unlucky, but Jones showed glimpses on #Sat that 8 is his best position..a fearsome ball carrier with 1 good Lions tour already) Hmmmm, well...........

Better team than most I have seen. Some truely laughable selections on club teams' individual message boards. Loius Deacon starting a test being one of them. And Matt Banahan. And Nick Abendenon. And Tom Palmer.

Ah suisse shur we both know there are some ridiculous selections out there. A "prominent" Anglo-welsh journalist who's name i am refusing to even print, published a team with no POC or BOD par example!

On your comments...well the Henson thing is a glass-half full view on my part admitedly. Luuuke, you are right about, has a good chance of starting. Had a good 6N. Ryan Jones I think could be looking to have a big game in Thomond to force his way in...we'll see. One of the more interesting selections was Jonathan Davies on BBC. He said (not unreasonably) that no matter what back row is put out, there aren't big enough guys to out-muscle the boks, so he reckons we should go for pace and put forward a back row of...6. Wally. 8. Heaslip. 7. Williams....interesting at the very least. Having watched the Wales v Ireland game again, I would have grave reservations about Phillips...some of his passing was appalling or too slow, leaving the back-line with no time/space. He did blow 5 guys out of the way and nearly grab a match-winning try of course though.

[nelly the elephant]

DD, Have seen the Tom Humphries article. The usual bile from a petty man and some more - of course I remember being vilified here before for criticising him.
He's entitled not to be interested, different strokes for different folks. But if he really wasn't interested would he write this?
Struggling to see the link between not being interested in the Grand Slam and the Famine, but hey!

Yeah the Great Famine really effected Humphries the salad dodger. I like the way he uses the turtle neck and the goatee to try and disguise the fact that he has more chins... I forget how the rest of the expression goes!

I think the phrase you're looking for is "more chins than a Chinese telephone directory"

[alterego]

DD, Have seen the Tom Humphries article. The usual bile from a petty man and some more - of course I remember being vilified here before for criticising him.
He's entitled not to be interested, different strokes for different folks. But if he really wasn't interested would he write this?
Struggling to see the link between not being interested in the Grand Slam and the Famine, but hey!

Yeah the Great Famine really effected Humphries the salad dodger. I like the way he uses the turtle neck and the goatee to try and disguise the fact that he has more chins... I forget how the rest of the expression goes!

I think the phrase you're looking for is "more chins than a Chinese telephone directory"

He's liabble to mbe more apopleptic than usual after next Sunday. I read somewhere that the Kilmacud Crokes team are the guests of honour at the match !

[Hornet]

He's liabble to mbe more apopleptic than usual after next Sunday. I read somewhere that the Kilmacud Crokes team are the guests of honour at the match !

Coming to watch a proper sport!

[suisse]

DD, Have seen the Tom Humphries article. The usual bile from a petty man and some more - of course I remember being vilified here before for criticising him.
He's entitled not to be interested, different strokes for different folks. But if he really wasn't interested would he write this?
Struggling to see the link between not being interested in the Grand Slam and the Famine, but hey!

Why is he talking about the AIB Club Finals? Dublin fans I spoke to, cheering on Crokes against the evils of Oisin McConville, said the whole affair was turgid and bland. The football was weak and the hurling horrendously one-sided. From the highlights I saw, the Finals were less interesting than sitting in the RDS for the School's.

Everything about this man is bitter and awkward. He's a c..t and always will be.

[nelly the elephant]

Can't agree with their view on the football final Suisse, it was a cracking game I thought. Alright, there was a certain lack of precision and lots of errors but as a contest it was excellent(not unlike Cardiff last Saturday but without the momentous ending).

As for the hurling, alas they are spot on. It was indeed horrendously one-sided and does nothing for the game. Ironically at club(Portumna) and county(Kilkenny) level the quality on show has never been better but the lack of competition for the top teams means our best field sport(don't kill me please!!) is gonna die on its' arse.

Rambled a bit off-topic there everyone, sorry.......only getting used to posting now(after a year-sheesh!)

[Comer Toes]

Humphries is without doubt the best sports journalist around but the anti-rugby articles are pathetic. One could possibly see an angle for it once, but to have a go at 3 or 4 times is just bitter. Shame on his editor.

[tones]

I'm a huge fan of Tom Humphries but that article is awful.I've often heard him talk about rugby before and been able to look past it because the rest of his articles are so well informed,brilliantly written and funny but that really is appalling.

This is exactly how I feel aswell. Can understand (and he has explained before) his dislike of rugby (and he does have a slight point about it being non-inclusive in dublin)...but everything about the article stinks really...plus it was printed in the Times in England. Poor Stuff Tom, very poor.

If a little out-dated. He's Judging every single rugby player and person involved based on the actions of one gimp from the south-side.