Scrap the Lions?

[offshorerules]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

[WarPoodle]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

+1

[brenno]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

+1

Well I for one would be happy to see the Lions scrapped. Players are playing too much rugby already and the itinerary for the NZ tour is absolutely shocking - playing every super rugby team, maoris and NZ barbarians and then three tests - at the end of a long season of internationals, Pro12 and ERCC for the irish, Scots and Welsh and internationals, Prem and ERCC for the English. These tours are simply cash cows for hard-up rugby nations - and NZ for all its success on the field is not in great shape financially.

I'd be perfectly happy to see no Irish players chosen, but sadly that won't happen even if Gatty stacks the team with Welsh and English.

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

[Peg Leg]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

+1

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

Lions = Top Gun

[paddyor]

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

Lions = Top Gun

So which one of Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree = Kelly McGillis?

[LeRouxIsPHat]

[Oldschool]

Lions = Top Gun

Lions test record would suggest otherwise.
The recent penchant for making a current national coach the Lions coach undermines your top gun assertion even further.
Lions = Teacher's Pet more like.

[Peg Leg]

Well I'm sure the Russians won some of the dogfights too. And maverick was the teachers pet.... his teacher fought with his dad, in fact he was sleeping one of the assistant coaches (and possibly some of his team mates) too.
Besides which if Tom Skerrit was a coach in the NH he would have the lions job for as long as he wanted.

[simonokeeffe]

would Clive Woodward's tour be Hot Shots?

[Peg Leg]

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

Lions = Top Gun

So which one of Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree = Kelly McGillis?

Easterby no?

[tate]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

+1

Well I for one would be happy to see the Lions scrapped. Players are playing too much rugby already and the itinerary for the NZ tour is absolutely shocking - playing every super rugby team, maoris and NZ barbarians and then three tests - at the end of a long season of internationals, Pro12 and ERCC for the irish, Scots and Welsh and internationals, Prem and ERCC for the English. These tours are simply cash cows for hard-up rugby nations - and NZ for all its success on the field is not in great shape financially.

I'd be perfectly happy to see no Irish players chosen, but sadly that won't happen even if Gatty stacks the team with Welsh and English.

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

wot 'e said

they'll be lucky to get nil next year

[kermischocolate]

Lions = Teacher's Pet more like.

This.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Well I'm sure the Russians won some of the dogfights too. And maverick was the teachers pet.... his teacher fought with his dad, in fact he was sleeping one of the assistant coaches (and possibly some of his team mates) too.
Besides which if Tom Skerrit was a coach in the NH he would have the lions job for as long as he wanted.

Peg Leg...........you stink.

[enby]

I for one would be deeply disappointed if the Lions were ever scrapped.

+1

Well I for one would be happy to see the Lions scrapped. Players are playing too much rugby already and the itinerary for the NZ tour is absolutely shocking - playing every super rugby team, maoris and NZ barbarians and then three tests - at the end of a long season of internationals, Pro12 and ERCC for the irish, Scots and Welsh and internationals, Prem and ERCC for the English. These tours are simply cash cows for hard-up rugby nations - and NZ for all its success on the field is not in great shape financially.

I'd be perfectly happy to see no Irish players chosen, but sadly that won't happen even if Gatty stacks the team with Welsh and English.

And if I ever hear another Irish player go on about being picked for the Lions as the "ultimate accolade" I''ll tear the remains of my hair out. The ultimate accolade for any Irish players is the green jersey with the shamrock.

Well said. The Lions was a great concept in the amateur days but it is most certainly not in either Ireland's or Leinster's interests to have our very best players flogged on a ridiculously scheduled tour. A summer off would be far better for all

[WarPoodle]

Well said. The Lions was a great concept in the amateur days but it is most certainly not in either Ireland's or Leinster's interests to have our very best players flogged on a ridiculously scheduled tour. A summer off would be far better for all

I would say that's a pretty closed view. I think it is in Ireland's and Leinster's interest. The players gain confidence from being picked. They learn a lot from working with other coaches, other players. Just look at Murray and how much he improved during the Lions tour to Australia. He was no where near that good a player before he went, and he has barely taken a step back since.

Simple fact is that the concept behind the Lions still rings true for the players. If it didn't then they'd make themselves unavailable. They don't have to go. They aren't forced in any way to go. They choose to go. And I doubt they choose it for the money..

[Peg Leg]

Well I'm sure the Russians won some of the dogfights too. And maverick was the teachers pet.... his teacher fought with his dad, in fact he was sleeping one of the assistant coaches (and possibly some of his team mates) too.
Besides which if Tom Skerrit was a coach in the NH he would have the lions job for as long as he wanted.

Peg Leg...........you stink.

Bahahahahaha

[Ruckedtobits]

Having watched Gatland's Wales against NZ over the past three weeks, IMO, it would an exercise in futility to put him in charge of Lions Tour to NZ next year. He has shown no capacity for player, unit, or team tactcal development throughout the series and his team plays to a pattern that NZ has studied, repelled and comprehensively dismantled. In fact, even the Provincial team of Waikate, under Dave Rennie tore this Welsh Squad apart..

Wales, unlike Ireland, are missing very few of their best starting XV and the team has been, largely, for 5 seasons. NZ have 6 changes from RWC Final and have replaced Carter, McCaw, Nonu, Conrad Smith, and two starting front-rows.

The First Test was a contest. The Third Test an exhibition. Hanson is a top Head Coach. Gatty is in second tier.

[simonokeeffe]

Cant remember who said it here but Gatty trying to suddenly play brand new style of rugby with same coaches

Could be back to a very English lions with Hartley, Cole, Itoje, Kruis, B Vunipola, Youngs, Farrell, Brown, and Tuilagi if fit all serious contenders to start.

Back 3 especially wings look like hard calls

[Donny B.]

Can I just say low liberating it is, now that I've stopped caring about the Lions?

Who get the coaching job? - Who cares?
Who gets the captaincy? - Who cares?
How many Irish players will be picked? - Who cares?

When you realise that nothing that happens on a tour really means anything for the four teams involved, it's a wonderful peaceful path to treating it as a glorified babas tour, a make-uppy team for the laugh. Even if a Llions team happened to win in New Zealand what would it actually prove? England's 3-0 win in Australia was a lot more significant today, they did it off their own back. That's what Ireland, Welsh and Scotland players have to aim for as the ultimate accolade. Not this fake Lions horseshit!

[simonokeeffe]

Hey a disasterous Anglo Welsh dominated tour could destabilise our biggest rivals for the 6n