Scrap the Lions?

[nc6000]

Joe won't be coaching them anyhow as apparently his IRFU contract doesn't allow him take up the role.......

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/s ... 01286.html

finally the IRFU get a contract right

So they are happy to cash in on the Lions but aren't prepared to let their coach off to coach them? I wonder what the other unions make of that.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

When I read that initially I thought that it was a dangerous game to play because it's the kind of thing that could easily piss someone off, but given that his contract only goes to 2017 it's fair enough. No point getting him to sign until then if there's a strong chance of him leaving so soon after.

That said, it's not like the Lions wouldn't be able to get him out of it if they wanted. There might even be a clause that says he can take it if they pay compensation of €1 or something.

I hope he is the Lions coach tbh, but care far more about his Ireland future.

[Dave Cahill]

So Joe can leave one team owned by the IRFU that he's under contract to to go to another team owned by the IRFU, but can't go from a team owned by the IRFU that he's under contract to to another team owned by the IRFU. Because he's under contract

Right. No smell of BS of that at all.

[nc6000]

Now Gatland has responded by saying Joe can have the Lions job.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/l ... 01452.html

[simonokeeffe]

I think the Lions got cocky/limited their options by saying the coach has to take the full season off

For Ireland's sake Im delighted if Joe is ruled out

[WarPoodle]

I think the Lions got cocky/limited their options by saying the coach has to take the full season off

Good business to be honest. Not them getting cocky.. they have limited their options however. But that was the risk they had to take to make sure the Lions had the proper prep necessary to ensure they weren't whitewashed. A couple more tours like NZ would have spelled the end of Lions.

[Ruckedtobits]

Joe won't be coaching them anyhow as apparently his IRFU contract doesn't allow him take up the role.......

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/s ... 01286.html

Another example of paper not refusing ink. Joe is not inhibited from being appointed to the Lions, in fact his contract is designed to facilitate it, by the inclusion of a clause providing a sabbatical. However, JS will not want any focus on that at all, untiil the 6N is done and dusted. Subject to performances in that Tourney and Summer Tours, what price Joe and VC (Vern Cotter) re-uniting as the 'dream team' to return to the Land of the long White Cloud in 2017?

[simonokeeffe]

I think the Lions got cocky/limited their options by saying the coach has to take the full season off

Good business to be honest. Not them getting cocky.. they have limited their options however. But that was the risk they had to take to make sure the Lions had the proper prep necessary to ensure they weren't whitewashed. A couple more tours like NZ would have spelled the end of Lions.

Ah think coaching AIs potentially against NZ would be handy prep

[Donny B.]

Quite happy for Gatty to have the job and pack his suicide squad with as many Taffs as he can find.

[nc6000]

Maybe Lancaster will get the gig..........

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... ew-zealand

[Twist]

Quite happy for Gatty to have the job and pack his suicide squad with as many Taffs as he can find.

As they say on tumblr, so much this

[Donny B.]

Maybe Lancaster will get the gig..........

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... ew-zealand

Ideal man I'd say. He won't have to take a preposterous 12 month break from meaningful International rugby as he's already on a break.

[simonokeeffe]

Maybe Lancaster will get the gig..........

http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... ew-zealand

Ideal man I'd say. He won't have to take a preposterous 12 month break from meaningful International rugby as he's already on a break.

and he cant pick Burgess this time

[neiliog93]

It's such a strong tradition in the game, though. I feel torn. If it's knackering our players, even with the money, it may not be worth it.

[Donny B.]

I grew up on the Lions and I used to love it.
The 97 win was one of my great sporting memories, the heartbreak in 01 one of my worst.

But in the professional era, it's increasingly become pointless.

I mean, all of Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland should be seeking to beat any of the top three on their own.
Yet, we should be expected to still combine all our players and hope to win and then feel good about ourselves if we do?
What's the actual value in providing a couple of players to this?

The Lions tour has really become an exercise in commercialism and tourist fans, out there for the piss-up.
You can't blame the players for wanting to go on a jolly so lets treat it like a Baba's tour and just have a laugh.

The serious players can invent an injury to get out of it and take extra recovery time before the World Cup.

[LENSTA]

SWEET FANCY MOSES!!!!!!!!!

Gerbo actually wrote something I agree with it. Lions has got to go if the Northern Hemisphere, with it's greater number of players and far greater financial resources, is ever to break the Southern Hemisphere's dominance (1 RWC win in 8 spins). It is a big financial handout to our rivals, losing the cash would be a far bigger blow to them and would cease our funding of our own subjugation.

Who wants to watch next year's BNZ shellacking? The Lions are set up to lose: thrown together at the last minute; no time to prepare properly; away from home always to the other side of the world to face home teams in their own backyard, no neutral venues or home games for the Lions; strong non-test home teams that are waiting to soften them up for the test series.

The injury toll is reason enough to stop. Unfortunately too many people and organisations... rugby, corporate and media have too much of a vested interest, in the tour, to not try to wring every last shilling out of it. The media saturation is about to start so brace yourself for the delusion that this doomed tour has a snowballs chance in hell of victory. The Lions can just about beat a weak Oz team, but most of the time they can't beat Oz though. They have no shot against BNZ or SA.

The only way it will stop, is if fan interest dies, and thereby the cash dries up. While I detect a lot more disinterest and even disrespect for the Lions from fans. I don't think we are anywhere near the tipping point where TV numbers fall off a cliff or fans stop travelling down under. But things are changing, if Gerbo did this article a few years ago, he would have been lambasted. It seems elements within the media are being more rationale in their Lions coverage.

Personally when I see an article online that has the Lions in it, I swerve it, don't want them getting the page impressions for their advertising. If it comes on the TV, I change the channel.

[simonokeeffe]

Robert Kitson with big piece on how a team full of Englishmen will beat NZ

Luke Cowan Dickie in the 23 probably the barmiest selection, especially when he says the thin red line will prevail based on set piece

As long as theres SH refs for 2 of the 3 games no way the Lions winning

and am pretty sure the Kiwis used to big polynesian 8s running at them

[Dexter]

Robert Kitson with big piece on how a team full of Englishmen will beat NZ

Luke Cowan Dickie in the 23 probably the barmiest selection, especially when he says the thin red line will prevail based on set piece

As long as theres SH refs for 2 of the 3 games no way the Lions winning

and am pretty sure the Kiwis used to big polynesian 8s running at them

You can always rely on the English press to get carried away with a bit of success. Good to see it still.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Robert Kitson with big piece on how a team full of Englishmen will beat NZ

Luke Cowan Dickie in the 23 probably the barmiest selection, especially when he says the thin red line will prevail based on set piece

As long as theres SH refs for 2 of the 3 games no way the Lions winning

and am pretty sure the Kiwis used to big polynesian 8s running at them

You can always rely on the English press to get carried away with a bit of success. Good to see it still.

let them off, sure they have that weird robotic looking chap to kick their points,

[simonokeeffe]

Newstalk (Sunday papers) report IRFU have cleared/beatified Joe applying for the Lions saying theyd work around it

If he had to miss Autumn as well as 6n thats BS

Easterbunny head coach but theyd need a backs/attack person (not Farrell)