Rugby
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Here it comes...
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Leigh Halfpenny, Hogg, Kearney
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Bowe, Cuthbert, Maitland, North
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Davies, BOD, Roberts, Tuilagi
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Farrell, Sexton,
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Murray, Phillips, Youngs
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Croft, Faletau, Heaslip, Lydiate, O'Brien, Tipuric, Warburton
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Evans, Gray, Wyn Jones, O'Connell, Parling
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Cole, Healy, Jenkins, Jones, Stevens
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Hartley, Hibbard, Youngs
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No Rory Best...biggest surprise for me.
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And that I believe is your lot.
Rory Best managed to play himself off the tour this year by throwing everything sideways. Question is are his replacements better? |
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murrray & youngs at 9 really surprises me. i wouldn't have picked either, certainly not Murray.
thought rory best would be in the squad too |
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I didn't see any expert not pick him....most had him as a Test starter.
I think he is a top player...who over time has been a very good thrower in, a few games in the 6 Nations apart.. very good leader. I'm very surprised. |
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Murray is a disastrous selection btw
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Vunipola in squad too. Think those saracens props are lucky to get in. They were taught a lesson on the weekend (and by Ulster too). Not sure how only 2 Fly-Halves will work. There's zero cover for injury there.
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Wilkinson slightly unlucky not to get the nod ahead of Farrell , who was pretty dire under pressure and in direct opposition in the Heineken semi . Just hope Sexton stays sound .
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i'm biased i know but i really thought ryan grant would get picked.
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So some interesting picks in there. Cant say I'm too happy about Maitland deciding he is Scottish and instantly getting on a Lions tour. Good player, but is that all it takes?
No Robshaw, but Tom Croft gets in. I think the former has been very unlucky, but he has looked extremely tired in recent weeks, while Croft has been injured for ages and has come storming back with some top performances. Murray a wierd one, Laidlaw not a more solid pick? |
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Laidlaw would provide cover at 10 also. I'm amazed there's only 2 players who've played 10 in this squad.
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Yes, Vunipola wasn't written in when I copied it across. I thought Stevens and Vunipola were probably Sarries two best players last week and both will love a flat track, Vunipola in particular is a great carrier. Bit of a surprise though.
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a few strange selections i think youngs and murray v lucky,also no rory best?bowe and maitland ?and not having a james hook type player to cover several back positions leaves questions at fly half,i think farrell has been exposed as not ready for this tour.plenty of props going
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Makes sense to take a lot of props, but the lack of cover at 10 is odd. Not at all surprised it's just the 2, but you would think someone who could cover would be in there somewhere. Laidlaw an odd omission in that respect, Stuart Hogg or Ben Youngs look the most likely to fill in at 10 if a crisis did happen and how is that a good thing?
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tommy bowe is a great player but has had very little rugby and his fitness must be a slight concern so there will be a few very disappointed wingers about who have had good seasons like brown, zebo & visser.
bound to be a couple of injuries yet. is their a back up list? |
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I'm sure Gatland has an idea of who is backing up, but there isn't a list that I'm aware of.
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Really got to feel for Robshaw and Best as last November they might have been the first 2 names on a starting teamsheet. Form went south at exactly the wrong time for both.
Dan Lydiate sneaks in with very little rugby as well, but we know what effect he can have on a game and it may just be a masterstroke to pick him and Croft as both are fresh as can be hoped for. |
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Seriously looks weak
Hartley, Croft, Steven(???) where is the form ? I suppose they have to keep SKY happy Gatland will have to go looking for Houdini (Heaslip)  With all the options he has picked a fairly weak back row |
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Best should be at least in the squad, minimum!
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Who else is there that would improve that back-row?
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On form the best 7 at the moment is Tommy O'Donnell
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Luckily for Gatland I think he was in the position he could pick any 37 and have a favourites chance of beating Australia , unless everybody has been over rating our lot . Forwards look a healthy lot , the question marks may be in the back division where a starting line up for 1st test is not immediately apparent .
16 Welsh is possibly the outcome to one match in the Six Nations . Wales were excellent in that match , but overall in the Six Nations there were a lot of "mystery " performances in my book . France , containing overall the best teams in the Heineken , were under performing most of the Six Nations tournament , Ireland were rubbish apart from beating Wales ( who were COMPLETE rubbish for the first half against Ireland , worst Welsh performance I have seen in 50 years plus ) . So I still have a question mark about the Six Nations , were some as good as they looked , and some not as bad as they looked ? |
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Looks like injuries help you get selected. Bowe, PoC, Gray, Lydiate are all short of rugby.
However, now they are picked, I'm firmly behind them. |
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Robshaw desperately unlucky not to be picked ahead of Croft (and I'm a huge croft fan), how many MOMs did Robshaw get this 6N?
Also, Matt Stevens must be pinching himself. Chalk up a 6pts start for Oz if he plays as he's a penno machine, terrible at the weekend, gifted Jonny the difference between the sides. |
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I can't imagine Gatland spent a lot of time considering O'Donnell. Two good games in the Heineken cup, but no caps at 25 and a whole host of other back-row options clearly ahead of him. I can't see that back-row as any sort of weakness with those picked, a lot of quality in there.
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matt stevens must be in as a good character in the squad i would imagine he would be good off the field
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Heaslip and Croft in the back row ....omg
great funny comment here from another site - just had to post it "If Tom Croft was in a wheelchair- he'd be going. If Tom Croft was in actual fact Jimmy Savile- he'd be going. Sky...Lions...Tom Croft. They all go together hand in glove" |
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16 welsh players from an ex welsh coach does look a bit dodgy.
especially as they have lost their last 8 matches v australia & have not beaten them since nov 2008 |
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yeah but they are the best available northanlite a grand slam and a six nations in last 2 years the other nations will supplement what wales miss against the southern hemisphere teams
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a few picks i dont get - Matt Stevens, Hartley, Heaslip, Maitland, The Samoan & even Tommy Bowe whose desperately short of match practice.
A few ommissions - Zebo & Mike Brown are very unlucky & could easily have replaced kearney & Bowe - I think names & experience have won the day there? Rory Best ? Has tbh slowly imploded as the seasons gone on so not surpirsed he's misesd out BUT hartley??? Youngs is a good pick thou as he's gorwn as the seasons gone on & Hibbard too. Phillips & Murray i get - both similar styles & i guess thats how the Lions will be going Farrell - very lucky to be picked & it's a shame for Duncan Weir as i think maybe he'd have made the squad as a 9/10 style player to cover both slots if not bust his leg t'other week. Sexton was also rocky on his comeback last week for periods so we'll see? The samoan - jus not good enough consistently at the next level, one trick pony for sure. Still thats it's time to pull on the shirt & support the British & irish lions for the next few months - 2/1 Lions |
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To say that O'Donnell is a form player and that Croft is a bad pick means that someone has been cherry-picking the games they have been watching recently. Croft has been superb since his return, and I'm not exactly his biggest fan in general.
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