posted May 15, 2008

Ian McGeechan is calling for unity in the Lions. I would suggest that a bar is put on any member of the tour party is barred from writing any articles in the press or commenting on TV and then we won't have what happened at the world cup when a certain senior gentleman in the squad criticised the preparations. What encouragement did this give to younger members of the squad if they think they have not been prepared properly? To my mind if you are writing articles for the press you can not be preparing properly and almost certainly will have an axe of your own to grind.

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posted May 15, 2008

Geech is the best man for the job as he seems to have a mystical way of bringing the 4 different national charachteristics together. He also will play tactics that can win a match rather than picking up a team style and trying to play it. I remember in Living with Lions, Fran Cotton saying "If we play like England, we will get hammered" At the time England were the best side in Europe yet they realised playing like them would not win in SA. Geech's Lions will play just as he wants them too and no one will get in on National form but more on whether they can do the job he wants them to do. IMO Geech should bring Shaun Edwards, and possibly Deano as forwards coach. Lets Keep the British and Irish Lions British and Irish please and keep the foreign coaches out. SCW got it wrong, but Henry just destroyed them, leaving their best work on the training ground. Go Geech and Go Lions

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posted May 15, 2008

HookerRob
I agree Sean and Deano - if Sean doesn't learn how to be a great coach with theses fellas around him then he should stay in Wales.

Also seeing the world champs getting kicked out of their own country is goping to be just perfect.

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posted May 15, 2008

I approve of Ian's appointment he's not infallable, no one is, and the test series will still be incredibly tough to win. We're talking about a bedded in nation rugby team playing on their own patch vs a rugby team that played about 5 or 6 matches together. Its a tough ask and no mistake.

Ian has to bring a bit of amatuerism back into the lions because if you go out there with a professional attitude and treat the tour like business trip then the cameraderie will not grow and it'll be another 3 - 0 whitewash. We won in 1997 becasue professionalism hadn't really taken off by then. The 1997 tour was the last of the amatuer tours as far as i'm concerned.


We need an amatuer ethos, The players have to want to die for each other on that rugby pitch. Englishmen need to put their lives in the hands of Welshmen knowing he's got his back and he'll smash anyone who tries to take a swing at him. If not then forget it. This will be the 3rd truely professonal lions tour and if we blow it again then you just have to say that there isn't a place for the british and irish lions in modern rugby.

YOU'VE GOT TO DO IT RIGHT OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL! you don't win lions tests by whining at a touch judge after the oposition have spear tackled you captain head first into the pitch. What you do is shout "99" and make sute that three of there guys are stretchered off with broken backs!

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posted May 15, 2008

Bleu black,Lions history,2wins vSA,1vNZ .No one has a great record against them Geechs is no worse than most.It is interesting that if you take the first 22 games of England coaches win/loss ratio Robinson/Ashton/Woodward.Sir Clives is worst,South Africa are World Cupholders,and rated world no.1 by IRB.Jake White has been very pragmatic,in his style,try nothing,defend,Forward domination,keep your discipline,kick your goals.Jake achieved something no one else has 3 victories over All Blacks since 2003[all at home].Great except in the same time the All Blacks have won 6 including 2 away,and Sa have beaten them oncein last 5 games in 2years.Jake is no longer there ,and they have many of there best players no longer available.Perhaps the Lions will win this one under a man who knows about tours a Lion as a coach and player.

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posted May 15, 2008

IMG is a great choice and I look forward to seeing him and the rest of the Lions back in SA. With IMG indicating that tradition will be returned under his leadership, I hope that he insists upon the removal of that corny Lions song which embarrased all the players during the NZ tour.
Lions2009, HoneyDew, Joberg

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posted May 15, 2008

Olliekooga,
Don't think the majority of the squad will be Welsh. There are the Summer & Autumn tours yet to come. See how the 4 nations do against the SH teams in both tours. Plus next years 6-N. By then, something tells me that the majority of the squad will be Irish/English based. Kidney will want to make a good start with Ireland after winning the HC again and Johnson should have England "rolling" again by then.
Just a hunch mind.

Just for pig-iron, here is who I consider the "definites and probables" for Irelands' Lions quota. Injury and form permitting of course. They have the "stuff" required.
I believe Geech will follow through on his promise of form-based selection.

Definites
---------
B. O'Driscoll.(Captain)
P. O'Connell
D. O'Callaghan
J. Flannery.
J. Heaslip.
R. Kearney.
E. Reddan.
G. Darcy.(needs lots of game time and Gaffney to sort him out)
S. Jennings.
D. Leamy.
D. Wallace
R. O' Gara

That's 12 - a third of the proposed squad of 36.

Probables
---------
Shane Horgan.
L. Fitzgerald (Could be a 'definite". Needs to shine bright again next year. Could be like BOD in 2001 - star of the show).
T. Bowe.
L. Cullen.
D. Trimble.
B. Jackman.
R. Best
G. Dempsey or G.Murphy.

English, Welsh & Scottish juries.. come in please?
May we have YOUR Country's votes.. s'il vous plait?.

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posted May 15, 2008

CaptainSpectacular,
You're not wrong mate. Have a feeling Geech will beat that mentality into us. All-for-one, One-for-all and God help anyone who messes with us. A la Willie-John McBride. It is an absolute necessity against the SAFFIS in their own house. Otherwise, we’ll be bullied, walloped & beaten up. Big time.

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posted May 16, 2008

McGeechan is by far the best choice. The last two tours were beset by cries of bias and wrong selection. McGeechan understands the Lions and won't let that happen, just as it didn't on his previous tours.

No offence to my Scottish chums either but a Scot is a good choice since they are not likely to dominate selection. He'll be free to pick on form and not upset any chums.

The only question is with Sean Edwards, he has the right skills and mentality but can he handle doing 3 jobs with Wasps, Wales and the Lions?

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posted May 16, 2008

what is with the scottish bashing? There will be socts going along, no problems! Not the players fault the current coach is off the boil!

Sottish players who SHOULD get to go along

Mike blair (best SH eligable for the lions)
Rory lawson (SH in england's best club, goes on form)
Fergus Thomson (Young and promising hooker)
Ali Strochosh (coz he's immense)
Ali Hogg (coz he is immense)
Sean Lamont (when fit)
Rory lamont (when fit)

Also, watch out for Ben cairns, Nick De Luca, Thom Evans. If they get thier oppertunity over the coming year they might be able to put thier hands up!

Also, Chris paterson may be going due to his trusty boot and the fact he covers 10, 11, 14 and 15!

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