BBC Home

Explore the BBC

New visitors: Create your membership
Returning members: Sign in

228 comments

user rating: 4 star

Who to replace O'Leary?

International Lions
comment on the article

With Tomas O'Leary out, who do 606 think will replace him?

Latest 10 comments

Read members' comments or add your own

posted May 12, 2009

OK, I can understand people who say Blair didn't have the best of 6 nations. Apart from O'Leary, did any scrum half really stand out?Cussiter was in better for over the 6 nations than Blair but that's because Cussiter has a lot of experience of Scottish Packs going backwards, A certain Matt Williams era saw to that. However Blair is an exceptional player. He's pace is not bad, fantastic under the high ball and is not scared to take/make hits. Scotland have some potentially good, even great, players and Mikey Blair is one of them. This isn't me, as a scot, saying there aren't other options. Stringer, Care ......e.t.c are more than capable Scrum halfs. I just genuinely believe that Blair is exceptional. He's managing to keep Cusssiter and Lawson out of the starting fifteen for Scotland and they can play a bit too!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 12, 2009

As a seasoned Scotland fan, never have got the hype about Blair, he is lucky that Cusiter has had so many injuries...and Peel. Blair on a good day is average. Doubt SA will lose any sleep. Disappointing...

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 12, 2009

Completely agree with call up as dont think the alternatives are up to much - Care had bad game at wkend and cusiter didnt start..hard to make a case for either.

Im only surprised he wasnt selected as one of the initial 3 - fair enough he hasnt had the best 6n but he has shown time and time again he is class and perhaps more importantly put in a greatn performance last time he met the boks. Aslo think he will work well with a forward moving pack, and a hard and fast surface..

lets hope there are no more injuries in the run up and a speedy retutn for T.o.l and shanks

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by pelmer (U12197406)

posted May 12, 2009

OMG wHO IS THIS GUY ??? I was expecting Ryan Jones or Danny Care at least. Such political moves will cost you guys dear.
3-0 to the Bokke

De-Preez / Januarie v Blair ?????

too easy guys...no contest !!!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2009

Januarie wont even be in the squad you clown, hes been awful this year for the Stormers. Last year in the Autumm Blair was more than a match for Du Preez.

add comment | complain about this comment

comment by Festa3 (U3878299)

posted May 13, 2009

Shocking decision to take Blair. He is over-rated & cannot change a game. Blair & Ellis are far too simular & both lack any kind of spark. The Lions should have called up a more elusive & "cheeky" scrum half like Paul Hodgson or Danny Care

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2009

Last season Blair was shortlisted for the IRB Player of the Year, he captains his country.
The only real question was whether Dwayne Peel or Gareth Cooper might get in. They both toured with the 2005 Lions and are class acts at scrum half. And Cooper had the advantage of playing with Wales in South Africa last summer.
But Blair is a dangerous attacking player when he gets it right, and I could see him posing a real threat out there on the hard grounds behind a decent pack.
Ellis is not getting much rugby at the moment, so he might lack a bit of sharpness, especially against South African sides playing at a higher tempo.
Personally, I think we may still see Dwayne Peel emerge from the shadows and perform miracles in South Africa - a deadly operator when he is on his game.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 13, 2009

"Personally, I think we may still see Dwayne Peel emerge from the shadows and perform miracles in South Africa - a deadly operator when he is on his game."

So which scrum half are you predicting will get injured before or during the tour and how do you know that Peel is the next in line? That's quite a bold prediction.

Loving the clown above who suggests Ryan Jones should play scrum half!!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted May 15, 2009

Good decision to take Blair. No one else that can do the basics as well as him and I think that his experience will show. He's not as good as Phillips and is only really going because TOL is injured and there's a bunch of malco's at 9 in Britain, but right decision to take him from the players that were waiting to go. I'm so glad that Care didn't go!

add comment | complain about this comment

Comment on this article

Sorry, you can only contribute to 606 during opening hours. These are 0900-2300 UK time, seven days a week, but may vary to accommodate sporting events and UK public holidays.

RATE THIS ARTICLE

Rate Breakdown

  • 5 75.00%
    6 votes
  • 4
    0 votes
  • 3
    0 votes
  • 2
    0 votes
  • 1 25.00%
    2 votes

average rating:
4.00 from 8 votes