The Lions in New Zealand thread for the 2017 tour.

Props: Vunipola, McGrath, Marler, Cole, Furlong, Sinckler

Hookers: Owens, Best, George

Locks: Itoje, AWJ, Kruis, Lawes, Henderson

Flankers: Warburton, O'Brien, Tipuric, Stander, Moriarty, O'Mahoney

8s: Vunipola, Faletau

Scrum halves: Murray, Webb, Youngs

Fly halves: Sexton, Farrell, Biggar

Centres: Henshaw, Davies, Joseph, Te'o, Daly

Wings: North, Nowell, Seymour, Watson, L Williams

Full backs: Hogg, Halfpenny, Payne
 
Really can't see too many issues with that squad, there's a couple lucky to be chosen and a few unlucky not to be picked but all in all it looks a decent squad.
 
Lots of fuss about Warburton as captain. People are forgetting he was the driving force behind the last Lions tour and most of Wales recent success. He might not have had the best season of his career but when it comes to a player that has been there and done it then he is the stand out player by a mile.
 
Gaudion M said:
Lots of fuss about Warburton as captain. People are forgetting he was the driving force behind the last Lions tour and most of Wales recent success. He might not have had the best season of his career but when it comes to a player that has been there and done it then he is the stand out player by a mile.
Click to expand...

Anyone questioning Warburton is a fool tbh, he's a world class player and a guaranteed test starter
 
Gatland showing his true bias picking 12 Welsh players and only two from Scotland. Pretty shabby stuff really. The Welsh effectively came bottom of the old five nations this season with a piss poor italian side propping them up. But twelve players really lol. Players should be picked on form not a favoured basis.
 
Well there we go Sam as captain was the right pick, a very strong squad, fingers crossed for a Lions win. For what its worth thought Toby and Halfpenny were the only soft picks from the Welsh squad, however one game each final test penalty to the lions in the 80th min I would rather have Lee on the pitch than in a pub in Wales getting pissed.
 
Reported today that Gatland has said that Warburton, AWJ and Murray have to play this season to go.

Halfpenny is presumably there for long range kicking, split with Hogg, depending on who's fit. None of the others tend to kick from halfway.

J Davies is a surprise - no Ringrose? Is he injured? Moriarty and Te'o as rookies - the latter presumably as a big lump option in the centres. If Farrell is going to play centre outside Sexton in the tests, the backup at flyhalf for the midweek team looks very thin. Maybe Gatland is going to attack through the inside centre.

Front row options are not terribly impressive. Lawes looks lucky to be there.

I think the balance is partly down to the Irish and English strengths mostly being from 1-10 - they have therefore competed against each other. England have better tight 5 than Wales/Ireland; Wales/Ireland a better back row, and the split shows that.
 
Really sad not to see Greig Laidlaw in the squad. Brilliant captain, leader, scrum half and kicker. I suppose his injury hasn't helped his cause but my view is that he would have made an excellent mid week captain.
 
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