[BenHK]

And Tom Curry will be a Lion!

From the English teams, only Sale, Bath, Exeter, Gloucester, Northampton & Saracens players seem to have made the cut. When was the last Lions squad with any representation from Leicester, Wasps or Quins?

https://www.lionsrugby.com/2021/05/06/w ... ons-squad/

[eBike]

Forwards named

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan Dickie, Tom Curry, Zander Fagerson, Taulupe Faletau, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie George, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, (C) Wyn Jones, Courtney Lawes, Ken Owens, Andrew Porter, Sam Simmonds, Rory Sutherland, Justin Tipuric, Mako Vunipola, Hamish Watson.



Backs named

Backs: Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Gareth Davies, Owen Farrell, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Ali Price, Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.

Good luck

[Olyy]

Massive congratulations to Tom!


Some mad old selections in there - Aki? Daly? Mako? Hill? Simmonds? No Ryan? No Sinckler?
Looks very underpowered

[Elgar]

Thought Ryan missed out to Henderson, Hill, and Lawes to avoid being even more underpowered?

Centre selections are the weird ones in my view. Can see the idea with Harris but not sure how he and Aki both make it above Ringrose or Jonathan Davies. Looks like Daly is picked as a centre as well.

[ale shark]

Jonny Hill is an insult to the England jersey never mind a Lions one. Daly and his big left boot??? Aki?

Can still still Manu playing a part if he makes a successful return. If Kruis is fit and available then he should have got the call.

And massive congratulations to Tom!!!

[Olyy]

Think Henderson would go regardless, been playing brilliantly for club and country - I think it was probably Ryan vs Hill (Lawes falling into the utility forward role, rather than dedicated lock), and despite a recent dip in form Ryan has been excellent for Leinster and Ireland throughout his career whereas Hill hasn't managed to bring anywhere near his Chiefs form to international level


Pleasantly surprised to see Davies miss out in the centres - he's been playing poorly this season
It's slim pickings at centre, really, as Ringrose has been out of form too - though I think you could pick pretty much any international centre and they'd be better than Aki...

I think I'm in the minority as I rate Harris very highly - was always a fan of his at the Budgies but he's kicked on massively since moving to Gloucester.

[poyntonshark]

I think I'm in the minority as I rate Harris very highly - was always a fan of his at the Budgies but he's kicked on massively since moving to Gloucester.

It's a minority of at least two. I like Harris too. Thought he would be there as a squad player with a chance of making the test side. Now looks like he and Henderson could be test starters, as only centres picked with any form. Has Gatland got confused between Jonny Gray and Jonny Hill? Jonny Hill - Lion, just doesn't make any sense.

[DavenportSharky]

Mako Vunipola. A prop who can’t scrummage against the Bok tighthead. Ouch. Daly- no idea what that is based on. Hill- whattttt.?? Farrell very lucky. Aki seriously?
Thank goodness no Billy, Ben Youngs, Care, Jonny Gray,
Henderson did well in NZ 2017.
No Underhill, May, Smith, Ford, Sinkler, Ringrose, Jonathan Davies, Nowell, Tuilagi,
Big jump from the championship for Sarries to the Boks on home turf at reasonable altitude.

[East Stand Shark]

Massive congratulations to Tom Curry
Nailed on starter in my opinion

However, Gatland makes Eddie Jones look like a selection genius
Bundee Aki!!!!
Johnny Hill!!!!!

Still got all the quota numbers about right so no whinging from our Celtic cousins

[Clutch]

I’m surprised by Hill but this thread is a bit disrespectful. He’s a big lump and he’s been playing v well for Chiefs for a sustained spell. He wasn’t great for Eng but there’s lots of reasons for that.

Aki is random but he’s the best Manu sub until Manu arrives later!!

You’d be crazy not to rate Harris. We lack quality in the centre but will probably just go Farrell and Henshaw anyway. Harris will be the perfect mid week player who could force himself into contention.

Biggest error is not picking Rafi. Who else would you want coming off the bench!!

The Sarries players may be in the Championship but they are class players who have more than earnt their stripes. Daly a bit random but it’s hard to judge the poor sod when Eddie keeps playing him at full back. He was a starter on the wing where he should be.

Glad to see May not there. He looks on the wane to me. Don’t mind Daly going instead.

Not sure it’s the best group of Lions players but we will see how they get on.

[DaveAitch]

There are not as many Welsh as I was expecting. Perhaps Jonny Hill was meant to have been Cory Hill.
Some on the list will perform much better than expected, others won't. I share the surprise of others about some of the selections, but the curve ball sometimes does the trick: which could be just as well as there are several curve balls there.

The new Lions aren't Lions yet. Unfortunately there is still time to pick up an injury, or a ban, and not be able to go.

[Basilbullneck]

I can understand Lawes going, because if Simmonds plays No8 then we need a back row lineout presence. It is a punt on his fitness, though. Hill is a good rangy player, and will provide lineout presence over Gray, and if Beirne is picked another lineout option is required.
Fagerson for Sinkler, I can't understand. However, it's on the left side of the front row where the Lions look exposed. The Boks will have a psychological advantage against MV after RWC final; Jones is overrated (WGJ did a number on him vs Scarlets), and Sutherland hasn't set the world alight this season. I'd have taken Marler.
I can see Daly playing outside centre, to free the wingers. Harris is good but not the best distributor.
Exciting tour ahead, though. I'm looking forward to seeing how Tom does against Faf and, for that matter, some of his other team mates at the AJ Bell.

[Yareet]

Perhaps Jonny Hill was meant to have been Cory Hill.

I'd assumed Gatland thought he could tempt Richard Hill out of retirement. Not sure Jonny is even the best lock at Exeter - I'd've opted for Gray.

Maybe they chose Hill for his kicking

[Elgar]

Not sure Jonny is even the best lock at Exeter - I'd've opted for Gray.

Baxter thinks he is though doesn't he? In the last two finals they played and the last European knock out they played Hill started all three and played 80 mins, Gray was only in the 23 for two and was replaced by Skinner in each of those games.

I can see how Kruis or Launchbury would have gone if available instead of Hill but I don't think Ryan is hard done by. Hill's European Cup form has been better and it's on that basis that Simmonds has also been picked and that seems fair enough.
(On Ryan - I'm not sure he'll live up to the hype around him. Depending on how Ireland want to balance their backrow and if Ryan Baird does live up to the hype around him [which is a lot more measured than that around Ryan] then Ryan could be 4th choice lock for Ireland this time next year).

The 7s and 8s he's picked are exciting. Makes sense to have the locks and lock/blind-sides he's picked to balance those picks out.

[Flumpty]

Not everyone is convinced of Gatlands Lions squad

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/com ... ouncement/