Who’s your pick for Lions 2021

[Scott1]

Reserve hooker could be Kelleher?
Reserve TH could be Francis?
Reserve lock could be Cory Hill?
Reserve SH could be Care?

I’ll put them in,Healey or Marler bench LH?

[kpj tiger]

Reserve hooker could be Kelleher?
Reserve TH could be Francis?
Reserve lock could be Cory Hill?
Reserve SH could be Care?

I’ll put them in,Healey or Marler bench LH?

Take your pick, I guess Healey being as he's actually playing internationals currently, I will add those were just my best offers for the slots, Cory Hill in particular is a bit of a stretch currently but he has had previous Lions experience

[Scott1]

Reserve hooker could be Kelleher?
Reserve TH could be Francis?
Reserve lock could be Cory Hill?
Reserve SH could be Care?

I’ll put them in,Healey or Marler bench LH?

Take your pick, I guess Healey being as he's actually playing internationals currently, I will add those were just my best offers for the slots, Cory Hill in particular is a bit of a stretch currently but he has had previous Lions experience

Healys in, 23 is up!

[Scott1]

I’ve had more fun picking our 23 than seeing the squad WG has picked

[kpj tiger]

So a best vs best of the rest would look like this then? I'd pay to see it!

1. W Jones vs Genge
2. Owens vs Turner
3. Furlong vs Sinckler
4. Itoje vs Gray
5. AW Jones (C) vs Ryan
6. Curry vs Underhill
7. Watson vs Navidi
8. Faletau vs Billy V
9. Murray vs Youngs
10. Biggar vs Ford
11. Watson vs May
12. Henshaw vs Manu
13. Harris vs JD2
14. Rees-Zammit vs Nowell
15. Hogg vs Keenan

16. Sutherland vs Healey
17. Cowan-Dickie vs Kelleher
18. Porter vs Francis
19. Lawes vs Hill
20. Simmons vs Stander
21. Davies vs Care
22. Farrell vs Sexton
23. Daly vs Slade

[Scott1]

Love that KPJ! My money would be on our rejects,especially with our coaching team!

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

"Gatlands'" first choice 8 are better, it's the rest that are iffy....the 2 "injured" Scots hookers would be a better bet in the not going 23.

Without knowing who said not interested, apart from Youngs its difficult to judge some of the selections, well apart from Daly & Maku they are just cuckoo.

[Scott1]

"Gatlands'" first choice 8 are better, it's the rest that are iffy....the 2 "injured" Scots hookers would be a better bet in the not going 23.

Without knowing who said not interested, apart from Youngs its difficult to judge some of the selections, well apart from Daly & Maku they are just cuckoo.

Underhill,Navidi,Billy V on form is easily as good as the other BR! Potentially better as a unit with the Lions imbalance of two 7s.(Underhill isn’t a 7 even though he’s played there and Curry is a 7 even though he’s played 8 and 6) Itoje is better than Gray and Ryan but as you keep telling me about AWJ it’s not about bettering your opponent it’s about combinations and Gray and Ryan is a nice balance. Wyn Jones and Furlong scrummage better than Genge and Sinckler but both are dynamite together at times as has been shown with England. Owens is a superb hooker,no arguments there. So saying the first choice 8 are better is way off I’m afraid! The rejects HB pairing are tried and tested so have the edge and our MF is better. Nothing between the back 3. Your forward bench is better,bench backs about even. Our coaching team is better so The Rejects win by 1-5 points in a classic!

[Cardiff Tig]

"Gatlands'" first choice 8 are better, it's the rest that are iffy....the 2 "injured" Scots hookers would be a better bet in the not going 23.

Without knowing who said not interested, apart from Youngs its difficult to judge some of the selections, well apart from Daly & Maku they are just cuckoo.

Underhill,Navidi,Billy V on form is easily as good as the other BR! Potentially better as a unit with the Lions imbalance of two 7s.(Underhill isn’t a 7 even though he’s played there and Curry is a 7 even though he’s played 8 and 6) Itoje is better than Gray and Ryan but as you keep telling me about AWJ it’s not about bettering your opponent it’s about combinations and Gray and Ryan is a nice balance. Wyn Jones and Furlong scrummage better than Genge and Sinckler but both are dynamite together at times as has been shown with England. Owens is a superb hooker,no arguments there. So saying the first choice 8 are better is way off I’m afraid! The rejects HB pairing are tried and tested so have the edge and our MF is better. Nothing between the back 3. Your forward bench is better,bench backs about even. Our coaching team is better so The Rejects win by 1-5 points in a classic!

Seems Underhill ruined his chance in the dire game against Montpellier.

Most of the rejected players there have actually had a poor season, been in poor teams, or are just on the downward end of their careers. Centre is weak across every nation - I've never been overly impressed by Slade in an England shirt, always got the feeling that he's holding it until a decent centre combination appear. Billy V, Genge and Sinkler have all had pretty poor seasons compared to previous form. Can only assume Daly will be played as a winger, not a fullback, and will be there to knock over a 65 m penalty at altitude...

Ryan not going is the biggest shock to me.

[Tigers86asw]

So a best vs best of the rest would look like this then? I'd pay to see it!

1. W Jones vs Genge
2. Owens vs Turner
3. Furlong vs Sinckler
4. Itoje vs Gray
5. AW Jones (C) vs Ryan
6. Curry vs Underhill
7. Watson vs Navidi
8. Faletau vs Billy V
9. Murray vs Youngs
10. Biggar vs Ford
11. Watson vs May
12. Henshaw vs Manu
13. Harris vs JD2
14. Rees-Zammit vs Nowell
15. Hogg vs Keenan

16. Sutherland vs Healey
17. Cowan-Dickie vs Kelleher
18. Porter vs Francis
19. Lawes vs Hill
20. Simmons vs Stander
21. Davies vs Care
22. Farrell vs Sexton
23. Daly vs Slade

I would fancy the reserve back line, forwards different matter.

[Scott1]

So a best vs best of the rest would look like this then? I'd pay to see it!

1. W Jones vs Genge
2. Owens vs Turner
3. Furlong vs Sinckler
4. Itoje vs Gray
5. AW Jones (C) vs Ryan
6. Curry vs Underhill
7. Watson vs Navidi
8. Faletau vs Billy V
9. Murray vs Youngs
10. Biggar vs Ford
11. Watson vs May
12. Henshaw vs Manu
13. Harris vs JD2
14. Rees-Zammit vs Nowell
15. Hogg vs Keenan

16. Sutherland vs Healey
17. Cowan-Dickie vs Kelleher
18. Porter vs Francis
19. Lawes vs Hill
20. Simmons vs Stander
21. Davies vs Care
22. Farrell vs Sexton
23. Daly vs Slade

I would fancy the reserve back line, forwards different matter.

Yes,forward bench is the problem. Otherwise it’s neck and neck everywhere else and the rejects starting backs are better.

[JP14]

I think Gatland chose the wrong Exeter lock called Jonny?

[JP14]

To be honest, Ryan has underperformed of lot and was pretty absent for Leinster in the semifinal against La Rochelle, not surprised with that one. Agreed that I would have taken Keenan over Daly, but I can see Gatland reverting him back to the left wing rather than fullback.

Harris is perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the Northern Hemisphere, he does deserve to be selected in my opinion. Aki, on the other hand, like in 2017 with T’eo (who admittedly did have a good tour), is clearly Gatland is just trying to compensate for loss of Manu. I would have just changed tactics and selected Ringrose or Huw Jones instead.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Ryan has to of turned down the opportunity to tour, surely!?!

[Scott1]

Ryan has to of turned down the opportunity to tour, surely!?!

Be interesting to see who has once the list comes out,Gatland wouldn’t have picked a squad this poor if he wasn’t forced to surely?