In my opinion, the outstanding lock in Britain and Ireland at the moment is Scotland's Richie Gray. True, he has not been as impressive recently as he was a year ago but his athleticism is still undeniable. You would be hard pushed to find any team in the wold that wouldn't benefit from his ball carrying in open play. He almost acts as a fourth loose forward while being very good in the lineout.
It is crucial to make sure the second row is balanced and so to go with Gray's work in the loose I would pick a more traditional, hard as nails lock to do the dirty work in the engine room. This is why Courtney Lawes shouldn't start. Yes, he is, like Gray, and incredible athlete capable of powerful carrying and doing lots of dynamic work in the loose but this would lead to an unbalanced second row without anyone who is willing to do the hard work in the tight and besides I am yet to be fully convinced that he can perform consistently at international level. He would however be an excellent impact sub. If this is enough for him to be selected I don't know but he's definitely a candidate.
Other candidates who do suit this role are England's Geoff Parling and Joe Launchbury, Ireland's PaulO'Connell, Donncha Ryan and Mike McCarthy and Wales' Alun Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris. As you can see the are numerous options but few standouts. Paul O'Connell was for many years the best lock in Britain and Ireland but even though he is still performing at a high level he has been plagued by injuries and has aged. His spot as Ireland and Munster's premier lock has been taken over more by the more than capable Donncha Ryan. Ryan burst on to seen a year ago and since then hasn't taken a step back. He performs so well last year that he was the only Irishman to make my team of the year. He also offers the abrasiveness needed to compliment Gray perfectly. Mike McCarthy also burst on to the scene in the autumn and was outstanding, possibly Ireland's best player. He may also get a second chance to prove himself in the Six Nations with O'Connell's absence. If he performs equally well as he did in the autumn who knows? He could force himself onto the plane to Australia.
Geoff Parling is a solid option and has been performing at a consistently high level for England recently. His lineout skills would be very helpful indeed. However, if Gatland wanted an option that would effect the game more dramatically he would pick Joe Launchbury. Launchbury was outstanding during the Autumn. His work rate and tackle count make him and excellent candidate for a second row spot. He is still inexperienced but if he has an equally good Six
Nations I can't see anything getting between him and a spot on the plane.
Wales are yet to settle on a permanent second row pairing but I think Wyn-Jones and Charteris offer the most. Both are excellent workers and a year ago I would have had Wyn-Jones as one of the first names on my team sheet but he has been hampered by injuries since and his form has suffered because of this. Charteris has benefited from this as a chance to prove himself as Wales' best lock when Wyn-Jones isn't available and has demonstrated a tremendous work rate.
Starting: Ryan, Gray
Backup: Launchbury, Wyn-Jones, Lawes
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