Lion Hunting #6 - The Back Row

I've picked a back three, a centre partnership, the half-backs, the front row and the second row. Now all that is left is what is probably the hardest area to pick, the back row. There is such an abundance of international standard back rows in Britain and Ireland that it becomes very difficult to select a top seven to complete my squad. This talent is very highly concentrated in the blindside flanker position particularly.

Openside Flanker

I have decided that I will first pick my openside flanker because this position will be the most important in the back row against the Wallabies. A genuine openside must be picked to counter the prowess of David Pocock and Michael Hooper in the loose, especially at the breakdown. The battle at the breakdown promises to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the series. The two obvious candidates are Wales' Sam Warbuton and Justin Tipuric. Warburton is just returning to form after a big dip since the World Cup but the form man at the moment is Tipuric. We all know how good Warburton can be but he has disappointed hugely over the last twelve months with really only his captaincy keeping him in the Welsh number seven shirt. He is, however, showing signs of regaining his form for the Cardiff Blues at club level. If he has a good Six Nations I would say Gatland will pick him as his starting openside.

While Warburton has been faltering Tipuric has been world class. He is a different type of player to Warburton and in my opinion actually possesses superior breakdown skills which is obviously hugely important when coming up against a player like Pocock. Another option which most people have probably not given much thought is Ross Rennie. The Scot has been superb over the last year. You just have to look at the stats that show that he leads all his contenders in meters gained, tackles made, turnovers won and offloads. This is extremely impressive considering he's been on a losing side most of the year. John Barclay is also a good openside but I don't see him featuring considering that Warburton, Tipuric and Rennie are all quite a bit ahead of him in the pecking order. Steffon Armitage has been excellent for Toulon but his lack of international involvement could seriously damage his chances. If I was Gatland I would still consider him though because his pace and power along with good openside skills would be invaluable.

Blindside Flanker

Wow, the amount of genuine contenders in this position is just ridiculous: Lydiate, Ferris, Wood, O'Brien, Robshaw, Croft just to name a few. First off I am going to rule out Tom Croft. I know a lot of people are picking him as a possible starter and he is the best lineout option of the lot and an excellent carrier in wide positions but given the quality of competition I'm not going to consider him. He just doesn't offer as much as any of the other candidates in my opinion.

Lydiate, Wood and Robshaw are all 'old-school' sixes. They spend all day tackling anything that moves. Lydiate's defence in last years Six Nations was so good that it won him the player of the tournament award. His only problem is his fitness. He is currently injured and may not even be back for the end of the Six Nations. This puts him at a serious disadvantage and when he does come back he'll be in a race to get fit. Robshaw offers a similar work rate to Lydiate and is also defined by his tackle count. Both Lydiate and Robshaw are good at making the hard yards around the fringes which is always invaluable. Although they are both very capable blindsides Lydiate is probably the more effective. Tom Wood offers something different as he is a more dynamic option. He is quicker and more mobile than Lydiate and Robshaw. Like these two, tackling is his strongest attribute. He is also very good at the breakdown for a blindside and plays a bit like a six-and-a-half. His running is more dynamic than than Lydiate's and Robshaw's but nowhere near as destructive than either of the Irish blindsides.

Stephen Ferris and Sean O'Brien are quite different to the others in that they are more destructive runners than traditional workhorses. Ferris is a monster plain and simple. His size and strength is beyond compare in the British Isles. He can run through players when on attack and on defence he can cause turnovers with either massive hit or using a choke tackle, which he is the best in the world at doing. Like Lydiate though, his injuries continue to haunt him and whether he can recapture his form after his horrific spell of injuries is unknown. If he can his place on the plane is secure. O'Brien is similar in that his running can single-handedly destroy teams. His form has not been as devastating in recent moths but that is mainly due to him being limited by playing at seven on several occasions for Leinster and Ireland. While playing here he has shown his ability to do the hard work at the breakdown. One doubt remains over him about whether he is able to make the hard yards when receiving slow ball but there is no doubt that with front foot ball he can be devastating.

Number Eight

Number eight is a tricky position as there are no absolute standouts but a few very capable candidates. Heaslip is most people's favourite to put on the number eight shirt and a possible captaincy candidate. After a disappointing twelve months or so he returned to form somewhat in the autumn. He's a decent runner in ball in hand and has improved a lot in running around the fringes. He also makes a considerable number of tackles and works hard at the breakdown but he is not as dynamic as he used to be.

I am a big fan of Toby Faletau. He's a good, strong carrier of the ball but his main strength is his work behind the scenes. He is mobile enough to get to a large number of breakdowns early and also makes a considerable amount of important tackles. 

David Denton and Ben Morgan are both massive units who are big carriers of the ball. The difference is that Morgan is a bit of a one-trick pony where Denton also work round the pitch and makes a lot of tackles. His work rate is fantastic.

Starting : 6) Lydiate, 7) Warburton, 8) Denton
Backup : Ferris, Wood, Tipuric, Faletau

Lion Hunting #5 - The Second Row

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

Lion Hunting #3 - Half-backs

It would be fair to say that there is not a huge wealth of talent in the half-back positions in the Home Nations at the moment (Despite Owen Farrell's bizarre inclusion in the IRB's player of the year shortlist). All four nations are going through an uncertain period as to the selection of at least one of these positions. England are still looking for Jonny Wilkinson's long-term replacement and are rotating their scrum-halves, Wales are also going through a post-Stephen Jones transition phase, there is great debate in Ireland about the scrum-half position and Scotland haven't quite figured out which half-back plays where yet. Gatland's (and myself for that matter) got a task on his hand hands sorting this lot out.

Fly-half

The only player who has his international spot set in stone is Ireland's Johnny Sexton. Sexton consistently performs excellently at provincial level with Leinster and although he doesn't transfer his match-winning performances to international level very often he is still a very solid player. He kicks his goals, kicks well out of hand and is adequate in defense. He may not be the most exciting selection but he certainly has the ability to dictate a game and that is the attribute that is what is most needed to be a Lions fly-half. Also the fact that he has no credible competition helps.

England's number one fly-half at the moment is Toby Flood. He offers a fair bit in attack as he attacks the gain line well and adds pace to the game but he is weak defensively and prone to underperforming under pressure. To play for the Lions nerves of steel are a must and that is something Flood's current understudy Owen Farrell has in abundance. Farrell is something of a polar opposite to Flood. Farrell makes up for what he lacks in attacking ability with defensive solidity and superb kicking. A team with Farrell in may have to play a very limited game but at least Farrell plays this game very well. We saw Farrell at his best against the All Blacks where he did nothing special but the simple things very well and England thrived on playing a very direct game that had reminisces of the World Cup winning England of 2003. This why i would take Farrell to Australia ahead of Flood. 

My third choice fly-half would be Wales' James Hook because of his playmaking ability and versatility. Rhys Priestland, Wales' number one 10, doesn't make the cut because of his poor recent form and neither do any of Scotland's scrum-half come fly-haves for obvious reasons. Freddie Burns who is playing well at club level for Gloucester could be a possible bolter if he breaks into the English team in the Six Nations.

Scrum-half

Scrum half is a position that normally seems to go to the Welsh guy (Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel on the last two tours) and for me this tradition continues into 2013. Yes, I know Phillips is not playing particularly well but for me he's the man for the job. We must remember who the Lions are playing next Summer. They're playing the Wallabies who happen to have the best scrum-half in the world right now in Will Genia. The Lions need someone who can deal with Genia who will most definitely be sniping around the rucks at every opportunity. It could be said that if you stop Genia you stop the Wallabies because he is their main source of creativity. At least Phillips can stand up to Genia physically. He also controls the game very well which is crucial and he certainly hasn't been the source of all Wales' problems recently.

I pick Danny Care over Ben Youngs as my reserve scrum-half because I believe that Care controls the game better, something that Youngs is very poor at, and also he is more aggresive which will be key against Genia. Youngs is probably a better runner but in my opinion that is the only aspect of the game which he is better at than Care. Conor Murray Ireland's scrum-half isn't really in contention in my book because he isn't even Ireland's best scrum-half and Eoin Reddan is an outsider.

Fly-half : Sexton
Backup : Hook, Farrell

Scrum-half : Phillips
Backup : Care, Youngs

Lion Hunting #2 - Centers

Centre will be a difficult selection for Gatland and the boys. There is not the wealth of talent there once was in the three quarters. It is unlikely that the Roberts, O'Driscoll partnership will line-up like they did in South Africa where they were very impressive. O'Driscoll has aged another 4 years and lost another few yards of pace. He has been hampered by injury also which hasn't helped. He was once the best runner with ball in hand in the game, quick, powerful and evasive but unfortunately his body will no-longer allow him to do this. He was never a playmaking center and although he is still a world class defender and reader of the game and his experience would be an asset it is time for a changing of the guard.

If I was to simply pick the best outside centre and the best inside centre I would pick Tuilagi at 13 and Roberts at 12 but in my opinion it is crucially important to pick a balanced centre partnership which this is not as Tuilagi and Roberts are both direct runners. This would make the team's attack one dimensional and I think they have to offer a different threat in one of the centre positions.

Manu Tuilagi is the outstanding centre in the Northern Hemisphere at the moment. He is accustomed to playing at 13 where he has more space to run into but I believe he is also capable of being a class second five. He can fix defenders with his hard running opening up space out wide as Nonu does for the All Blacks but he can also bring other player into play outside him by using his freakish power to break the line and utilising his offload game.



Jonathan Davies offers this 'different threat' I was talking about. He is used to playing outside a direct running centre with Wales and he is very good in exploiting the space in wide areas created by a hard running second five inside of him. He reads the game very well and spots space which he exploits with his strong running. He also has the ability to be a playmaker and bring other players into play outside him.

Another potential candidate is the impressive versatile Scotsman Stuart Hogg. Brad Barrit may also be considered because of his defensive solidity

Starting : 13) Davies, 12) Tuilagi
Backup : O'Driscoll, Roberts, Hogg (Covering fullback also)

Tighthead

Lion Hunting #1 - The Back Three

As we are entering a long enough break until the next international rugby fest, I have decided that I am going to publish a series of posts naming who I would like to see on the plane to Australia next June. My team is as of post Autumn internationals put it is not purely based on form but just who I would like to see on the plane. We will begin by looking at the back three.

Halfpenny was a shining light in a disapointing Welsh team this Autumn and has been consistently the best running fullback in the British Isles. He just edges out Kearney who is excellent under the high ball and on his day can be a counter-attacking threat but for me Halfpenny edges it. Other noteworthy contenders are Ben Foden, who needs to find some form to be considered, and Alex Goode who had a good Autumn series but still has a lot to prove.

Starting Fullback : Halfpenny
Backup : Kearney

Tommy Bowe is the best finisher in Britain and Ireland. He has pace, power, a good pair of hands and a top rugby brain. He may not be the most exciting winger ont the planet but he is certainly one of the most complete. George North didn't have the best of Autumns but he can cause any defense problems with his size and power. He can change games and this makes his selection a no-brainer for me. The Dutch-Scotsman Tom Visser will need to have an excellent 6 nations to be selected considering his international inexperience but he has all the ability to do that and could well force his way in as a bolter. Chris Ashton is one of the most high profile omissions from my squad. When he wants to Ashton is a superb strike runner but too often these days he drops in and out of games and makes a substantial number of silly errors. We all know what he can do but for me he doesn't do it enough. Alex Cuthbert is another viable candidate.

Starting Wings : Bowe, North
Backup : Cuthbert, Visser

Tighthead