A new season is less than a month away, and soon we will be engrossed in the usual debates over who will win the major European competitions like the Six Nations, Heineken Cup and Pro12.
But lurking in the background all through the campaign will be another major topic – who should start for the Lions in the First Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on June 22, 2013?
Here on HarpinOnRugby, that debate starts next Friday at 9am. We have put together a panel of selectors, of differing ages and nationalities, but all united in their love of Lions rugby, and over the coming season we’ll get to see how their teams evolve until the tour party selection is made for real next May.
There are four panellists in all, one from each nation. Every Friday at 9am for the next four weeks, we’ll introduce one of them and they will give their ideal starting XV before a ball is kicked in the 2012/13 season. Once we have all four selections, I will put together a composite XV. My only personal involvement will be in breaking a tie decision in a given position (and I promise to try not to always pick the Irish guy!).
Then once the season kicks off we will go back to our selectors in the same rotation and see if they have seen anything to make them change their minds. How different will the composite XV be next May to the one we’ll see at the beginning of September?
So keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook next Friday morning for the first selection…and be ready to chuck in your own few cents as the season progresses!
