It’s one of the hottest debate topics egg-chasing has to offer.
Given we live in something of a green goldfish bowl on these Irish shores, there’s no harm getting input from elsewhere.
And so we have the HarpinOnRugby Lions Selector Panel, made up of one fan from each nation, with even the Irish panellist based abroad.
This week it’s the turn of English panellist Rich Church-Keen.
There are now, suddenly, factors to effect the Lions selections.
For example there is a row brewing on whether the French clubs will release their Lions players in time for the early training/practice games. I don't see this as a major issue, as i think the worst case scenario is that players will be late joining the squad. Not ideal, but i don't see players like Gethin Jenkins being left behind over a week (or so) of unavailability.
The other factor will be injury, and it seems that Dan Lydiate will miss the majority of the season due to an injury, which will more than likely mean he won't be selected for the tour. This is a massive shame, as i think Lydiate would be pushing for both Wales and Lions starting berths if he had a full 12/13 season.
Form is starting to play into the equation now as well. In the battle for the 10 shirt, for instance, Owen Farrell has had a poor start to the season, his running game has been weak and his kicking inconsistent. Priestland has been poor as well and Sexton seems to be sharing gametime with Madigan in a stuttering Leinster side. Jonny Wilkinson has also refused to rule out a final Lions bow, and his form has been sparkling in France over the last year or so, so that's something that can't be ruled out. Another Englishman, Toby Flood seems to be recovering some top form, and Freddie Burns of Gloucester seems capable of breaking into the England starting XV and could be one to watch down the road for a Lions wildcard, if his form and fitness remain!
As it stands, my personal preference for the squad now reads as....
15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Jonathon Davies
11. George North
10. Johnny Sexton (replaces Owen Farrell*)
9. Mike Phillips
8. Jamie Heaslip
7. Sam Warburton
6. Sean O'Brien
5. Paul O'Connell
4. Richie Gray
3. Dan Cole
2. Ross Ford
1. Gethin Jenkins
and my bench...
16. Rory Best (replaces Dylan Hartley**)
17. Cian Healy
18. Donncha O'Callaghan
19. Stephen Ferris (replaces Dan Lydiate***)
20. Ben Youngs
21. James Hook
22. Chris Ashton
* = Owen Farrell. Early season stuttering so far puts Johnny Sexton in the driving seat. If the Wilkinson rumours are true, he'll probably end up as an influential midweek player, Flood may currently be the main rival to Sexton, on early season form.
**= Dylan Hartley. Dylan has done nothing wrong so far this season, his forms ok and he's not been banned (yet!) but i've had a minor change of heart and I'm putting Rory Best on the bench.
*** = Dan Lydiate. It looks like a potential season ending injury for Dan, the bench replacement back rower will see fierce competition from the likes of Robshaw, Croft, Denton, Faletau and several others but my personal preference would be Stephen Ferris.
To address something from my last blog, i received a lot of feedback (as well as some outright insults and some more borderline abuse) for my non selection of a couple of players, all my reasons for my selection were posted in my first Lions blog which will go someway to explain the selections, but I will address the main one of them now.
Rob Kearney. Over the summer, Halfpenny had a good tour, Kearney had a below average tour. Halfpenny is a member of the current 6 nations winning squad and has performed consistently well for 3 seasons at the top international levels. His international coach will be the head coach of the Lions. He can provide top notch wing and fly half cover if people are out of position or injured and is also a fantastic goal kicker. Rob Kearney is a VERY close second to Halfpenny, (especially with Foden’s injury problems) but if they both go on the Lions tour fully fit, it will take a momentum shift to displace Halfpenny. The problem I see with the Irish provinces selection policies is that you only ever see half a season for the players to impress at club level, whereas the English, Welsh and Scottish players are generally playing whenever they are fit. The added rest that the Irish players get in the league is certainly an aid to the Heineken cup success that Leinster have enjoyed, and goes someway to explain the times they struggle to win the 'easier' league games. The inactivity leaves me with just the international games to make my selections, and at that level, Halfpenny has the edge. The reason that i didn't select Kearney for the bench is that I selected 2 backs, in Ashton and Hook, that between them can cover every position from 10-15, I wouldn't choose a specialist fullback for my bench, as I feel the multi taskers are more beneficial.
The selection is merely MY opinion, so I don't expect everyone to agree...
We're not far off from the autumn internationals and the first games in the Heineken Cup so we're at the business end of the season where I expect people to start throwing their hats into the ring. So the next part of my blog may well see more changes!
Thanks for reading!
My name is Richard Church-Keen, born in Coventry, live in Dudley, yet by God's grace, I'm a diehard Gloucester Rugby and also an England rugby fan (and yes, in that order.) I'm a rugby mad husband to a rugby mad wife with a rugby mad stepson and indeed, rugby has taken over every facet of my life. I am a chef by day, and #RugbyUnited’s charity director and blogger in chief by night. Oh. And a twitter addict (@RichC_K)!!!
This means the HoR Composite Lions XV remains unchanged as Sexton picks up an extra vote at out-half. Next up for a blog is Welsh panellist Hywel Davies, look out for it next Friday morning.
