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 our Welsh panellist Hywel Davies.
Well, that Championship started well, went off a bit and finished with a bang. England are still a good team as are Ireland. I do not subscribe to the idea of "Wales +"
15 Halfpenny - rock solid
14 Zebo - The Lions would miss him as much as Ireland have. He has that spark.
13 Tuilagi - a poor game against Wales not enough to put me off him
12 Twelvetrees - the best of his type and because I think we will have to create
11 North - one day an ankle tap attempt will miss.
10 Biggar - from being charged down by Best in the opener to sparking the big Welsh backs into life in the decider. What a journey. Most importantly he has a very good partnership with:
9 Phillips - the bigger the game, the better he plays. Concerned about his pass? Take a look at Biggar's drop goal in the England match.
1 Jenkins - played back into form on the biggest stage
2 Hibbard - one of the toughest calls. However I've opted to keep the National units together, this front row and the Irish. You could make an argument for starting the Irish, but I think this unit would be the bigger challenge to the Aussie scrum to start.
3 Adam Jones. Cole is tall for a tight head. Wales exposed this chink in his armour at the scrum.
4 Ryan - a beacon in a stuttering Irish side. Is everywhere, a hard nut.
5 Evans - has matured into a class operator.
6 Wood - the failed experiment at number 8 should not undermine his credentials as a blind side.
7 Tipuric - when given his chance has grabbed it with both hands, not as big as Warburton, but has a more vision in open play I feel.
8 Beattie (c) - big, mobile ball handler.
16 Healy 17 Best 18 Ross 19 AW Jones 20 Warburton 21 Laidlaw 22 Madigan 23 Jonathan Davies
P.S. WRU - central contracting would be a big mistake...
Hywel (@HywelV2) is head Rugby writer on the v2 Journal. A bundle of contradictions, he is a Solicitor and Farmer, a Scarlets supporter and a "conservative, forward orientated typical blydi prop".
Diolch yn fawr Hywel! We now put the four panellists’ selections together to make the HoR Composite Lions XV. Click here to see how it stands. Next Friday we hear from our Scottish representative Kirsten Bruce.
