Lions Selector Panel–8th Round (ENG)

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 English panellist, Rich Church-Keen from #rugbyunited blog.

Well, the 6 nations is in the history books and the Welsh may still be suffering the hangovers after the heroic last game thrashing of England that secured the championship for them.

I've seen so many pundits putting up Lions squads of 12 or 13 Welshmen with a token O'Driscoll, Care or Laidlaw thrown in to break up the Welsh monopoly, but i think people forget that Wales only won the championship on points difference and actually only outperformed one team, England, in the manner that would earmark them for the predicted dominance for the starting 15. I for one, don't buy it. There will be a lot of Welsh in the team, but 12 or 13 is going a little overboard!

I spent my last selectors panel blog talking about form, and the last couple of rounds of games saw several potential Lions drop off the radar, form wise. Factoring in the injuries to the likes of Bowe, O'Connell, Ferris and others (all 3 were shoe ins for my lions side) and outsiders such as Simon Zebo and Ben Morgan, the line up may be a little different to how i planned!

Last blog’s Lions were

Halfpenny - Cuthbert - Tuilagi - Barritt- North - Sexton - Care

Healy - Best - Coles - Hamilton - Parling - R Jones - Robshaw (Captain) - Beattie

First up, there is no way I will change the back 3. So the Welsh lads will remain in situ.

In the Centers, Barritt and Tuilagi were abysmal, uncreative and slow in the last 2 games. Tuilagi will be a big part of the tour, but he's not going in my starting line up. He looked totally one dimensional and Italy and Wales stopped him with ease. Barritt gets the blame from a lot of people for not being quick or creative enough. He's a defensive giant, but has huge flaws in his game, and I'd expect him to be replaced with Billy Twelvetrees come the next England squad. As far as the Lions go, I'd pair O'Driscoll and Matt Scott. O'Driscoll due to his inventiveness and guile, Matt Scott for his all action game and line breaking capability. No Davies or Roberts, I hear the Welsh cry. No. Davies had an average tournament by his own high standards, and Roberts before the England game had managed an underwhelming 24 yards gained over 4 matches. One good game (v England) does not make you a lion (for me anyway. Gatland may think different!)

Fly half. I hope its not going to be Jonny Wilkinson. The Lions should be the best of the current home nations, not an excuse for glory from someone who retired from the international game. Another Jonny, for me, is the prime choice. Mr Sexton. His absence undoubtedly was one of the prime reasons that Ireland struggled, he is a class act and HAS to tour if fit! Biggar has vastly improved, Farrell has turned into an angry young man and its affected his game, but i would imagine the 3 of them would all be named for the tour.

Scrum half. Phillips or Laidlaw would get the starting berth for me. Then a toss up with Youngs, Care or Murray taking the 3rd spot. Phillips abrasive nature would be handy, especially with Pocock ruled out, Phillips ability to be almost a 4th back rower could really pressurize the Aussies. Laidlaw (or any of the others mentioned) sniping would be a potent attacking threat, and against tired legs, they could be game changers!

Back Row. A plethora of talent, with potentially 5 Welsh Lions in the back row alone (Warburton, Faletau, Tipuric, R.Jones and Lydiate) but to get the balance spot on, i would pick need O'Brien at 6, Tipuric at 7 and Beattie at 8. There of course should also be mentions of Kelly Brown, Strokosch, Heaslip, Croft, Morgan, Tom Wood amongst others, but i like the balance of O'Brien, Tipuric and Beattie. Bruising, Fast and fantastic scavengers.

Locks. The locks seemed to be nailed on as O'Connell and Gray, but injury and the form of others makes me think that I'd pick Alun Wyn Jones and Jim Hamilton, both great lineout operators, handy in the loose and a great enforcer in Big Jim! Launchbury and Parling seem too lightweight for me and there were not many standouts from elsewhere.

Props. Tough call. Healy, for sure, Cole and Adam Jones will tour, but which will start???? I don't know who I'd pick. Jones started the 6 nations slowly, whereas Cole finished badly in the last 2 games, so the form would nod it to Jones.

Hooker. Rory Best seemed the only likely candidate at one point, but the performances of Hibbard over the past few weeks give him the edge for me. Youngs line out is average, Hartley's temperament is likely to cost you points and Ford seemingly vanishes from games.

My line up for this month would be.....

15 Halfpenny

14 Cuthbert

13 O'Driscoll

12 Scott (controversial!!!)

11 North

10 Sexton

9 Phillips

1 Healy

2 Hibbard

3 Adam Jones

4 AW Jones

5 Hamilton

6 O'Brien

7 Tipuric

8 Beattie

I have literally just noticed not a single Englishman in the team!!!

As my next (and final) Lions blog will be after the squad is announced, I will pick my 40 man squad, to see how close I get!

Full Back : Halfpenny, Kearney, Brown

Wing : Cuthbert, North, Visser, Gilroy

Centre : O'Driscoll, Tuilagi, Scott, Davies

Fly Half : Sexton, Biggar, Farrell

Scrum Half: Phillips, Laidlaw, Care

Back Row : O'Brien, Tipuric, Beattie, Wood, Warburton, Robshaw, Lydiate, Faletau

Lock : Wyn Jones, Hamilton, O'Connell, Launchbury, Parling

Prop : Cross, Adam Jones, Cole, Healy, Jenkins, Ross

Hooker : Hibbard, Best, Youngs, Ford

Until next month!!  RC_K

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! Click here to see how his latest selection affects the HoR Composite Lions XV.

Lions Selector Panel–7th Round (ENG)

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 English panellist, Rich Church-Keen from #rugbyunited blog.

Well its been a great 6 Nations so far, especially for English fans and probably not so grand for the French and Irish fans!!

As always I will pick on form, so this is more a 'Home nations 6 Nations team' rather than Lions and there are a few suggestions that I have even surprised myself with!! I always earmarked the 6 nations as the catalyst for mass changes to the likely Lions and with some injuries and people falling in and out of form, my lineup has vastly changed, but I really don't expect this to be a starting Lions line up!

Full Back - Alex Goode is Mr Solid, yet unspectacular, Kearney is playing in a struggling Irish backline, and Stuart Hogg is emerging as a great talent, but at this moment, Leigh Halfpenny is back in possession of the 15 shirt. His all round game, and especially his potential as a secondary kicker just edges out Hogg.

The Wingers - Well, the wingers for me, are a problem, Injuries to potential Lions Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo possibly changed the landscape. Loss of form from Chris Ashton and question marks hanging over the credentials of Visser, Gilroy and Maitland leave me with a straight choice of George North and Alex Cuthbert. Well, thats what I thought, but consistently good performances from Mike Brown playing out of position have made me think hard on who to choose. If you were to put Brown in a back 3 with say Cuthbert and Halfpenny i genuinely think he could work out as a Lion. Logic though, would lead me to think that with Gatland in charge, the 2 Welshmen would take the nod.

Centres - There have been some great individual performances from centres. Twelvetrees v Scotland, Tuilagi v France, Matt Scott v Italy, Brad Barritt and Jamie Roberts have been excellent defensively, but offer little going forward, B'OD has shown glimpses of the genius that we know he has, but he's also shown that he's lost a yard of pace. Form for me would point to Barritt and Tuilagi. They work well together, Tuilagi can destroy any defence and Barritt will always keep opposition attackers honest. Choosing Barritt pains me as i prefer attacking centres, but fact is, he is a major factor in why England are 3 wins from 3 games.

Fly Half - Ruaridh Jackson is in the same boat as Stuart Hogg for me. He's a definite emerging talent, but Lions tour may be too soon for him. Dan Biggar is playing well, but for me, he's not a Lion. So that leaves a straight choice between Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell. Sexton missed the Scottish game through injury, but I imagine he'll be back soon and certainly in line for the tour, however England’s Iceman is having a superb tournament and will continue to push for the 10 jersey for the remainder of the season. Sexton with the edge....for now.

Scrum Half - Mike Phillips, Greg Laidlaw, Connor Murray and the England duo of Ben Youngs and Danny Care will all feel they are the right man for the 9 shirt, and to be honest, you can argue a case for any. Danny Care is second choice for England, but at club level, he's on a real hot streak. I'm a fan of abrasive scrum halfs, and Phillips is certainly the archetype of an abrasive scrummy! Laidlaw and Murray are both still learning, though are reasonably experienced at international level. Ben Youngs for me blows hot and cold.... my choice at 9 right now, would be Danny Care, mainly based on his cameo's and league form!

The Back Row - I think every selection I've made so far has been predominantly Irish in the back row, however injury to Stephen Ferris and Heaslip and O'Brien seem to have dropped off this season. The big performers for me have been Kelly Brown, Johnny Beattie, Chris Robshaw, a rejuvenated Ryan Jones and some superb cameos from Haskell and Morgan. If I am picking on form (and I am) my back row would be Ryan Jones at 6, Chris Robshaw at 7 and Johnny Beattie at 8. Jones ball carrying is excellent, Robshaw has been possibly England’s best player, tackling himself to a standstill and Johnny Beattie has looked dangerous nearly every time he's held the ball. Ben Morgan had a great game v Scotland and for me, will take the 8 shirt if he can get back before the end of the 6 Nations and play to that level in the remaining games.

The second row - Well, again, this is a position where injuries and form have totally changed the outlook. I have had a Scotsman in my 2nd row since week 1, Richie Gray, but he has been eclipsed by Jim Hamilton, both as a player and as a leader, and its the leadership qualities and abrasive, no nonsense attitude that earn him one of the shirts. The form of Parling and Launchbury for England has been immense. Parling especially, still reasonably small for a second rower, but effective. I'd JUST give Geoff Parling the nod at the moment.

The front row - Well, nothing much changed here. Healy, Best and Coles. No-one is standing up to be counted. Cross and Ford are playing well for Scotland, as is Murray, Hibbard is also having a reasonable run hooking for Wales whilst Adam Jones scrummaging, by his own admission, is not as it should be and Hartley and Tom Youngs may be competing so hard for the English 2 shirt that they drop off of the Lions radar, so the trio above will keep the 1-2-3 shirts until someone proves worthy.

Just to recap......

15 - Halfpenny - Wales

14- Cuthbert - Wales

13- Tuilagi - England

12-Barritt- England

11 - North - Wales

10 - Sexton - Ireland

9 - Care - England

8- Beattie- Scotland

7- Robshaw - England (Captain)

6- Jones - Wales

5 - Parling - England

4- Hamilton - Scotland

3- Cole - England

2- Best - Ireland

1 - Healy - Ireland

2 from Scotland, 3 from Ireland, 4 from Wales and 6 English probably is a fair reflection of the way the tournament has panned out in the first 3 games. I wonder how much it will have changed after the tournament end!!!

RC_K

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! Click here to see how his latest selection affects the HoR Composite Lions XV.

Lions Selector Panel–6th Round (ENG)

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 we see the 6th Round of selections, ironically right before the all-important 6 Nations campaign begins.  It’s the turn of our English panellist, Rich Church-Keen from #rugbyunited blog.

So 6 Nations season is upon us. The exciting time of year where people who never watch rugby suddenly know everything about the sport!

Well I will not bow to them! This is my 6 nations selection, and no part time fan can make me go with Jason Robinson and Shane Williams on the wings!!!

Joking apart…it’s a very exciting time of year for all European rugby fans, especially this season with the prospect of a Lions tour upcoming!

This week is probably the worst one to blog. After the weekend, 3 teams will be out of the 'Grand Slam' reckoning and we will have had our first glimpse at the majority of Lions contenders. As I write, not even all the match day squads have been announced. There will however be a raft of newcomers to the tournament that may well force themselves into Lions reckoning.

Billy Twelvetrees and Joe Launchbury are both in the week 1 squad for England. Launchbury has been fantastic since coming into the Wasps side and had an impressive Autumn series. Billy Twelvetrees (or “36” as Geordan Murphy christened him.....) has made an outstanding start to his Gloucester career in the 10 and 12 shirts and really deserves his chance with the first team, a real workhorse who's versatility could get him a trip to Australia.

Ireland have a whole host of newcomers to the 6 Nations, and admittedly, I've not actually seen that much of some of them, but the likes of Mike Ross and Craig Gilroy will be looking to make positive impacts on the tournament as will other relative newcomers such as Simon Zebo who has proved himself capable of playing anywhere across the back 3.

Scotland’s rebuilding work see's several new faces for them too. Henry Pyrgos is a firecracker of a scrum half who could push himself into Lions contention if he can find a way to bring a potentially dangerous backline (including fellow newcomers and Lions wannabe's Tim Visser and Sean Maitland) to life.

Wales have been forced into several changes due to injuries in the pack and to other key personnel, Dan Biggar will get his chance to shine in the absence of Priestland (who's lack of form will likely rule him out of the Lions anyway) and Harlequins lock Ollie Kohn will hope he gets a chance to exert his dominance and grab his seat on the plane.

At this point, injuries to the key men could rule them out of contention, Paul O'Connell may struggle to re-emerge in time to stake his place, but I'm going to take it that he will be back, and keep him in my current selection. I have had a couple of tweaks to the line up, Danny Care is on a hot streak of form so I'll include him at 9 and I've selected his fellow Quin and England man, Chris Robshaw at 7 largely due to his huge workrate and tackle count (though Sean O'Brien,Chris Henry, Sam Warburton and Ross Rennie will all be chasing this shirt down!)

15. Kearney
14. Bowe
13. O'Driscoll
12. J. Davies
11. North
10. Sexton
9. Care
8. Heaslip
7. Robshaw
6. Ferris
5. O'Connell
4. Gray
3. Cole
2. Best
1. Healy

My next blog should have some insight to how the newcomers have done in the opening weeks and I will try to cover an 'injury report' !

Til then
RC_K

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! If you click on his tag below you can see all his Lions posts to date and find out how his selections have evolved since the start of the season.  If you follow this link you can see how the HoR Composite XV shapes up right now, that being the team put together from the four panellists’ selections.

Next week, it’s the turn of our Welsh contributor Hywel Davies.

Lions Selector Panel–5th Round (ENG)

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.

It’s now 2013 and the tour is starting to loom on the horizon…our English panellist Rich Church-Keen kicks-off the latest round of selections.

Happy new year!  Its 2013, meaning that the Lions tour is now THIS YEAR! Exciting times!

In my last blog I had the 'form' selection and the 'probables' selection, but now we are getting to the time of year when injuries will play a huge part.

This was my 'probables' selection from the last blog and for the interest of continuity, i will keep this as my selection for this month

15 Kearney
14 Bowe
13 BOD
12 Davies
11 North
10 Sexton
9 Phillips
8 Heaslip
7 O'Brien
6 Ferris
5  POC
4 Gray
3 Cole
2 Best
1 Healy

But with current injury problems with key players, probably most noticeable with Paul O'Connell and Tommy Bowe, the players on the fringe of selection are now in with a real shout of playing.

So who could step up to replace the first XV if injuries keep players out? Some are pretty obvious, some maybe not so...

15- Easy one this Kearney or Halfpenny. If both were injured it'd be Goode or Foden
14- Bowe has a knock currently, the most obvious replacements would be Visser, Cuthbert or Ashton. Both Visser and Ashton have good scoring rates, but Cuthberts raw size and established links to Gatland would put him way up in the pecking order. Gilroy could also force his way in if he gets a chance during the 6 nations
13- BO'D- another guy with injury issues, on form, few are better, but if we lost him, Tuilagi could easily step up or Johnathon Davies could move out to 13 with Jamie Roberts stepping in at 12
12- J Davies- pretty much see above. Jamie Roberts or Gordon D'Arcy would be the obvious choice, Brad Barritt is a solid yet unspectacular alternative, or thinking a bit more outside the box, Flood or Hook could step in and give an alternate first receiver to take the pressure off the fly half, who will doubtlessly be given a torrid old time against the Ozzy back row!
11- North- See the options with Bowe, I'm not au fait with the intricacies of left and right wings, but most are fairly interchangeable, right?
10- Sexton- Sexton is SO far ahead of any other 10 at the moment that this would be unthinkable! But with Priestlands form gone, Biggar unproven, not convinced with the Scottish 10's, so that would leave 2 inexperienced Englishmen in Farrell and Burns, Ronan O'Gara or the internationally retired Jonny Wilkinson or Hodgson. I must admit, none of the back up options thrill me, so lets wrap Sexton in cotton wool and keep fingers crossed!
9- Phillips- if i wasn't doing an alternate selection blog, I'd have replaced Mike with the hot on form Danny Care anyway, but also there are guys like Connor Murray and Ben Youngs pushing for a starting berth. The 9 shirt is a fierce battle even if you don't factor in injuries!
8- Heaslip- like the 9 shirt, and in fact, the other 2 back row slots, this is a competitive shirt anyway, all 4 nations can offer 1 or 2 players, my preference, as a Gloucester fan, would be to see Ben Morgan in a Lions shirt, but equally, Waldrom, Faletau or Denton could push on for the 8 jersey
7- O'Brien or 6- Ferris - Warburton, Robshaw, Croft, Rennie, Strokosch, Tipuric, Henry, Haskell, Vernon.... endless possibilities!!!
5- O'Connell and 4- Gray - It looks increasingly likely that PO'C will not make the tour, but new blood such as Launchbury or Donncha Ryan will be ready to step in, as will more established locks such as Lawes, O'Callaghan, Hamilton and the on form Geoff Parling
3- Cole- Tighthead is a tough position to fill, Gethin Jenkins can operate both sides, but the only real tighthead prospect is Micheal Bent, who is relatively untested at international level.
2- Best- Ross Ford, Dylan Hartley or Richardt Strauss for me. Welsh hookers seem a little lightweight, Tom Youngs not quite ready in my opinion, the 6 nations will be a proving ground for all the wannabe starters!
1- Healy- Adam Jones or Gethin Jenkins if fit would be notable starters, Corbisiero, Marler, Euan Murray could all fit in as well

The 6 nations will certainly give the line up a shake, but injuries will also play a huge role in the selection process, but as you can see, in some cases more than others, there are several top drawer selections for the majority of positions.

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)!!!

Since Rich has left his side unchanged, that of course means the Composite XV made up of the four panellists’ selections put together also has no changes, but you can follow this link to see it anyway.

Lions Selector Panel–4th Round (ENG)

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.

With the Autumn Internationals coming to a close, we kick-off the 4th round of selections with our English panellist Rich Church-Keen.

Its great that the Internationals have finally come around, we've seen the potential British and Irish Lions pit themselves against the worlds best, and generally, fail.

England have seemed hell bent in turning down chances to win, Ireland finished on a high with a cracking victory over Argentina (having unearthed some cracking talents at International level!), Wales and Scotland have both been poor. I certainly think (even with the weekends games to go) that the Irish will have most to smile about.

As I try to pick my Lions squad on form and fitness, the Autumn Internationals will have massively changed the look of the side. Realistically, this side would have very little chance of being the final XV, so I'm going to do select two sides, one based on form and then my overall selection.

The side representing Form….

15 Zebo (Ire) or Goode (Eng) - I can't decide between these, both have had solid Autumns, Goode has fit in nicely with England and Zebo is a huge talent, but possibly more suited to the wing. I'll name both, form would possibly just tip the balance to Zebo though.
14 Bowe (Ire) – Do I need to explain this?
13 Tuilagi (Eng) - If he ever learns to pass, he will be one of the all time great English players. Has broke the gainline so many times in a dire England backline that its hard to ignore him. But please, Manu......Learn to pass!
12 D'Arcy (Ire) - On Autumn international form.... who else is there to pick?
11 Gilroy (Ire) - Yeah i know.... 1 cap, 1 try..... BUT, masterful performance in the non cap game Vs Fiji, where he got a hat trick, and workrate, defence and willingness get him the nod over Visser, who's game seems to involve standing around and waiting for the ball. I believe England forgot to pick any wingers after the Fiji game as i didn't see any after then, and no other players with any kind of form in the wing positions.
10 Sexton (Ire) - I was going to put Priestland in as a joke here, just to see how many people spat coffee on their laptops. Flood injured (and his form not 100%) as well as Biggar, Scotland lack genuine class at 10. Sexton, for me, a shoe in.
9 Murray/Care/Phillips (Ire/Eng/Wal) - a position where no-one is setting the world alight. Take your pick.
8 Heaslip (Ire) - JUST tips in over Ben Morgan due to more game time, Faletau and Denton haven't showed up over the Autumn games
7 Henry (Ire) - Captain Cymru has lost all form, Robshaw isn't a 7 and Scotland can't decide on a regular back row.
6 Strokosch (Sco) - Ally is a never say die player, incredible workrate, strong tackler atc and deserves more than his Scottish teammates will offer him. Peter O'Mahony a very similar player, but i'm a huge fan of Strokosch, he'll never let the side down! (and to be fair, i don't think Irish fans will mind one controversial, personal choice as they are OWNING this selection at the moment!!)
5 Launchbury (Eng) - Baptism of fire for young Joe. Handled it very well and performed well enough as a sub to shoehorn his way in to the starting line up.
4 Ryan (Ire) - Seems PO'C's injury wasn't as much as a problem as first feared with the emergence (internationally) of the 'other' Donncha.
3 Cole (Eng) - Not seen anyone show any form that would make me replace him in the starting XV.
2 Strauss (Ire) - Tom Youngs....No. Rees.....No. Scottish front row have all been poor..... so a collective no. That makes it a lot easier. Strauss it is!
1 Healy (Ire) - See Dan Cole.

So that team selection will make me a public enemy in Wales and Scotland!!!

My latest full Lions XV…

15 - Kearney (Ire) - This will solely depend on 6 nations form now. Halfpenny has done himself no favours over the Autumn, especially with his 'Bananaman AirSwim' vs Samoa and Kearney, through not playing, has probably gone above him in the pecking order!
14- Bowe (Ire) Made EVERY selection so far, I see no reason to change!
13- O'Driscoll (Ire) Guile, craft and flair that is hard to match. We'll need that to unlock stubborn defences.
12- Davies (Wales) Davies is slippery and elusive, Roberts is like a brick wall defensively. Both would work well with BOD.
11- North (Wal) The 6 nations will show me if he's been 'found out' or not. Certainly not the daunting prospect of last season, and several guys chasing him down now.
10- Sexton (Ire) Almost a shoe-in. It'll take a miraculous recovery of form (Priestland, Flood), a new face bursting on the scene (Freddie Burns?) or an injury to take him out now.
9- Phillips (Wal) Not everyone’s cup of tea, but his feistyness alone may well get him the nod!

I'm going to select the forwards as 'units'...
8- Heaslip 7-O'Brien 6- Ferris (all Ire) As a unit, superb, individually, superb. Warburton, Robshaw, Faletau, Denton et al will fight all the way, but at the moment, these 3 are the back row for me!
5- O'Connell (Ire) 4-Gray (Sco) - if fit, a daunting pair, but they will know that there are players such as Ryan and Launchbury ready to take them on, and Lawes coming back to fitness as well.
3- Cole 2-Best 1 Healy (Eng/Ire/Ire) - The 2 best Northern Hemisphere props and the hooker...well, its a toss up with Best and Hartley at the moment for me. Ford off the boil, Strauss I think will end up as sub to Best. Youngs, NO!, Rees, too lightweight, doesn't offer enough of an all round game! Best and Hartley both out at the mo. But I'll select Best, because Hartley will probably end up banned. :)

The further into the season we go, the more my mind will be changed. The guys in the 'Form XV' will all stake claims, especially at 6 nations time, and the guys returning from injury will have to prove themselves. I'm pretty certain that my final team will change from the team above!

Have a good Christmas people!

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! As usual we have put the four panellists’ selections together to form the HoR Composite Lions XV; click here to see what changes have been made this week!  Next Friday, the latest views of Welshman Hywel Davies.

Lions Selector Panel–3rd Round (ENG)

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 we kick-off the 3rd round of selections with our English panellist Rich Church-Keen.

15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Brian O'Driscoll
12. Jonathon Davies
11. George North
10. Johnny Sexton
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. Cian Healy

16.Rory Best 17. Alex Corbisero 18. Donncha O'Callaghan 19. Stephen Ferris 20. Ben Youngs 21. James Hook 22. Chris Ashton

With the Autumn internationals looming large, I'll make just one change to my previous starting line up. Gethin Jenkins may not be instantly made available for the tour by his French club and I believe Adam Jones has taken a knock, so I will move Cian Healy into a starting berth and put Alex Corbisiero on the bench, Cian has had a phenomenal start to the season and pretty much picks himself at the mo, and I'd take Corbisiero over Marler for the bench spot due to his ability to cover both prop positions.

I expect Adam Jones will be back shortly, but I'll make that switch for now and worry about his fitness in my next update.
I will concentrate on the other guys in the Lions squad this time out, the Midweek side.

My take on a 'midweek' side would be a mixture of youth and experience, the guys ready to step into the first team if needed and some guys with world class potential.

I would like (and this is definite opinion rather than how I think it'd be picked!) to see…

15: Rob Kearney - Ireland - Currently out with a knock but when fit, he'd be unlucky not to be in the starting line up, but with Foden’s injury seeming more serious,he could be the only true alternative to Halfpenny. Lets see how Mike Browns Autumn games go!
14: Tim Visser - Scotland - Awesome try scoring record and one of the few Scottish options i see going on tour.
13: Manu Tuilagi - England - Bulldozer that unfortunately can bulldoze off during games. Potentially one of the best centres in the game, needs to learn to put in 80 minutes.
12: Jamie Roberts - Wales - Arguably should be in the full squad, but i like the idea of the master and pupil combination of BO'D and Davies. D'Arcy is one of my favourite players, but injury and inconsistency rule him out at the moment.
11: Jack Cuthbert - Wales - Young, hungry, strong as an ox..... this guy has an immense future.
10: Freddie Burns - England - An uncapped guy on the Lions tour?? yeah, why not. Sexton is leading the way for the 10 shirt, Priestland has dropped off, Wilkinson is only a possibility and Farrell isn't even playing at 10 for his club and Fred is ON FIRE this season. How Lancaster hasn't put him in the Elite player squad is ridiculous.
9: Danny Care - England - Massive good form to start the season, but ultimately will fall behind Youngs for England and the Lions Bench spot, and i still believe the physicality of Mike Phillips will win him the starting berth.
8: Toby Faletau - Wales - Will fight it out with Ben Morgan and Denton for the midweek spot, but i believe Gats will stick to what he knows and Toby will win out!
7: Justin Tipuric - Wales - With Lydiate out and Warburton indifferent, a big international year for Tipuric could see him jump all the way to a starting Lions spot.
6: Chris Robshaw - England - Many see him as an inspirational leader, I'm not 100% convinced yet, but he's on form and he knows how to win, so he'd be my midweek captain.
5: Alun Wyn Jones - Wales - Will push Gray and Donncha for the starting slot alongside PO'C but propensity for stupid penalties not outweighing his positives drop him to the midweek side.
4: Courtney Lawes - England - See above.
3: Tom Courts - Ireland - Solid and dependable, and with several prop injuries, may well get the call!
2: Richardt Strauss - Ireland - Newly qualified for Ireland, strong runner, strong scrummager, he could certainly bring front row power to the table!
1: Joe Marler - England - Another I'm not 100% convinced by. Great in the loose, not so great in the scrummage and easily wound up. I can see him as a definite tourer, but he is no starting Lion.
Next time out there will have been some more international action, so it will be the first real chance to see some changes to the line up!!

Til then
RC-K

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! His change to the front row has also altered the HoR Composite Lions XV, made up of the four panellist’s choices put together.  Follow this link to see how the side now looks.  Next week, it will be the turn of our Welsh contributor Hywel Davies.

Lions Selector Panel–2nd Round (ENG)

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.

Lions Selector Panel–1st Round (ENG)

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.

They have each already given their preseason selections, time to start basing them on this season’s form.  However, since there has only been one week to go on, English panellist Rich Church-Keen is using his turn to look at replacements & possible captains.

[Edit – a lot has happened since I wrote this post…we’ll just ignore the Gloucester result shall we and I will give my thoughts on the Gatland appointment and the French clubs’ hold over players the next time my turn comes around!]

Well, rugby kicked off last weekend with a record breaking Gloucester win (I hope. I am writing this 90mins before kick off for a blog that will run next Friday!) and the new season will be upon us at last!

The fact that the season has yet to begin means I will be making NO changes to my starting XV.  If I left it there, it'd be a boring blog, hey!  So I'll discuss my bench, and my skipper!  First I'll remind you of how I would field my starting XV.

15. Leigh Halfpenny - Wales
14. Tommy Bowe - Ireland
13. Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
12. Jonathon Davies - Wales
11. George North - Wales
10. Owen Farrell - England
9. Mike Phillips - Wales
8. Jamie Heaslip - Ireland
7. Sam Warburton - Wales
6. Sean O'Brien - Ireland
5. Paul O'Connell - Ireland
4. Richie Gray - Scotland
3. Dan Cole - England
2. Ross Ford - Scotland
1. Gethin Jenkins – Wales

I'm not sure if the Lions tour will involve the 7 or 8 man bench, so I will stick to the current international standard of a 7 man bench.

16 - Dylan Hartley – England - Dylan is Marmite. He's certainly a feisty little sod and that kind of aggressiveness may be needed against the likes of Stephen Moore!
17- Cian Healy- Ireland - Same reasons as Dylan. Aggressive in the loose and a very capable scrummager.
18 - Donncha O'Callahan - Ireland The second best second row for Munster and Ireland, but no shame in that behind PO'C! Cool head, tough competitor. Toss up between Wyn Jones and him, but DO'C gets the nod for me!
19 - Dan Lydiate- Wales - I have a feeling Lydiate will be a starting Lion by the end of the season. Big hitter...no... HUGE hitter, consistent and a somewhat under the radar player. Could prove a key man.
20 - Ben Youngs- England - Terrifying when used as an impact player in the last 20 mins, his sniping ability and pure pace against tired legs, plus he's Phillips polar opposite, style wise, would put defence on back foot late on.
Now, sense would tell me that this next space should be Sexton or Priestland.....but, I will go for
21 - James Hook- Wales - His goal kicking and ability to play in multiple positions makes him the perfect substitute!
With Hook on the bench, the last place would be tailor made for a wing specialist...
22 - Chris Ashton- England - Another that would be unplayable against tired legs. and another who is a Marmite player. JUST takes the spot from Alex Cuthbert, but with Ashton’s worrying dip in form last season, this is another that could easily change!

My skipper would be Brian O'Driscoll, with vice captain going to Warburton or O'Connell. BO'D has been a magnificent player for a decade or more, and with relatively young players around him in the backs, I'd be looking for him to lead by example.

My next blog should be a few weeks into the action, so hopefully I'll be able to shuffle my players and see who looks like they may be in for a good season! I'll be looking to see if any more of the Scottish boys can force their way in to the side, especially as they have short numbers at the moment!!!

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)!!!

Thanks Rich! This of course means the HoR Lions Composite XV remains unchanged as well. Next week it’s the turn of our Welsh panellist Hywel Davies (@HywelV2) to tell us if he has seen anything to change from his preseason selection.

Click here to view the full list of posts from this feature to date.

Lions Selector Panel : Preseason selection 1

Over the coming season, our Lions Selector Panellists will be taking turns to pick their ideal Lions starting XV so we can see how they evolve based on form throughout the campaign.  First, it’s the turn of our English panellist Rich Church-Keen.

The Lions tour seems to be a hot topic this time round, seemingly, more so than usual.

Mainly the XV I'm choosing now will be the guys who excelled last season, although there may be a couple of inclusions of guys who were out of form or injured.

Internationally, they won't really get a chance to prove themselves until the autumn internationals and the 6 Nations come around, so I may make changes depending on form shown then, but so far, I think this would be our strongest British and Irish Lions squad.

15. Leigh Halfpenny - Wales - Versatile, consistent, kicking ability, line breaking, speed, this guy is the consummate modern professional. Not a lot will prove to me that there is a better fullback in Britain or Ireland, Kearney and Foden are both too inconsistent,whereas Halfpenny is improving every season.
14. Tommy Bowe - Ireland - Always underrated by us English and southern hemisphere sides, yet has proved himself as a world class winger time and time again. The RaboPro12 fans have seen him for years proving his worth, now its time for him to step up once more with the Lions and show the world.
13. Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland - No explanation needed. Even at 47 years old (roughly) he is still capable of unlocking defences and has one of the sharpest brains in Northern Hemisphere rugby.
12. Jonathan Davies - Wales - MASSIVE season last time out, JD and BOD in the centre would provide sharp, incisive running allowing room for the wingers to fly.
11. George North - Wales - Rapid rise to the top for big George, not quite the 'Welsh Jonah Lomu' he was tipped to be, but the potential is there for him to be the biggest star in world rugby, a dominant showing on the Lions tour would certainly help his cause!!
10. Owen Farrell - England - Plays quite a reserved style, which may hamper his claims, but Sexton, Priestland and Faz are exceptionally close for a starting berth, I'll just give the nod to Owen as he seems to not feel pressure, whereas I think the other 2 can often seem to get hit by nerves!
9. Mike Phillips - Wales - Literally head and shoulders above the other options, we'll need a big, strong, gobby 9 and the chance of someone like Youngs coming on against tired legs after Mikes worked the defence over could well be a game changer!
8. Jamie Heaslip - Ireland - Not a great season last time round, but on form, Heaslip is a monster, we'll certainly need his muscle and his immense leg work, and Morgan, Faletau and Denton are all way behind in my eyes!
7. Sam Warburton - Wales - Hampered by injury, but a true 7 and a total gamechanger when fully fit. There are several guys chomping at the bit for the 6 and 7 shirts, Sams leadership will be key though and could well be a choice for captain!
6. Sean O'Brien - Ireland - Arguably another 7 on the pitch, but Sean has earned his right to go on the Lions tour with a stellar couple of seasons and possibly is more of a 6 anyway!
5. Paul O'Connell – Ireland Surely the first name on the teamsheet, and another with a good shout of skippering the tour, never taken a backwards step, great lineout option and physicality is top notch, HAS to go on tour.
4. Richie Gray - Scotland - I'm yet to be totally convinced by him, but his athleticism and height may prove invaluable, needs to pick up his physicality, but I think he'll be there or there about when the squad gets announced
3. Dan Cole - England - Fearsome scrummager, vast improvement in the loose, awesome beard. Just gets the nod for the 3 jersey for his all round abilities. and his beard. His awesome, awesome beard!
2. Ross Ford - Scotland - I'm usually on my own, but I really rate Ross, and as I used to play hooker, i like to think i know what to look for. Hartley has an awful temperament, Bests lineouts can be iffy and Rees has a dubious injury record. Fords lineouts aren't always spot on, but in the scrum and the loose, he's hard as nails.
1. Gethin Jenkins - Wales - Like Cole, strong in the loose and in the scrum, he could anchor the front row brilliantly, and the balance and dynamism in the front row could well prove hard to match.

It will be interesting to look back next season and see how much my view changes on this. Certainly guys like Sexton, Priestland, Croft, Denton, Lydiate, Ashton et al will be pushing to grab these shirts, and the Irish underperformances in New Zealand may well see a few of their numbers wiped out if they are repeated, but I fully expect the side to have a very Welsh look about it!

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)!!!

Rich will be back to us in 4 weeks to let us know if he has seen anything to change his mind.  Next week, we meet our Welsh panellist.