Backs: Lee Byrne, Rob Kearney, Shane Williams, Lee Halfpenney, Ugo Monye, Luke Fitzgerald, Tommy Bowe, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Earls, Riki Flutey, Ronan O'Gara, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Harry Ellis, Tomas O'Leary Forwards: Jamie Heaslip, Andy Powell, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris, Alan Quinlan, Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams, Alu-Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Simon Shaw, Nathan Hines, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Andrew Sherdian, Phil Vikcery, Euan Murray, Jerry Flannery, Lee Mears, Matthew Rees
Keith Earls in, interesting. No Rory Best though. Alan Quinlan, wow. 14 Irish in total, have to be happy with. D'arcy would have been worth a place, as would the Bull. Solid squad.
Paul O'Connell has been named as captain of the British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa this summer. The 29-year-old edged Ireland's Grand Slam-winning captain Brian O'Driscoll in the race for the most prestigious job in British and Irish rugby. O'Driscoll has also been named in the 37-man touring party which leaves for South Africa next month. Munster second row O'Connell is the 10th Irishman to lead a Lions tour and is Europe's most feared second row with his style inviting comparisons with former England skipper Martin Johnson. He has led Ireland on four occasions, each time deputising for O'Driscoll, and was at the helm when Munster were crowned Heineken Cup champions last year. Delighted for him....only deserving person in my opinion
I don't see the significance of Lions Tours myself. I am not a massive rugby fan,I watch the six nations and World Cup but to hear certain people at work, you would think it was the biggest sporting event this year. In reality its a trip for lads who play a couple of friendlies against provincal teams and then two or three big 'friendlies' against SA/NZ/AUS. Am I missing something, is because Ireland have a lot of the squad that its so high profile this year?
It is a massive achievemnt to have 14 Irish players - shows how far we have come and considering disapointment regarding Hays. The Lions tour is class as we are looking forward to how many Irish players are in the team, and the team becomes something that you don't get the chance to see again. How do the players gel and how will they perform againts a Southern team that play regularly together. I would love to go but will be watching each game hoping the Irish players make the team and perform.
I suppose the attraction behind it is that as nations we really don't stand much of a chance against Southern Hemisphere teams so this is the best of the four "home" nations and we go onto the playing field more or less on a par with the "super-powers"...It's great viewing and some of the daily diaries from the players are class reading
Not having a go but you would have to follow rugby to understand. For a number of reasons this is huge. We have the best of the best of the northern hemishpere against the world champions. Friendly is not a word I would use to describe how these games will be played You should watch the documentry that was done on the last Lions tour to SA to get a real grasp of what it is all about
So do I - that's why I had it in ""......Up until recently it was the British Lions and they decided to "honour" us by calling the team the British and Irish Lions....I would have called it the best of the Northern Hemisphere but for that you would have to include a bucket load of French players and few of the Italians....hence the "home" nations
should be but look at it from a purely irish point of view.we arent overly blessed in his position and the man is 35.a nice summer off to recharge the batteries will do him good.but yes he deserves a lions call up
That's fair enough, maybe you have to be into it. If it was the best of the northern hemisphere though, would it not include France players also. What would be excellent though would be Lions in the Try Nations. I suppose its the fact there is no trophy to play for all and that. Anyway I am not dissing it, its great there are some many Irish lads in there
Anyone watch the report on sky sports news? There was a photographer with a big 96 on the back of his t-shirt. Maybe not a justice496 shirt but it would be class if it was. http://www.skysports.com/video/clips/0,23791,15855_4171150,00.html 1min47s into in
Looks like tomas o'leary may have broken his ankle playing for munster this evening. Big blow for the lad if he did - will miss the lions tour as well as the munster v leinster game next week
Suprised at the inclusion of Keith Earls and the omission of Gordon Darcy. Not suprised however about John Hayes. He is an old style prop that likes to take and give the hits around the ruck area but cant get around the park. In the modern game you need a mobile prop, mobile forwards in general, as the majority of teams bar maybe Italy Argintina aim to keep the ball up and moving and this is exactly th game the S.Africans will play and the tempo would be too much for Bull. Think Scotland winger Danielli would have been good but not selected either