QuoteI'd rather support kittens being dipped in acid than support Dylan Hartley.
Underwhelming squad. Hard to support any team with Hartley in it. tbh, Best played himself out - I'd have him ahead of Hartley, but he's given enough ammunition that his non selection can be justified imo. Gray is a bit left field too.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
I'd rather support kittens being dipped in acid than support Dylan Hartley.
I'd rather support kittens being dipped in acid than watch a Lions tour.Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Now that's just bloodthirsty.
Hartley a doubt for the Tour as he was red carded today. Exactly why Gatland was a fool to select him in the first place, the guy is a total moron.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
How did Rory play today? Do his chances of heading to Oz any good?
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Best called into Lions squad officially.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Mr A predicted this earlier in this thread, what a waste of space Hartley is.
Last edited by gastric; 27/05/2013 at 1:35 AM.
For some reason, the words "Roid Rage" keep popping into my head when Hartley is mentioned.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
I`vve never known if I`m on my own here in thinking this but what is the point of the Lions? I mean it`s never particularly fair or balanced a contest to have the pick of the best of a number of nations and pit them against another country. I similarly think the same of the game at club level. I know there would be no place for a Garryowen or Corinthians playing club head to head with say Toulon or Harlequins or Leicester Tiger but we pit an entire province against a club side from the other countries so it never seems fairly weighted.
I find it amazing how much appeal the Lions has. I`m not a particularly keen rugby fan but I just find the whole concept of the Lions to be a little bit pointless really.
My opinion only.
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The Lions originally came about because it due to the expense and amount of time involved, it wasn't feasible for individual unions to send their representative sides to the southern hemisphere, the way it was financially lucrative for the All Blacks to come up north, so they'd band together their resources. In more recent times, the Lions evolved as underdogs due to the Southern Hemisphere's near-domination of the upper echelons of the sport, so it became the challenge for British and Irish sides to try and put together a side capable of overcoming Southern Hemisphere opposition on their own patch. With professionalism, the idea has changed again, to see whether a scratch side of Britain and Ireland's best are capable of gelling quickly enough to beat the much better-preared Southern Hemisphere sides in a test series.
As for provinces v clubs... England has 3-4 times as many top teams as us and 8 times as many players. The provinces have smaller catchment areas than most English clubs.
Coincidentally, I just came in here to post this.
I've never really got the point/attraction of the Lions either. A combination of the best players from 4 countries. It's not really the issue of having a fair or balanced competition against the opponents, as they don't tend to fare much better than some of the individual test nations do on tours down there.
For me it's a question of what exactly the lions represents, and why I should support it.
One of my daughter's classmates is a Kiwi who works as the strength and consitioning coach for Suntory rugby team here in Tokyo, and he was asking me about this a few days ago. He said that in New Zealand, the explosion on the amount of rugby being played (especially Northern Hemisphere teams touring) has meant a Lions tour isn't what it used to be.
I feel kind of the same about the Ryder cup too. A strong national identity against a more vague continental/political identity (in my case at least).
Last edited by osarusan; 06/06/2013 at 12:56 AM.
Charlie laid out why the Lions developed, but in the professional era national sides do tour the southern hemisphere. However, for me it is important that Rugby maintains it's traditions, and that includes the lions. Of course it is commercial, but for the eligible players it is clearly an important thing to get recognition of a squad call up, let alone a cap.
For me, the lions was always a tradition that was talked about. So far, professional rugby has maintained a good few of them (tunnel at the end of the game, no back chat to refs etc). It's probably un-PC in underage rugby today, but we were taught about the importance of sticking up for team mates with reference to the 99 call from that South African tour.
I really can't say I care about it as much as Ireland, but whilst it retains its relevance to players it should be maintained. It appears to be hugely important for the game in Austrailia too, which is really suffering by accounts I've read. Perhaps there should be some development though, into a Southern Hemisphere tour (Argentina, South Africa, Austrailia and New Zealand) rather than the current single country format, with rotating warm up games against Super Rugby teams. The mid week games seem a bit pointless really - they don't really work in the modern game where 2 games a week isn't really doable.
Out of the games the last few weeks, it's the Barbarians that I can't really see a point of anymore. Which is a disappointment.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Thanks to Charlie and Macy`s latter explanation of the Lions. For me I`m glad I`m not on my own when it comes to what I see when I think of the Lions. At this point of my life I`m really not sure of anything I think or say so maybe I`m not entirely off my trolley yet. The amount of Lions shirts that sell too. It`s incredible. The minute you pool the best of a number of countries together the obvious effect is you increase the chance of success. Are each of the nations so strong they couldn`t run a makeshift club side into the ground as part of a tour or run like for like international side close? I think we can, I think England and Wales can too.
Players talk about it been the pinnacle of their career to be selected for the Lions. Jaysus immortality eh? Bit of an anticlimax I think. Been a football follower I can`t help but equate rugby with football. So by the same principle as per the provinces in Rugby, where the same inequality exists, i.e population size, should we lump Waterford and Limerick together to create Munster and run a league that gets them into European competition and ultimately competing. Imagine St Pat`s, Shams, Bohs and Dundalk lumped together as Leinster then. Certainly a stronger side. With identity? Fair to other club sides? Not really but it works in Rugby but thats Rugby and thats it`s following really. Just a bit odd, a bit accepting and not really questioning.
I suppose my argument is competition should have some balance. Finn Harps v Everton, Paris St Germain v Derry City, Shelbourne v Deportivo La Coruna or Athlone Town v AC Milan. They were club for club and like for like. Fair, balanced, magical and memorable. The Lions v Western Union. Who gives a toss?. Who`ll remember?.
Find me on Twitter @ImRedLen
Cian Healy is abit of a t**t as well for getting himself in trouble as well in the first game of the tour - he can go home and weep in greece with his woman the big child!!!! - he is nearly as bad as Hartley
Well done to the Ireland Under 20's on their win over Australia..... Fiji next on sat/sun
He hasn't been found guilty of anything.
They should beat Fiji but will find it very tough to overcome the physically and technically superior Baby Blacks. Still, there's an outside chance they could make the top 4 as the best runner-up.
Yeah, he's not quite in Hartley's league, but he certainly has his moments.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
The Provincial teams/ Inter provincial competition in rugby goes back to the 1920's (predates the railway cup afaik), and was always the level above the clubs (even in the heyday of the club game in the pre-celtic league days). It's not the same as parachuting that structure on top of football at this stage.
I'm not sure I get your point about competition - the celtic league is made up of other regional sides/ franchises/ provinces? It suits Scotland, Wales and Italy to have the celtic league - it isn't just for the IRFU. You could add that many of the English and French teams are essentially franchises now as well (Sale Sharks has sod all to do really with Sale FC for example).
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
He was cleared. http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugb...atch-1.1420448
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
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