Lions Tour to SA, Can we do it?
Do you think this years Lions squad will be able to defeat the South Africans on their home turf? They have played against 3 teams so far and in my opinion only 1 performance has shown signs of the ability to beat the South Africans.
Will they win the series?
I think if they put out this team–
1.Gethin Jenkins
2.Lee Mears
3.Adam Jones
4.Alun Wyn Jones
5.Paul O’Connell
6.Joe Worsley
7.Stephen Ferris
8.Andy Powell
9.Mike Phillips
10.Stephen Jones (Because O’Gara can’t tackle)
11.Shane Williams
12.Jamie Roberts
13.Brian O’Driscoll
14.Luke Fitzgerald
15.Lee Byrne
Then they should win! Personally I think the Welsh props are the best. Jamie Roberts and O’Driscoll definitely to start at centre, and Lee Byrne and Phillips to start at full back and Scrum half. Stephen Ferris has tremendous pace as he has shown already, and Joe Worsley is so good at running as a decoy or covering for the half-backs 
Perhaps Nathan Hines in the second row instead of AW Jones but they should both get a game.
I think we can definitely win this year, the Boks have underestimated us I think!!
In the end; 2-1 to the Lions! Joe
Sooo yeah, I think they should win with that team!
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Yup, i think by now its starting to become clear to us all and especially the Lions coachs what the winning selection is.
We’ve found an amazing centre partnership that was able to rip apart a super teams defence alone. We got 2 decent kickers in O’gara and Stephen Jones and a bit of a spark in Hook. The Lions should capitalize in that area. Wingers wise Bowe and Monye seem to fit in well in the game they played. The lions are also fortunate n the sence they have O’Connell who is said to be the best lock in the world, which will be needed against the best lock partnership in the world.
Just by thinking about those few positions it already seems plausible. They were shut down by the press before they came for no reason. Most people who say the Lions will lose and will be destroyed are the people who keep telling us that the Southern hemisphere is miles better than the Northern hemisphere which is completely disproportionate.
The Lions will win when they put out there decent team, the games they barely won were teams which had little experience. Those who have seen other Lions series especially winning ones will know that the Lions team play about in there first test-club games so that the team gel and they find the winning team.
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Im worrying about there back-line and their defense…
maybe with O drisceel and O Gara in we will see who is the best..
The game against the Sharks on Wednesday will give us an idea if they are up to it..
they nearly lost to the Cheetahs on Saturday//
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Ican,t believe you even asked this question.Did,nt you watch the super fourteen final.? And all done with home grown players,not like the Kiwis with teams full of islanders.A Springbok whitewash.
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I hate to say this, but South Africa on their own soil are even harder than the All Blacks at home.
The Lions will be demolished! The Boks play like men possessed in front of their home crowd. Just watch the highlights of the Super 14 final.
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Yes, if they pick the best team….which I think they will…
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Not likey. Their biggest problem is combinations. If they perhaps played against the best of the rest at home for 2 - 3 games they might come together better, but a team full of brilliant individuals will always be beaten by a team full of brilliant team mates.
p.s. Adseng, you’re a muppet. How many Boks over the years have qualified to play elsewhere, i.e. Namibia etc. There’s at least 1 Bok in the current squad born overseas according to the SARU website.
Most if not all of those ‘Islanders’ qualify for the AB’s. They were either born here or moved here when they were young. You obviously have difficulty grasping concepts though seeming this is argued on here so often. You’d think if you were a SAFA you’d know that skin colour does not determine where you come from.
Sorry to hijack your question Lukey.
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AB supporter from Auckland, the biggest Polynesian city in the world.
I think they can do it although losing Stephen Ferris is clearly a blow. Like some of the other respondents I think it’s down to team selection but I would make a few changes to the line-up suggested above.
Based on performances so far I wouldn’t pick Shane Williams (clearly lacking in form but he has time to put things right), Powell (too one-dimensional and would be destroyed by big powerful Boks) or Worsley (same comments as for Powell).
I don’t think Fitzgerald has ever played on right wing (Tommy Bowe should be a nail-on anyway) but I would try him out on the left. Heaslip is a much more intelligent player than Powell and the same can be said for Croft vis a vis Worsley. Croft looked excellent last week but he lacks the power and grunt that Ferris would have added. At open side I would go for Wallace ahead of Williams but there isn’t a lot in it.
In fact, using intelligent, pacy players is the only way the Lions can hope to win the series but it will be tough. Trying to take them head-on in a purely physical sense would be playing to their strengths, not the Lion’s. It’s easy to favour the Boks at home but that hasn’t always proved to a deciding factor in the past.
Whatever the outcome, I’m looking forward to a major sporting challenge involving great athletes on both sides.
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February 19th, 2010 at 9:40 am
I think if they put out this team–
1.Gethin Jenkins
2.Lee Mears
3.Adam Jones
4.Alun Wyn Jones
5.Paul O’Connell
6.Joe Worsley
7.Stephen Ferris
8.Andy Powell
9.Mike Phillips
10.Stephen Jones (Because O’Gara can’t tackle)
11.Shane Williams
12.Jamie Roberts
13.Brian O’Driscoll
14.Luke Fitzgerald
15.Lee Byrne
Then they should win! Personally I think the Welsh props are the best. Jamie Roberts and O’Driscoll definitely to start at centre, and Lee Byrne and Phillips to start at full back and Scrum half. Stephen Ferris has tremendous pace as he has shown already, and Joe Worsley is so good at running as a decoy or covering for the half-backs
Perhaps Nathan Hines in the second row instead of AW Jones but they should both get a game.
I think we can definitely win this year, the Boks have underestimated us I think!!
In the end; 2-1 to the Lions! Joe
Sooo yeah, I think they should win with that team!
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