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Lions - Six Nations 2025 Auditions

Reiser99 said:
One argument I would make for including some players who maybe aren't the best in form players is that this is a touring side that ostensibly needs to make money. You want fans involved and if there is too much bias or fans feel there is then it puts them off. We saw this under Gatland. The lions need home nation fans to be buying merchandise, travelling as away support to create an atmosphere etc...

Yes the Lions want to win, but they also need to make the squad feel inclusive to keep fans involved. We've already seen plenty of fans who are disillusioned by the Lions and with the financial state of rugby, you can't really afford to put off more fans.
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Nooooo....that's a return to the bad old days
 
Leonormous Boozer said:
I don't see Russell not going. I think FS is the best 10 available followed by Russell. Shootout between M Smith, Prendergast and Farrell from there.

I hope Prendergast doesn't go, he'd be better served with Ireland but his last two Leinster performances have put him back in the conversation and he looks to be addressing his weaknesses.

I'd go with the Fin, Finn and Farrell tbh. Farrell's form isn't there but he's the sort of quality you bring on a tour and hope he finds it, sometimes it works like Bowe in 2013 and othertimes it doesn't like Kearney in 2013. I'm sure there's examples of both from the last two tours but I can't remember them as well.

I think that approach probably goes against the "ethos" of the tour but it's an amateur idea adapted to professionalism. I think that applies to @irisht 's post too. To be honest, the France tour of NZ is far more interesting than this jolly.



https://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/lions-six-nations-2025-auditions.50120/page-18#post-1226058

https://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/lions-six-nations-2025-auditions.50120/page-17#post-1226038

https://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/lions-six-nations-2025-auditions.50120/page-18#post-1226109

This was triggered by the selection of the only real option to have a former Lions player on the coaching team in a non critical role, one who also happens to be the best Lions 10 of the pro era.

Does Sexton rate Russell? I doubt it, he never lost a game to him. If he doesn't go, it's professionals making a decision they'll live or die by like Gatland in 2021. Is it bias? Yes but based on their professional decision making, preferences and what they think the squad needs to get the job done, not based on what colour jersey they wear in February and March or a selection out of anyone's control in 2021.

I'm not a Lions fan, I just want this tour to end and not hurt Ireland going into November, it'd be great if it helps us in some way. If that's Farrell's approach then he's going about it the wrong way but he was a Lions coach before Ireland and realistically this is his only chance for him to represent a test side of his own country and not an adopted one. Can't see him ever going back to England after the way things ended with both him and his son in that set up.
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I stand by what I said, selection needs to be on form now but whatever happened in the previous 6 nations. That’s not saying there won’t be a load of Irish players going but I want the Irish in form players going, not just 18-19 Irish players because they’ve won some 6 nations games.

I also love the irony that when England do well it’s a team effort with no stand out players yet that doesn’t apply to other countries.

And finally for some controversy I really hope women Welsh players go for the success financially of the tour. I know it’s silly but we need all countries on tour.
 
I just want Andy Farrell and his coaching team to be hard nosed when it comes to selecting the touring party. I think we are (I know I am) thinking a differently about this tour because it's Australia and not SA or NZ and that as long as the Lions show up they should win which is stupid really given how tough it actually is to go to Australia and win any sporting event.

Now if that means the test side has 23 "Irish" players in it then fine if that's who the best performing players are but the selection of Sexton as a coach is to my mind very controversial, he's not a proven coach and if the selection of fly half excludes Russell but includes Farrell and Prendergast then that will seriously change my attitude towards this tour. They will still probably win but it will absolutely devalue the Lions concept. I hope I'm wrong and Sexton proves to be an inspired choice but something about it doesn't smell right.
 
The biggest hurdle to overcome as a lions coach is gelling together a load of players who aren’t used to playing together. With that in mind it is understandable that whoever the coach is they try and mitigate this problem by selecting players they know and trust in order to try and get some continuity as quickly as possible on tour.

Obviously it’s a balancing act as you want at least 3 countries well represented (and all 4 to some degree) but all this talk of bias, while not entirely incorrect, just misses the point imo. The aim is to win the tour at the end of the day.
 
I still think Owen goes on tour whether named on Thursday or more likely called up later to cover 10/12. Maybe only Finn and Fin get named on Thursday with Jordan coming in for Henshaw as a utility back who can cover 10 in the midweek games.

If Faz snr wasn't picking him I think Owen would have ruled himself out with a face saving update saying he wants the summer off to recover ahead of next season/family time etc. For that reason I think he'll tour.

Personally I think he's way down the pecking order if merit/form based. I'd have Ford, Marcus and even Crowley ahead of him. The test match animal claim doesn't cut it for me. It's been far too long since he has delivered at test level.
 
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I’m sure I heard he was playing at 12 due to an adductor injury and he would have to kick as much… without the kicking is there much point in Farrell?
 
General Melchett said:
I still think Owen goes on tour whether named on Thursday or more likely called up later to cover 10/12. Maybe only Finn and Fin get named on Thursday with Jordan coming in for Henshaw as a utility back who can cover 10 in the midweek games.

If Faz snr wasn't picking him I think Owen would have ruled himself out with a face saving update saying he wants the summer off to recover ahead of next season/family time etc. For that reason I think he'll tour.

Personally I think he's way down the pecking order if merit/form based. I'd have Ford, Marcus and even Crowley ahead of him. The test match animal claim doesn't cut it for me. It's been far too long since he has delivered at test level.
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Calling him afterwards would look like he was trying to avoid scrutiny over it.
 

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