FH: Biggar, Farrell, Sexton
CE: Daly, Davies, Henshaw, Joseph, Payne, Te'o
The commonality is size and aggression. Joseph and Daly are the only two rapiers there. It seems likely neither starts in the centres. Daly's game time has come in the back three and Joseph was strongly rumoured not to be making it only to beat out Ringrose. They took all the big guys they could find who were vaguely up to standard then started looking at other people.
Welcome to Gatlandball.
Which is worrying as all hell.
Reason One - Those lads are big but they're nothing special. There is no prime Roberts or Tuilagi there. Henshaw and Te'o would be the most physical pairing and the All Blacks would respect that pairing, but they'd back themselves to contain it. I'd also back them.
Reason Two - Gatlandball last looked threatening when Wales had a fly-half who could stand flat and deliver. The Lions squad has just one of those players - Sexton. All of the fly-halves with really great timing and zippy passes - Ford, Russell, Jackson - not involved. Farrell might be able to do it on the international arena, what with him having come on a lot since his last meaningful go as an international fly-half, but he might not. Biggar certainly can't. He's proven that with Wales.
The Lions look set to turn up to a gun fight with a knife. A very blunt knife.
Now maybe I'm wrong about Gatland's intentions. Its difficult to believe that with Rob Howley there though. A man doesn't bring his attack coach and chief lieutenant in order to execute a very different plan as a rule.
To be honest, I'm a bit fucked off about it really. I love the Lions, I want them to play great games of rugby and not be more of a source of continual bickering than they have to. I let myself believe that Gatland was willing to adapt to win, and knew that running into a brick wall wouldn't be enough. I also believed that Gatland would recognise that this is no longer 2013 and that Wales aren't top dogs of these isles, they're third at best and arguably fourth.
Instead we get a summer of Gatlandball and people whining about the 12 Welshmen in the squad. I'm not really feeling the urge to be a part of that. I don't really want a Lions squad that does things by the Baabaas ethos, or looks for representative quotas, so I guess I've got to accept days like these, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Anyway, rage aside, its a pretty decent squad. The game has kicked on a lot in the last four years around these parts. Hell, most of the players I've complained about would have been totally non-contentious on the last two tours.
All hopes of a Lions victory lies with the pack. If they can beat up the All Black pack then there's a chance. They probably can't, but it is loaded with great forwards and theirs isn't the strongest. I think the Lions can edge this up front which would be no mean feat - just not the walloping needed.
Speaking of the forwards, lets talk about the most controversial omission of the tour; Launchbury. He's arguably been the best forward available to Gatland this Six Nations and the best lock of the last four years. Its a bit bloody bonkers he's not going. That said, its difficult to argue with any of the five going as being bad calls. Personally, I'd have taken one less back row (bye bye Moriarty) and one more second row, what with it being a lot easier for locks to cover the back row than vice versa.
I suspect Launch might go anyway. Its an attritional business at the best of times and Lawes and Henderson have form for breaking the moment someone looks at them. Of course, maybe Gatland will just take Jonny Gray or Donnacha Ryan or someone else. That would be even more mad but hey, this is Gatland.
Being a bit serious for a moment though, this smells pretty bad for Launchbury, as it seems pretty likely that Borthwick agreed with the selection and Launchbury being 4th of England's locks. Its one thing to have Gatland be a nutter and do you out of two Lions tours, but when the England forwards coach has a downer on you... anyway, let this be a lesson to any aspiring young forwards. The only area where Launchbury definitely loses out to his peers is the line out and this is the second tour in succession where lineout ability has been highly valued by the selectors. So practice your jumping. Incidentally, wouldn't be at all surprised to see O'Mahony start for this very reason. Not sure why some are calling him a surprise. In fact, I'd go so far as to say there's no surprise inclusions in that squad.
Anyway, that's about it. News that Murray might miss the tour due to injury is even more depressing than the midfield selection. Marler and Sinckler are worthy enough calls, but I'm not all that sure someone other than their club coach would have taken both. Launchbury and creative fly-halves aside, there are no really weird omissions. I could write a lot more but I'm fairly sure that injury and form would render it pointless before then anyway. Besides, there's also the England squad to go through...
Full squad list:
Forwards: Rory Best (Ireland), Dan Cole (England), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Joe Marler (England), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Ross Moriarty (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Peter O'Mahony (Ireland), Ken Owens (Wales), Kyle Sinckler (England), CJ Stander (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Billy Vunipola (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Sam Warburton (Wales)
Backs: Dan Biggar (Wales), Elliot Daly (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Owen Farrell (England), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Jonathan Joseph (England), Conor Murray (Ireland), George North (Wales), Jack Nowell (England), Jared Payne (Ireland), Johnny Sexton (Ireland), Tommy Seymour (Scotland), Ben Te'o (England), Anthony Watson (England), Rhys Webb (Wales), Liam Williams (Wales), Ben Youngs (England)
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