My reaction to the Lions Squad

Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)- Yes. No more words need be said.
Stuart Hogg (Scotland)- I'm glad he's gone. An electric young fullback.
Robert Kearney (Ireland)- The most over-rated player in Europe, but was class in 2009.

Tommy Bowe (Ireland)- My favourite player.
Alex Cuthbert (Wales)- Best finisher in world rugby. A well-deserved call-up.
George North (Wales)- Obviously.
Sean Maitland (Scotland)- Good player, but don't think he and his Kiwi-ness should be on a Lions tour.

Jonathan Davies (Wales)- A no-brainer, really, provided he gets his passing in place.
Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)- More legend than man. Australia'll be quaking in their boots.
Jamie Roberts (Wales)- Battering ram required for the Gatland gameplan.
Manu Tuilagi (England)- Once he learns to pass, he'll be brilliant. This might be the time.

Owen Farrell (England)- No, no, no. Hotheaded without an idea about attacking rugby.
Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)- Can't really argue.

Mike Philips (Wales)- The Test Match Animal himself.
Ben Youngs (England)- Yeah, fair enough, let's move on.
Connor Murray (Ireland)- An abomination of a scrum half. Slow, static and fond of a poor decision or two. What have Care and Laidlaw got to do to go?

Gethin Jenkins (Wales)- Well-deserved after a very good Six Nations
Adam Jones (Wales)- Best scrummager in world rugby. A given.
Maku Vunipola (England)- Kinda passable, but I'd rather have seen Ryan Grant.
Dan Cole (England)- Second best tighthead in the world. Well deserved call-up.
Matt Stevens (England)- WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Cian Healy (Ireland)- I don't like him, but I can't argue with his inclusion.

Richard Hibbard (Wales)- So glad he's gone. Been championing him for years.
Dylan Hartley (England)- A talentless scumbag who nobody likes. Which is apparently all you need from a Lion.
Tom Youngs (England)- Ken Owens & Rory Best are both better than him, but let's move on.

Ian Evans (Wales)- Glad he's gone. He deserves this.
Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)- Such a good player.
Richie Gray (Scotland)- On poor form, but still a very good player who deserves his chance.
Paul O'Connell (Ireland)- A Lion through and through
Geoff Parling (England)- If we're picking a lineout specialist, I'd rather see Hamilton go. Never mind.

Sean O'Brien (Ireland)- A very good player and shall make a very good Lion.
Justin Tipuric (Wales)- Tommy's only real challenger. What a man.
Danny Lydiate (Wales)- Bold decision, and one I might not have made, but don't disagree with at all.
Tom Croft (England)- Shall suit Australia. Not going to quarrel.
Toby Faletau (Wales)- Hard-running, hard-working. A no brainer really.
Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)- A poor choice. On bad, bad form, while Ben Morgan & John Beattie are playing well.

Sam Warburton (Wales) - Captain - Can't argue. Well done Sam, just 10 games to go. See us home.

The Squad Gatland Will Pick

I've picked the team I'd select (Though I did pick it by Gatland's rules- I'd take 38 with Jonathan Sexton as a third Outside Half), so here's the one I think Warren Gatland will name in 24 hours time. I shall mark myself against his actual selections tomorrow...

Props
Gethin Jenkins, Cian Healy, Adam Jones, Paul James, Dan Cole, Mike Ross

Hookers
Richard Hibbard, Rory Best, Tom Youngs

Locks
Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell, Ian Evans, Geoff Parling, Richie Gray

Flankers
Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Tom Croft, Chris Robshaw, Sean O'Brien, Danny Lydiate

No. 8
Toby Faletau, Ben Morgan

Scrum Halves
Mike Phillips, Ben Youngs, Greig Laidlaw

Fly Halves
Jonathan Sexton, Dan Biggar

Centres
Jamie Roberts, Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Davies, Manu Tuilagi

Wings
George North, Alex Cuthbert, Tommy Bowe, Christian Wade

Fullbacks
Leigh Halfpenny, Stuart Hogg

My Final Lions Squad

On Tuesday, at 11am, Warren Gatland shall end months of speculation and, with it, begin another few months of arguing. His 37-man Lions squad shall finally be public knowledge, in the same way mine and my ever-changing mind has been for the past 6 months or so. So, here we go. My final squad choice, just two days before Gatland names him.

September - October - November - Didn't do one in December - January - February - March - April

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Paul O'Connell
5. Jim Hamilton
6. Sam Warburton
7. Justin Tipuric
8. Ben Morgan

9. Mike Phillips
10. Dan Biggar
11. Alex Cuthbert
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Rory Best
17. Ryan Grant
18. Dan Cole
19. Richie Gray
20. Toby Faletau
21. Ben Youngs
22. Jonny Wilkinson
23. Manu Tuilagi

24. Paul James
25. Cian Healey
26. Ken Owens
27. Ian Evans
28. Alun Wyn Jones
29. Tom Wood
30. Chris Robshaw
31. Sean O'Brien
32. Greig Laidlaw
33. Ashley Beck
34. Jonathan Davies
35. George North
36. Tim Visser
37. Stuart Hogg

Pitch Perfect. Apt.

The Olympics is a fascinating time. While normally the general public has no interest in badminton, or pole vaulting, or that weird horse-dancing thing, once every four years we come together and watch the best in the world do their thing and appreciate it. It's unfortunate that cinema has no equivalent of the Olympics, as I think it's high time some people got off their high horse (Weird and dancing or otherwise) and gave the terrific Pitch Perfect a look. While on first glance it's easy to dismiss it as part of the whole Glee-High School Musical-Nonsense phenomenon, it's only upon watching Pitch Perfect that you can appreciate how smart the film is. A witty deconstruction of the genre with dialogue so sharp you worry at least one of the actors cut their tongue. I love Pitch Perfect and this is why.

The Lions Squad - 7th April 2013

Gatland announced the squad this month! This'll be the penultimate squad, done just after the Quater-Finals of the Heineken Cup, the final reason time to impress. I'll do one the day before the team itself is named. Interesting to see how it's evolved...

September - October - November - Didn't do one in December - January - February - March

1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Richie Gray
5. Jim Hamilton
6. Sam Warburton
7. Justin Tipuric
8. Ben Morgan

9. Mike Phillips
10. Dan Biggar
11. Alex Cuthbert
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Rory Best
17. Ryan Grant
18. Dan Cole
19. Alun Wyn Jones
20. Tom Wood
21. Ben Youngs
22. Johnny Sexton
23. Manu Tuilagi

24. Paul James
25. Mike Ross
26. Ken Owens
27. Ian Evans
28. Paul O'Connell
29. Chris Robshaw
30. Ryan Jones
31. Toby Faletau
32. Greig Laidlaw
33. Owen Farrell
34. Jonathan Davies
35. Ashley Beck
36. George North
37. Stuart Hogg

Have to take one of Twelvetrees, Henson or Beck. At the moment, I'm leaning towards Ash, although that may be an Ospreylian bias in me. Had to drop Visser in order to make way for an extra back-rower. So, so difficult to select.