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.

The Lions Squad - 18th March

The Six Nations is now over. So here's the 37 I'd take...

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

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. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Rory Best
17. Ryan Grant
18. Dan Cole
19. Alun Wyn Jones
20. Chris Robshaw
21. Ben Youngs
22. Owen Farrell
23. Manu Tuilagi

24. Paul James
25. Mike Ross
26. Ken Owens
27. Ian Evans
28. Joe Launchbury
29. Tom Wood
30. Toby Faletau
31. Sean O'Brien
32. Greig Laidlaw
33. Jonathan Sexton
34. Jonathan Davies
35. Gavin Henson
36. Tim Visser
37. Stuart Hogg

A film-isophical post worthy of a better pun

I do not look like this.

I think I always wanted to be into film. It always struck me as the area in which geekiness, a quality I am more than capable of exuding, was most commonly accepted. Not just within the enthusiasts, but from outside. Film is engrained in the public consciousness, and experts are, therefore, looked to for approval. I never intended to become one, and still question whether it's fair for anyone to see me as such. However, just over one year ago I made a significant step forward with the purchase of the rather lovely red piece of plastic portrayed to the left. Since then, I have sat through 134 films with mixed success.

My favourite film, without a doubt, was The Muppets. An exuberant celebration of the human capacity to smile, it's a near-perfect example of how to properly execute a kids' film. "Jokes only the adults will get" is an overrated concept- laughs should be universal. The excuse "The kids enjoyed it" is not good enough, everyone should be swept along. I'm not looking for a Christopher Nolan plot, I'm looking for something that works.

The Lions Squad - 10th February

Here we are, another Lions squad, this one after two weeks of the Six Nations. September - October - November - Didn't do one in December - January

1. Paul James
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Richie Gray
6. Tom Wood
7. Justin Tipuric
8. Toby Faletau

9. Ben Youngs
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. George North
12. Jonathan Davies
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Rory Best
17. Cian Healey
18. Dan Cole
19. Alun Wyn Jones
20. Ryan Jones
21. Danny Care
22. Owen Farrell
23. Jamie Roberts

24. Ryan Grant
25. Mike Ross
26. Ken Owens
27. Ian Evans
28. Donnacha Ryan
29. Sam Warburton
30. Ben Morgan
31. Sean O'Brien
32. Mike Phillips
33. Dan Biggar
34. Tim Visser
35. Manu Tuilagi
36. Stuart Hogg
37. Chris Ashton