The UAFC

With what is going down in India and the IPL I think it possible that this tour could get disrupted. I just hope hendy comes back okay. Can you catch covid from holding tackle bags?

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Hendo will be eligible for a covid vaccination very soon. His age category will be next. So he hopefully will have had at least a first dose, if he wants it.

Every chance that Hendy makes the bench for the first Test.

On form he is better than Lawes and Itoje. They might go for a big pack with Beirne in the back row.

Itoje at 6 for me with AWJ amd hendo in the row.

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Well done Hendy.
Ryan is better off to sort out his head for next season. Same for Sexton although I don't know why he wants to continue from a health perspective. Bundee is a bolter.
I don't think most Leinster fans have any problem with the selection. There will be a lot of attrition and good to have players back for September.

Dave wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 12:49 pm

Snipe Watson wrote:Porter and Conan are sound picks.
Aki I just don't get.

He's a liability

He is indeed. I'll be shocked if they allow him near a test squad.

jean valjean wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 1:45 pm Itoje at 6 for me with AWJ amd hendo in the row.

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I think he’ll want Lawes at 6.

Three number 8s in the squad is a bit strange. Curry could have covered if required.

Dublin4 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 1:49 pm Well done Hendy.
Ryan is better off to sort out his head for next season. Same for Sexton although I don't know why he wants to continue from a health perspective. Bundee is a bolter.
I don't think most Leinster fans have any problem with the selection. There will be a lot of attrition and good to have players back for September.

Bundee a bolter?

He’s barely played since Christmas.

Jamie Roberts must be on standby.

Ryan, Sexton and Ringrose would never get dropped for Ireland. Once you are an Irish liggind in the eyes of some you can never get dropped.

No bad thing for Leinster and Ireland. Ryan and Ringrose are quality players who have been far from their best. This will get them working hard and motivated for next season.

Henderson will know the value of starting the tour well this time around. Very difficult to make up for a poor game on such a short tour.

Plus he won’t have Rory best, Marler and Haskell taking him out for pints every night.

Alwyn as Captain? An excellent Captain of Men but that's the good news, the bad news, like Sexton his best games are a matter of history and the fact is if he wasn't Captain he might not make the 15.

Sexton was never in the frame in my opinion -- his questionable durabily is just a polite way of saying your past it. During the 6 nations to survive he was taking the ball 2- 5 metres deeper than previously.

Ringrose is a player -- full of promise -- who seldom delivers unfortunately and it is obvious that Gatland is looking for a hard running defensive pair of centres rather than a toe dancer with the hope they can shift the ball wide to fast wings.

But like all Lions selections it can or maybe one made on the telephone -- are you available -if selected

Terrible thing if you publish the selection and 4 or five players say -- no -- then the replacements would know they are possibly the 3 or 4th choice. not a great start for the management or a great place for a Captain -- who may have been consulted about the selection.

So that’s why they emailed fifty players a couple of weeks ago.

And Youngs said no.

No doubt injuries will propel some of those who missed out into the squad soon enough anyway.

AWJ said he wasn’t consulted regarding selection.

justinr73 wrote:So that’s why they emailed fifty players a couple of weeks ago.

And Youngs said no.

No doubt injuries will propel some of those who missed out into the squad soon enough anyway.

AWJ said he wasn’t consulted regarding selection.

Gatland confirmed they sent over 70 letters and youngs was the only one to rule himself out, so basically nearly every home nation player who featured routinely in the 6 nations. Interesting that sinclair, genge and marler didn't receive one. They have obviously looked at personality traits a bit more considering they will be living in a bubble for 6 weeks.

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Indeed. I’ve not seen anything to suggest that Sinckler didn’t get one though. No doubt Gatland is still hoping he doesn’t have to call on him.