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#Post#: 137737--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: poorfour
Date: May 9, 2025, 4:25 am
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Most Welsh fans I've encountered have been fine with the
selection. They recognise that their team (and their union) is
not where it needs to be and I think most of them would have
picked Morgan and Williams as the only players operating at the
right level.
My concern in the cold light of day is that there are a number
of (mostly) Irish players in the squad who aren't fully fit but
I think have been included because they fit Farrell's game plan.
Presumably he's been in touch with them and their teams about
their teams to monitor progress but it will be interesting to
see if any drop out and if so who replaces them.
#Post#: 137739--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: May 9, 2025, 4:53 am
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Have to agree with your point re the oirish players, Poorfour,
and that's why I disagree with current international coaches
being head coach. It's quicker to implement your plan with your
own players and you use players from other countries to plug the
gaps where you a) have injuries or b) where you aren't as
strong. The previous incumbent was the living embodiment of
that. But as we know with trying to integrate Marcus into
England, it isn't as easy as you think to plug those gaps when
the others are following an agreed and trusted game plan.
As i've bored you all since 2013, there should be a qualifying
system for, statistically, the best 2 players in each position
and 10 wildcards if you're going to have international coaches.
That is the true test of a coaches ability. People keep saying
the Lions is not a tour to focus on the future, it's about
winning in real time. I feel it's become the way for
international coaches to prove their game plan works, as they
don't have a world cup to show for it.
#Post#: 137741--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: May 9, 2025, 5:08 am
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I can't see how a stats based approach would work. As much as I
love stats, they tell you nothing about a player's decision
making, courage, or mental strength. They're also heavily
impacted by who you play with and against.
A stats based approach would probably see some extremely good
players miss out and would bias the squad even more towards just
picking en masse from the best team(s)
#Post#: 137742--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: never sleep
Date: May 9, 2025, 5:41 am
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--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> I can't see how a stats based approach would work. As much as
I love stats, they tell you nothing about a player's decision
making, courage, or mental strength. They're also heavily
impacted by who you play with and against.
>
> A stats based approach would probably see some extremely good
players miss out and would bias the squad even more towards just
picking en masse from the best team(s)
>
--- End Quote ---
I think I may agree with JG on this. Stats would be massively
skewed for the teams such as Leinster who play some opposition
teams in their league who are really not at their level and can
therefore choose to play their second string players when they
want to.
#Post#: 137748--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: May 9, 2025, 6:26 am
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--- Quote from: Banstead Quin link ---
>
> ...
>
> As i've bored you all since 2013, there should be a qualifying
system for, statistically, the best 2 players in each position
and 10 wildcards if you're going to have international coaches.
That is the true test of a coaches ability. People keep saying
the Lions is not a tour to focus on the future, it's about
winning in real time. I feel it's become the way for
international coaches to prove their game plan works, as they
don't have a world cup to show for it.
>
--- End Quote ---
I think JG and ns are being far too polite!
For a start the Lions tour isn't about being a true test of a
coaches ability.
I'm not even going to mention the stats based approach...
😁
#Post#: 137757--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: May 9, 2025, 7:27 am
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Thanks guy's good points. The stats would be weighted to take
into account the oppo, the league you play in and
internationals. If you weighted 1.4 for, say, playing against
Bath but 1.1 for playing against Newcastle so that it balances
up. Same in Europe as well. You could always determine that
leagues are weighted so Top 14 and GP are weighted higher than
URC. It's clearly not as simple as just stats but there will be
a formula that could work. A big one would be minutes played, so
that you wouldn't get a Leinster biased squad...
#Post#: 137759--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: poorfour
Date: May 9, 2025, 7:35 am
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You could do the coaches on a stats system too, though you'd
have to weight it heavily towards "Would stake their reputation
on a squad they had no say in picking."
#Post#: 137763--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: May 9, 2025, 7:57 am
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Sorry Poorfour, just rubbing my ribs as they're aching so much
#Post#: 137764--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: KentQuin
Date: May 9, 2025, 7:58 am
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Ireland rightly have the most players in the squad. They've
easily been the strongest and most consistent of the home
nations over the last four year cycle.
How many of the 15 picked are eveb debatable? To my mind its
only Kelleher, Hansen, McCarthy and Ryan where it's a marginal
call. The others are all shoo in's for the squad.
#Post#: 137765--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lions Squad Announcement Live Thursday 8/5/25 14:00
DIR By: Yareet
Date: May 9, 2025, 8:59 am
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--- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
>
> Ireland rightly have the most players in the squad. They've
easily been the strongest and most consistent of the home
nations over the last four year cycle.
>
> How many of the 15 picked are eveb debatable? To my mind its
only Kelleher, Hansen, McCarthy and Ryan where it's a marginal
call. The others are all shoo in's for the squad.
>
--- End Quote ---
These are the knots that one can end up tying oneself in though
because based on the 4-year cycle there should arguably be fewer
English than Scottish. And Pollock would struggle to justify his
place given he was 16 at the start of the cycle.
Ultimately though the aim is to win a 3-test series and so
personally, I'd lean much more towards current form than what
has been done over the last 4 years. It would be weird to select
a team for a RWC final based on what players have done since the
last world cup.
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