The Rugby Thread

[Cormack74]

I thought the ref was bang average. Some of that was Northern Hemisphere expectations from a Southern Hemisphere ref but some of it was just poor decision making and missing obvious stuff.

Without dear Wayne chipping in there might not have been a card in the match

[Buzzo]

He seemed to misread everything. Watching it back and home seemed clueless around the big flash points.

I thought we were well worth our win, the team looked very focused which is not something you’d ever say about a Scotland team.

Penny for Finn Russell’s thoughts, I’ve been a batch critic of Adam Hastings, but he was great today.

I wonder when this 6Ns will ever get finished?

[Cormack74]

I wonder when this 6Ns will ever get finished?

I can see the remaining fixtures being played as part of the Autumn series of games to be honest.

[Buzzo]

Wales v Scotland the only game to survive.

[ame]https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1237005438111166466[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Pro 14 suspended.

[ame]https://twitter.com/pro14official/status/1238137682741649408[/ame]

[Cormack74]

dupe

[Cormack74]

Marler banned for 10 weeks for fondling A W-J.

Seems a bit harsh really when the sentencing regime (which sets sentencing guidelines) is designed to deal with serious foul play rather than people messing about. (Not that I'm condoning him doing it mind).

[Zapater]

Marler banned for 10 weeks for fondling A W-J.

Seems a bit harsh really when the sentencing regime (which sets sentencing guidelines) is designed to deal with serious foul play rather than people messing about. (Not that I'm condoning him doing it mind).

Whilst I agree it is a little harsh, it is inappropriate. It's really not funny... at all. As Will Greenwood said on SSN earlier in the week, many people wouldn't be amused if that happened to their son on the pitch, so it sets a standard to eradicate it at any level.

A bit different, but my dad thought it was hilarious when I got into a punch up with a balding 35 year old on a football pitch when I was around 16.

[Cormack74]

McGeeghan picking his Lions team a year early.

Still makes a nice change to read about sport.

And of course he's done the right thing by 'picking' some of your boys Buzzo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52158743

Back 3

Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Anthony Watson (England) & Liam Williams (Wales)

"The Test team you think you will have never actually materialises," says McGeechan. "Players always come through, but for now I'd definitely have those three. Hogg has been playing great rugby and is in. I'd definitely have Watson. He's great under the high ball, has unbelievable feet and would be outstanding on hard South African grounds. Liam is the one I'd go for on the left wing.

"There are others - Jordan Larmour, Jonny May, Josh Adams, George North, Andrew Conway - and one I'd be really thinking about is Elliot Daly, a really good footballer who can play in any position in the back three but he also kicks goals from halfway. With two games at altitude it that means that 10m inside your own half is in his range so that forces South Africa to have a real discipline because they know he can hurt them."

Midfield

Jonathan Davies (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England)

He's been impressed by Sam Johnson and Robbie Henshaw, but Jonathan Davies is McGeechan's outside centre even though he was injured and missed the Six Nations. The Welshman has more than enough credit in the bank given that he was Lions player of the series three years ago in New Zealand and was magnificent for Wales in 2019, their latest Grand Slam year.

"He'd be my pick, if fit. If he's not, it's likely to be Henry Slade," McGeechan says. "I really rate his decision-making. I think he would excel with the Lions. At 12, I have to go with Manu. There's such power there. And you'll need that."

Fly half

Owen Farrell (England)

There's a shortlist of three here - Farrell, Dan Biggar and Finn Russell. McGeechan would take all three, but Farrell makes the Test team by dint of his control of a game, his big-match temperament and his dead-eye goalkicking.

"Johnny Sexton has been a magnificent player but he hasn't played really well for quite some time and he'll be 35 in July," he explains. "George Ford has played well for England, particularly when on the front foot, but the real test, as he discovered in the World Cup final, is how a fly-half performs on the back foot and he has something to work on.

"Farrell and Biggar can manage a game behind a struggling pack, so they'll be very important. Finn just gives you something very different. It would be fascinating to see him on a Lions tour from the start."

Scrum half

Gareth Davies (Wales)

"I have four on my list and only three will probably go," McGeechan says. "There's Davies and Rhys Webb from Wales, Conor Murray from Ireland, and Ali Price from Scotland.

"Murray has not been himself for a while now and that's a concern. I'd really like to see Price coming through because I enjoy the way he plays. But if I had to call it, I'd say Davies. He's a terrific player.

Loose head

Rory Sutherland (Scotland)

Like the rest of us, McGeechan watched in admiration - and occasional awe - as Sutherland came back from the rugby wilderness during the Six Nations. The prop was absent from the big stage for more than three years but returned with a series of powerhouse performances. McGeechan calls him a "bolter". And he's in.

"There's a huge amount of competition," he says. "Ellis Genge and Mako Vunipola from England - although Mako seems to get injured a hell of a lot - Cian Healy from Ireland and Wyn Jones from Wales.

"On form, I have to go with Sutherland. He's been absolutely brilliant. He's not just a good technical rugby player, he can play, he can run, he makes an impact. His story is an incredible one. I'd love to see him kick on."

Hooker

Jamie George (England)

"Right now, I'd say there's four clear candidates, but all of this can change," McGeechan says. "There's Jamie George and Luke Cowan Dickie, there's Ken Owens and there's Stuart McInally.

"Three hookers will travel, but I think George is the pick of them. Fantastic consistency, tough, good set-piece performer, just a very solid character. He will take some shifting."

Tight head

Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)

This looks like it could be a three-horse race between Tadhg Furlong, an epic Lion in New Zealand in 2017; Kyle Sinckler, who has become more and more critical to everything England are doing; and Zander Fagerson, who discovered his very best stuff this season.

"I'd still have Furlong," says McGeechan. "He's not had a brilliant season but he's such a good player and in these circumstances you would get the best out of him. He'd rise to the challenge. He's done it before."

Second row

Maro Itoje (England) & James Ryan (Ireland)

McGeechan laughs when considering the options here, because there's so many. Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Joe Launchbury of England; Iain Henderson and James Ryan of Ireland; Alun Wyn Jones of Wales; Grant Gilchrist of Scotland. That's just for starters.

"It's a wealth of talent," he says. "Itoje is definitely one of them and I'd bracket him as a possible captain. He's a hell of a competitor. When you watch him, he's into everything. He reads things so well, he's niggling, he leads by example. He's a really intelligent lad and a really intelligent rugby player.

"A lot of people would probably go for Alun Wyn alongside him, but I wouldn't. Alun Wyn would be an outstanding off-field captain, a standard-setter, a senior figure, but with another year on the clock and some of the other talent that's out there I'd go somewhere else for Maro's partner. And that would be James Ryan - another very bright guy, another very hard and driven player with a massive work ethic.

"Those two could be unbelievable. They are two natural leaders and I'd be intrigued to see how their chemistry evolves on a Lions tour."

Blindside

Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)

The Six Nations blindsides were Aaron Wainwright, CJ Stander, Jamie Ritchie, Courtney Lawes and Peter O'Mahony, with some of them capable of moving around the back-row. McGeechan is also classifying Sam Underhill as six.

"Lawes is very close - he's getting better and better at six," he says. "There's also the argument about having an extra player in the lineout against SA and he's strong there. But I'd go with Ritchie. He's tough, mobile, into everything. He's a carrier, a leader, he's improving game on game and I think he could be outstanding in a Lions jersey."

No.8

Billy Vunipola (England)

"If I was picking on this season's Six Nations, I'd go with CJ Stander," McGeechan says. "If everybody was 100% fit, I'd go with Vunipola.

"There are options. Taulupe Faletau is coming back into it, Nick Haining has really impressed me and Caelan Doris is one to watch very closely. He was unlucky with injury but he might well come through over the next 12 months and overtake everybody. He's an outstanding young talent.

"It's hard to look past a fit Billy, though. Ritchie, Curry and Vunipola would be a very exciting back-row but you could go Lawes, Watson, Doris or Stander, Tipuric, Faletau. You could have a dozen combinations."

Open side

Tom Curry (England)

There's no shortage of formidable sevens on this list. Justin Tipuric, Hamish Watson, Josh van der Flier, Dan Leavy (if he can get himself fit), and Curry. The Englishman gets the nod from McGeechan even though he's being played at number eight for his country in the absence of the injured Billy Vunipola.

"A very clever player, a relentless guy with a huge engine. He'd come into his own in a Lions environment," he says.

[Buzzo]

That’s a decent team.

McGeechan never have any Scots a free ride when he was coach so I’d imagine anyone there now is in on merit.

Ridiculous Lions depth in the second and back row.

I rewatched this and last years Calcutta Cups. We had more territory than I remembered this year.

[Irishnev]

Quade Cooper doing some mad skills on his social media

[ame="https://twitter.com/quadecooper/status/1247075618488872962"]https://twitter.com/quadecooper/status/1247075618488872962[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/quadecooper/status/1248517390725308416"]https://twitter.com/quadecooper/status/1248517390725308416[/ame]

[Cormack74]

Nah I had my under 11's doing that kind of stuff the year they were county champions

[Buzzo]

Got to have some power in the guns to fling a ball like that.

[Irishnev]

Nah I had my under 11's doing that kind of stuff the year they were county champions

Hmmm......sure you did and I am going to avoid the obvious points re suitable attire for training

Got to have some power in the guns to fling a ball like that.

He was such a maverick as was Carlos Spencer and I think Finn Russell is cut from the same cloth. I saw an amazing try by Spencer doing the rounds again recently

[ame="https://twitter.com/rugbylives/status/958430399725752321"]https://twitter.com/rugbylives/status/958430399725752321[/ame]

[Zapater]

Spencer's a freak, even in his old age was doing some incredible stuff. I was thinking it's a pity in a way that he didn't play more, but wikied him to see he managed 44 tests which isn't bad when you consider the calibre of player he was competing with. Check the Blues team in that clip, I always consider them rather **** but that's a serious team.

My favourite entertainment player is Freddie Michalak, perhaps not quite as outrageous as Cooper, but not far off. His kicking from the hand was second to none.