With the excitement building ahead of 2013's visit to Australia, we decided to pump up the volume by bringing you our second British & Irish Lions watch!
Every three weeks or so Planet Rugby will update its leaderboard for who should pack their bags, who should keep the diary open and who should stock the fridge with a few beers, pizzas and ice creams for soaking up the tour on the couch, as the most coveted of selections fast approaches.
We must stress that long-term injuries have been taken into account for our calls. However, those nearing a return to action are accommodated.
Here we go - make sure to give your feedback.
FULL-BACKS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Alex Goode appears to have won the 15 shirt for England ahead of Mike Brown, putting him in the frame for the trip to Australia this summer. Starting all four games this November could prove to be the making of him. Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny has continued to dazzle with both hands and feet, making him a certainty.
On standby: Rob Kearney, Mike Brown, Lee Byrne
Best make other plans next June: Ben Foden, Stuart Hogg, Rob Miller, Delon Armitage
WINGS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Alex Cuthbert and Tim Visser continue to cross the whitewash with enough consistency to warrant starting spots. Wales wing George North has work to do but should travel, along with Tommy Bowe. Class is permanent as they say.
On standby: Chris Ashton, Andrew Trimble, Ugo Monye
Best make other plans next June: Simon Zebo, Keith Earls, Charlie Sharples, Christian Wade, David Strettle
CENTRES
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: The area of both greatest depth and intense debate. Brian O'Driscoll's absence from the November Internationals is a setback. Manu Tuilagi is a must, whilst Brad Barritt gets a chance due to Jonathan Joseph's injury. Welsh double act Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts will travel with Scott Williams a possible centre/wing.
On standby: Scott Williams, James Hook, Anthony Allen, Ashley Beck, Jonathan Joseph, Matt Scott, Owen Farrell
Best make other plans next June: James Downey, Dom Waldouck, Paddy Wallace, Gordon D'Arcy, Jordan Turner-Hall, Fergus McFadden, Billy Twelvetrees
FLY-HALVES
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: The number one contender? Still Jonathan Sexton, but there is competition. Toby Flood has responded to the form of Freddie Burns with some excellent play of his own. The Welsh battle continues but for the moment, Rhys Priestland holds the slightest of edges. Despite returning to Gloucester, Burns joins our third tier.
On standby: Dan Biggar, Jonny Wilkinson
Best make other plans next June: Ruaridh Jackson, Ronan O'Gara, Danny Cipriani, Charlie Hodgson, Freddie Burns
SCRUM-HALVES
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Mike Phillips is battling for his Wales shirt with Tavis Knoyle but should travel. Danny Care has been excellent for Harlequins with Ben Youngs doing enough to also make the plane. That leaves Greig Laidlaw as the final traveller.
On standby: Conor Murray , Lee Dickson, Tavis Knoyle
Best make other plans next June: Eoin Reddan, Richard Wigglesworth, Lloyd Williams
NUMBER EIGHTS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: We have a new contender who slipped through our radar last time out. Kelly Brown has been consistently good for Saracens and a big November could make him a shoo-in due to his ability to play six and eight. Nick Easter drops out due to his non call-up while Jamie Heaslip remains. Toby Faletau's start means he moves up.
On standby: Thomas Waldrom, David Denton, Ben Morgan, Toby Faletau
Best make other plans next June: Peter O'Mahony, Jordan Crane, Nick Easter, Andy Powell, Richard Baxter
FLANKERS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: The Lions' strongest area over the past 12 months but suddenly there are injury concerns at flank. Three key players, Stephen Ferris, Dan Lydiate and Sean O'Brien are currently on the sideline so at the moment we have Chris Robshaw and Sam Warburton, with Ferris and O'Brien still making the list due to their obvious class.
On standby: Justin Tipuric, Ross Rennie, Tom Croft, Dan Lydiate
Best make other plans next June: Phil Dowson, John Barclay, Alasdair Strokosch, Chris Henry, Rob McCusker, Tom Wood, Ryan Jones, Iain Henderson
SECOND-ROWS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: We stick with the experienced Paul O'Connell and Alun-Wyn Jones while we expect Courtney Lawes to recover and be peaking in the New Year. Geoff Parling remains in the mix while Jim Hamilton busts his way onto our standby list.
On standby: Donnacha Ryan, Richie Gray, Nathan Hines, Mouritz Botha, Jim Hamilton
Best make other plans next June: Bradley Davies, Al Kellock, Donncha O'Callaghan, Joe Launchbury
HOOKERS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Luck is most definitely on young Tom Youngs' side after Dylan Hartley's injury sees the Leicester Tiger become England's first choice. If he can make a statement this month then maybe he will be a bolter. Rory Best is also currently on the treatment table so Leinster's Richardt Strauss has a chance to shine in green/black.
On standby: Tom Youngs, Richard Hibbard, Ross Ford
Best make other plans next June: Sean Cronin, Matthew Rees
PROPS
Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Much like the Ferris situation, we look past the month-long injury of Adam Jones and keep him in the squad due to his quality. Dan Cole is his rival for the three jersey while Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins are our looseheads. Keep an eye on England's new loosehead Mako Vunipola this month as we feel five props will be taken.
On standby: Tom Court, Alex Corbisiero, Mike Ross
Best make other plans next June: Euan Murray, Andrew Sheridan, Allan Jacobsen, Geoff Cross
By Ben Coles and Adam Kyriacou
Comments
Stugur says...
Visser just got a double against the AB's.
See what I mean?
Posted 06:52 12th November 2012
Stugur says...
Tim visser, Celtic league top try scorer for the last 3 years in a row and maybe this year too, playing for a mediocre team. If he is not picked, I think Gatland must have cracked his head when he fell off that window.
Posted 13:01 10th November 2012
eddie_the_eagle says...
Dear Messrs Coles and Kyriacou. Unlike your namesakes in Leicester and Ulster respectively, you obviously know little about the front row. How could Tom Court be on standby ahead of... well, anyone, basically... and don't tell me it's because he can play both sides of the scrum, let's not have a repeat of Twickenham 2012 please.
Posted 19:26 09th November 2012
new_j4a says...
@APV1, right, any goode'll do...it only Oz ....take a few players with Australian grandparents in case they don't have enough players?
Posted 16:05 08th November 2012
jenksbaj says...
Melkdave...
Can't believe i'm going to write this but i couldn't agree more! Oush, that's taken it out of me now...i'm feeling all faint!!
PS IMO Priestland will have regained his form after the AI and 6nations, He will be on that plane.
Posted 13:44 08th November 2012
Irishzimbabwean says...
Norm - you seem to have it spot on. Although not convinced on Lawes as yet. Excellent two years ago - barely put successive games since then.
APV1 - think you had an off day, Declan Kidney would be proud of you (read England for Munster!).
Posted 13:08 08th November 2012
new_j4a says...
@notajokebok Could you please tell my wife that?
Posted 12:56 08th November 2012
Sincero says...
Great argument on the old games and tries scored, there, taffy, but to suggest North get the jersey based on numbers you got wrong (he's on 7) is a tad disingenuous... Bowe and Trimble have only played a couple of games, hence Payne topping Ulster's scoring chart with ease. He's been class.
Anyway, it'd be between the Ulster lads and Visser at the moment, North trailing.
Posted 12:31 08th November 2012
sjbrenna says...
Some of the picks are laughable. Kearney will start for the test team if fit. If you're leaving him out based on the fact that he's injured now it's incredibly naive. If you're leaving him out based on ability, it's stupidity.
Kelly Brown will not travel given the class of the back row players in the mix. Also Richie Gray will definitely be on the plane. If Geoff Parling goes as a first choice (i.e. not being picked as another second row is injured) I'll eat my hat
Posted 12:17 08th November 2012
Cdn_content says...
I'd be shocked not to see richie gray on the plane, stunned not to see him in the Bench and surprised not to see him in the 15.
No Stuart Hogg either?
No steffon Armitage? Not even on your list of considerees? C'mon pr I'm sure Lancaster cant scold u for selecting non british based players
Posted 12:00 08th November 2012
jonesy2 says...
its kinda sad that this is the best the whole of the UK and ireland have to offer. walk in the park for the wallabies after playing a super rugby tournament
Posted 11:22 08th November 2012
APV1 says...
@ new_j4a - I take it you mean Andy Goode?
Posted 10:58 08th November 2012
melkdave says...
Still to early imo to comtemplate Lions selections ,but some of PRs suggestions i feel are right atm.Halfpenny Brown ,Cuthbet, Vissier would all make the squad if picked nowWhile Preistland stands no chance imo,not even best FH in Wales atm.but its picked after the 6Ns ,so alot can still happen
Posted 10:25 08th November 2012
Norm says...
@ makemehappy
Assuming first named of the 15 on previous post, bench:
Cole, Best, Jenkins, Gray, O'Brien, Phillips, Flood, Halfpenny
Re Phillips still dont think the guys is brilliant but as someone said B&I nations are not overendowed with world class scrum halves at the minute, and aggression round the fringes a good thing against Pocock.
Brown dropped despite being 2nd choice 15 because I dont think he has the positional versatility or place kicking ability of Halfpenny so not as useful as a sub.
Would love to and can see Donnacha Ryan grizzling his way onto the bench by next May, but right now dont think he has done enough, also questionable whether he will be in the second row for ireland based on current situation, Lawes more likely to force his way onto the bench or maybe the field depending if he can shake off the injuries of past year. ( That being said will POC even make the tour?!)
Posted 10:11 08th November 2012
jmckenna92 says...
1. jenkins
2. best
3. a. jones
4. o'connel
5. Gray
6. Lydiate
7. Warburton
8. O'Brien
9. Care
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Roberts
13 O'Driscol
14. Bowe
15 Kearney
16 Hartley 17.Cole. 18. Lawes 19.Ferris 20. Philips 21. Flood 22. Halfpenny
Posted 09:48 08th November 2012
curates_egg says...
As its a fun exercise:
1 Healy 2 Best 3 Jones 4 Gray 5 Jones 6 O'Brien 7 Armitage 8 Heaslip 9 Care 10 Sexton 11 Visser 12 Roberts 13 BOD (if not fit then Davies) 14 North 15 Kearney
Bench: Strauss, Jenkins, Ross, Ryan, Tipuric, Phillips, Hook, Brown/Foden
Posted 09:27 08th November 2012
notajokebok says...
@ new_j4a
It is pretty obvious that you don't watch much rugby !
Posted 08:34 08th November 2012
makemehappy says...
@Norm - just out of interest, what would your bench be?
Posted 07:37 08th November 2012
new_j4a says...
Guys, you're touring Australia, not New Zealand. There's absolutely no need to take your best team. Scotland just beat them.....I know, when you say it out loud, it doesn't seem possible, but it is a fact. Let's make a game of it and have Goode as captain and bring Martin Johnson out of retirement so Nathan has someone he can relate to?
Posted 07:07 08th November 2012
ben7 says...
1.jenkins
2.hartley
3.cole
4.lawes
5.o'connell/gray
6.o'brien
7.warburton
8.morgan
9.youngs
10.sexton/flood
11.ashton
12.tuilagi
13.o'drisscoll
14.north
15.halfpenny
Posted 01:39 08th November 2012