Australia coach Robbie Deans today announced his 25-man preliminary squad for the upcoming three test series against the British and Irish Lions.

As speculated during the week, fly half Quade Cooper has been omitted from the party but will have another chance to make the cut when six more players are added on June 11.

Israel Folau, Ben Mowen and Christian Leali’ifano are the three uncapped players to be chosen.

‘Code hopper’ Folau has played both Rugby League and Australian Rules Football in recent years but now turns out for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition.

Wallabies 25-man squad

Backs: Israel Folau, Digby Ioane, Joe Tomane, Nick Cummins, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Christian Lealiifano, Berrick Barnes, James O’Connor, Will Genia.

Forwards: Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Scott Higginbotham, Ben Mowen, Rob Simmons, James Horwill, Sitaleki Timani, James Slipper, Ben Alexander, Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Saia Faingaa.

Lions Tour fixtures

Saturday 1 June: Lions v Barbarians – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong. Kick-off: 1230 BST (1930 local)

Wednesday 5 June: Lions v Western Force – Paterson Stadium, Perth. Kick-off: 1100 BST (1800 local)

Saturday 8 June: Lions v Queensland Reds – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Kick-off: 1030 BST (1930 local)

Tuesday 11 June: Lions v Combined Queensland-NSW Country – Hunter Stadium, Newcastle. Kick-off: 1030 BST (1930 local)

Saturday 15 June: Lions v New South Wales Waratahs – Allianz Stadium, Sydney. Kick-off: 1030 BST (1930 local)

Tuesday 18 June: Lions v ACT Brumbies – Canberra Stadium, Canberra. Kick-off: 1030 BST (1930 local)

Saturday 22 June: First Test: Lions v Australia – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Kick-off: 1100 BST (2000 local)

Tuesday 25 June: Lions v Melbourne Rebels – AAMI Park, Melbourne. Kick-off: 1030 BST (1930 local)

Saturday 29 June: Second Test: Lions v Australia – Etihad Stadium, Melbourne. Kick-off: 1100 BST (2000 local)

Saturday 6 July: Third Test: Lions v Australia – ANZ Stadium, Sydney. Kick-off: 1100 BST (2000 local)

The Aviva Stadium will also be making its debut on the European stage with the finals of 1999 & 2003 played at the old Lansdowne Road. The area’s surrounding bars and restaurants will be a sea of yellow and red on Saturday with Dublin set to receive a welcome economic boost in the shape of €21 million and 22,000 rugby fans ascending on the Irish capital for European Rugby showpiece event.

Clermont and Toulon will be bidding to become the 3rd French side and 10th overall to win the prestigious trophy. France’s dominance of the Heineken Cup could continue with the successful 2012/2013 season meaning that next year the country will have 7 participants in the competition.

Clermont come in as slight favourites in the betting, with the spread on Unibet currently sitting at 3.5 points. Does the form warrant the favourites tag? Let us examine.

Form:

Clermont have impressed on route to Dublin with Vern Cotter’s side bidding to become the first team in Heineken Cup history to win all 9 games. Not even the inclusion of 2012 winners Leinster in the Pool stages could halt their progress with the Top 14 regular season winners doing an impressive double over the three times winners.

Exeter and the Scarlets were also out the sword as Clermont showed their prowess in attack and defence scoring 23 tries and only conceding 3.
Clermont showed both sides of their character in the knock phases turning on the style in the 36-14 win over Montpellier before proving their metal in the tense 16-10 win.

While Toulon might not have captured the headlines as much as their rivals Bernard Laporte’s side have also been impressive on their march to the Aviva. The group stages saw then cross the line 23 times in doubles Cardiff Blues and Sale Sharks and a home win over Montpellier.

The only blot on their copy book was a 23-3 loss to group runners up Montpellier in their final Pool 6 game.

In the knockout stages Toulon have been reliant on the evergreen performances of Jonny Wilkinson. The former England out half has scored all his sides points in 21-15 & 24-12 win over Leicester and Saracens.

Both sides have matched their European form in the domestic top 14 league finishing first and second in the regular season. Clermont finished in pole position a win and a draw against Saturday’s opponents proving crucial.

Players to watch:

Brock James: Despite the presence of Wesley Fofana and kicker Morgan Parra Clermont’s hope could rest of the form James. The Australian may not be Clermont’s first choice kicker but his game management will be very important to his sides hope off success. The out half is bidding, alongside Matt Giteau, to become only the 6th Australian to win the Heineken Cup.

Wesley Fofana meanwhile offers Clermont a real threat and is one of the stars of European Rugby with 5 tries in the tournament so far. The French International poses a real threat from the wing or in the centre, a fact acknowledged by his own coach, Alex King, describing the 25 year old “as one of the most talented players I have coached”

Johnny Wilkinson meanwhile is the main danger man for the Toulon. Wilkinson has scored 97 points this season in the Heineken, 45 of which have come in the knock out stages.

Golden Oldies Reign & First time winners…
Brad Thorn’s stint in the record books as the oldest Heineken Cup winner at 37 could come to an end this weekend if Simon Shaw or Sebastien Bruno guides Toulon to success.

Former English International lock Shaw is 39 years and 8 months old come kick off, a whole 359 days older than hooker Bruno.

Meanwhile Clermont’s Davit Zirakashvili (Georgia) and flanker Portuguese Julien Bardy are bidding to become the first Heineken Cup winners from their respective countries on Saturday, although should Zirakashvili & Clermont fail then the Georgian honour will fall to Davit Kubriashvili. Ireland leads the way in the medal stakes with 76 medals although with 71 winners already France looks set to surpass that total.

Early Team News:

Clermont are sweating on the fitness of Aurelien Rougerie, Gerhard Vosloo and Daniel Kotz while Jamie Cudmore is fit again after going off against Munster. Nalaga and prop Vincent Debaty are also fit again after recent struggles.

Coaches:

Clermont – Vern Cotter: The 51 year old former Crusaders assistant has enjoyed a remarkable run of success since taking control of Clermont. The New Zealander led the team to the 2010 French title before taking to the semi finals in the last two seasons. Cotter missed out on the All Blacks job last year and has been linked with the vacant coach’s job at Scotland.

Toulon – Bernard Laporte: The former French coach has been in charge since 2011 when he replaced Phillipe Saint Andre with the 48 year old leading Toulon to 3rd place in the table. Laporte then guided Toulon past Clermont in the semi final stages of the play off before falling at the final hurdle losing 18-12 to Toulouse in the final.

The Ref
Alain Rolland: The 46 year old former Irish and Leinster scrum half will take charge of his first Heineken Cup final since 2004. The Dubliner has plenty of experience of referring on the big stage, referring the 2007 World Cup final and acting as assistant referee for the 2011 Final. Rolland, who has a French father, will be assisted by fellow Irish man George Clancy and England’s Wayne Barnes.

Path to the final:

Toulon
Pool Stages:
Toulon 37-16 Montpellier
Cardiff 14-22 Toulon
Sale 6-17 Toulon
Toulon 62-0 Sale
Toulon 45-25Cardiff
Montpellier 23-3Toulon

Knock Out stages:
Toulon 21-15 Leicester
Saracens 24-12 Toulon

Clermont
Pool Stages:
Clermont 49-16 Scarlets
Exeter 12-46 Clermont
Clermont 15-12 Leinster
Leinster 21-28 Clermont
Clermont 46-3 Exeter Chiefs
Scarlets 0-29 Clermont

Knock Out stages:
Clermont 36-14 Montpellier
Clermont 16-10 Munster

RDS set  for All Irish RaboDirect PRO12 Grand Final….

Leinster and Ulster will meet in this season’s RaboDirect Grand final after both sides overcame stern challenges at the weekend.

First up was Ulster on Friday night with Marc Anscombe’s side showing their class and experience to seal a 27-18 win over Welsh side, the Scarlets.  Tries from Tommy Bowe, Tom Court and Robbie Diack sealed their place in the May 25^th showdown.

Leinster meanwhile inflicted a second successive semi final defeat on Glasgow after they overcame a plucky performance from the Scottish side to seal their place in yet another final.

Outgoing coach Joe Schmidt will have been pleased by his side’s determination as a try from Jamie Heaslip and 12 points from Johnny Sexton helped the blues to a narrow 17-15 win.

Spence honoured at Annual Awards…

Nevin Spence has been named Ulster Rugby Personality of the Year at the club’s annual awards. Spence died in tragic fashion in September 2012 and his death shocked the Rugby fraternity to its core. The 42 times capped centre died alongside his father, Noel and Brother Graham and has proved to be an inspiration to the Ulster squad on their march to the Rabodirect Grand Final.

Andrew Trimble was named the Player of the year and Supporters player of the year with Iain Henderson claiming the young player of the year award.

Lawrence reveals abuse ended career…

New Zealand Rugby referee Byrce Lawrence has revealed he would still be a top international ref but for the abuse he received in the aftermath of the 2011 World Cup quarter-final between Australia and South Africa.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Lawrence, now a referee performance manager with the NZ Rugby Union revealed that the backlash, which included a Facebook page “wanting to get rid of him”, meant he couldn’t ref in South African and instead saw him slip quietly into the shadows.

Despite admitting that his days as a referee are behind him Lawrence admitted he “loved every minute” of his time as a whistle blower.

You can read the full interview here

World cup winner reveals personal pain…

Former Australian winger, Ben Tune, a world cup winner in 2003, has revealed he attempted suicide from a drug overdose in 2009.

Speaking in an interview with the Brisbane Sunday Mail the 36 year old revealed that he made the decision to end his life as he struggled with chronic depression and how he managed to turn his life around and ultimately become  a better man.

Tune told the paper that depression” is a serious problem that no one wants to talk about,”

The 46 times capped Wallaby contacted the newspaper to tell his story following the death of young North Queensland Cowboys hooker Alex Elisala last month.

The 20 year old committed suicide

Own a piece of history…

Ulster Rugby and Gilbert-Ash Ltd are offering supporters the chance to own a piece of Ulster Rugby history.  Ravenhill is set to wave goodbye to the main Grandstand as they usher in a new redevelopment of the historic ground and supporters are being offered the chance to claim a seat from the historic grandstand.

A minimum donation amount of £5 is required to secure your piece of history and all profits will be donated to a local community organisation.

Individual supporters can claim their piece of history by contacting seats@gilbert-ash.co.uk with their name, contact number, donation amount and preferred seat number, if applicable.

Barkley off to Grenoble…

Former England fly half Ollie Barkley is swapping Racing Metro for Grenoble.

The 23 times capped 31 year old has signed a two year deal with the French Top 14 side.

Barkley played 16 games in total for the Paris side scoring 52 points in total and is set to be replaced at Racing by incoming Leinster star Jonathan Sexton

Aviva Play off finalists revealed…

Leicester and Northampton will meet in this year’s Aviva Premiership finals on May 25^th after impressive weekend displayed.

Leicester sealed a ninth successive final place after a stirring second half performance against a Harlequins side missing their inspirational captain Chris Robshaw.

Trailing 9-6 on the brink of half time Leicester snatched the lead through Vereniki Goneva before second half efforts from Niall Morris, Tom Croft and Mathew Tait sealed a 33-16

Northampton meanwhile raced out of the blocks to stun Saracens with an impressive first half of rugby that culminated in Brian Mujati and Jamie Elliott crossing the line for a 17-0 half time lead.

Although Saracens managed to put some points on the board thanks to Duncan Taylors try and two penalties from Owen Farrell they never recovered and Gerritt-Jan van Velze try sealed a 27-13 win.

Warburton will be hoping to be the first captain to savour success since Martin Johnson in 1997 and only the third winning tour captain since 1977. History is not in their favour – all previous tours in years ending with 3 have resulted in losses, 1903 (South Africa 0-1), 1983 (New Zealand 0-4) and 1993 (New Zealand 2-1).

Of course while the Lions may have dominated the back page Rugby news there was plenty more headline making stories. Here is a roundup of the best stories from a week of Rugby…

Rabo semi finalists revealed…

Ulster Rugby will play the Scarlets next week in the RDS after they beat Cardiff 37-13 at Ravenhill to finish top of the Pro12. Two tries from Andrew Trimble and further efforts from Ruan Pienaar and Robbie Diack helped the Ulster men come from 13-10 down at half time.

The Scarlets meanwhile will have to pick themselves for the trip to Ireland after going down 41-17 to Treviso in their final game. Needing a win, the Welsh side were outplayed and in the end they were ultimately thankful to Leinster with Joe Schmidt’s side recording an impressive 37-19 win over the Ospreys which saw them over the line.

Leinster will face Glasgow after they secured third place with a 20-3 win over Connacht at the Sportsground.

Rabodirect Pro12 Final Round Results:
Connacht 3 – 20 Glasgow
Ulster 37 – 13 Cardiff Blues
Zebre 25 – 27 Munster
Scarlets 17 – 41 Benetton Treviso
Leinster 37 – 19 Ospreys
Edinburgh 31 – 24 Newport Gwent Dragons

Rugby set to get even more direct….

The increasingly popular Rabodirect Pro12 received a significant boost following the announcement that Sky Sports had signed a four year deal to broadcast games from the 2014/2015 season.

The deal will compliment the additional offerings from terrestrial broadcasters with SKY exclusively broadcasting an additional 30 matches. The SKY deal will offset the stations loss of the Aviva Premiership with England premier rugby competition moving to BT Sport.

The Rabodirect has grown in stature in recent seasons with spectator figures for the current season set to top 1.2 million and increase of 10%.

Just reward for Johnson…

Scotland has rewarded Scott Johnson for their improved performances in the 6 Nations by naming the Australian as their new Director of Rugby. The former Wales coach led the Scot’s to third place in the standings and will also remain in the position of interim coach until a suitable replacement has been found.

Heaslip up for award…

Speaking of Heaslip, the Irish captain enjoyed a fantastic week beginning with his inclusion in the Lions and culminating with the news that he has been shortlisted for the ERC Player of the season award.

The Leinster no.8 is joined on the five man list by Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson as well as Clermont trio Julian Bonnaire, Wesley Fofana and Sitiveni Sivivatu.

The winner will be announced after the final on May 18th

Three Irish-based players make the PRO12 Team of the Year…

Despite finishing in 1st and 2nd Place in the Rabodirect Standings, Ulster and Leinster claimed just three places in the Rabodirect team of the season.

Nick Williams and Luke Marshall as well as Leinster’s Ian Madigan were the Irish based stars to feature in the 15 which included 6 Lions and 4 Glasgow Warriors.

RaboDirect PRO12 Dream Team:
Full Back: Stuart Hogg Glasgow Warriors
Right Wing: George North Scarlets
Centre: Luke Marshall Ulster Rugby
Centre: Jonathan Davies Scarlets
Left Wing: Tim Visser Edinburgh Rugby
O/Half: Ian Madigan Leinster Rugby
S/Half: Nikola Matawalu Glasgow Warriors
LH Prop: Ryan Grant Glasgow Warriors
Hooker: Leonardo Ghiraldini Benetton Treviso
TH Prop: Adam Jones Ospreys
Lock: Alun Wyn Jones Ospreys
Lock: Al Kellock Glasgow Warriors
Flanker: Alessandro Zanni Benetton Treviso
Flanker: Justin Tipuric Ospreys
No 8: Nick Williams Ulster Rugby

Early door’s for August…

The curtain has come down on the career of Biarritz hooker Benoit August earlier than he anticipated. The 36-year-old announced that he would retire at the end of the current Top-14 season but a four week ban for stamping on Jamie Heaslip during the Amlin Cup defeat to Leinster means that August’s 15 year career is over.

Venue’s announced for the 2015 World Cup…

England Rugby 2015 and Rugby World Cup Limited have revealed the 13 venues and 48-game schedule for the 2015 World Cup. Ten Cities will host games with St James Park in Newcastle, Villa Park in Birmingham, Stadium MK in Milton Keyes and the Community Stadium in Brighton included in the prestigious selection.

The tournament begins at Twickenham Stadium on Friday, September 18, 2015, where England will face Oceania 1, confirmed at the close of the qualification process in 2014.

Twickenham and the Millennium stadium will each host two quarter finals with Twickenham again the venue for the semi final and final. The Olympic stadium will host the third place play off.

The ‘lucky 13’ stadium selected are Twickenham, the Millennium stadium, Villa Park, Manchester, Kingsholm, Brighton, Elland Road, St James Park, Olympic Stadium, Leicester, Sandy Park, Stadium MK and Wembley.

News from afar…

Former All Black Brad Thorn won his 100th Super Rugby cap when he lined out for the Highlanders against the Sharks. Thorn is the 5th Highlander to reach that tally and joins luminaries Anton Oliver (127), Jimmy Cowan (108), Tony Brown (108) and Chris King (102) in the 100 up club.

Meanwhile Australian winger Digby loane has signed a two year deal reportedly worth $3 million dollars with French side Stade Francais.

Tweet of the week…

Ian Madigan tweets his way into Barbarian’s selection plans

Connacht to turn Blue on May 17th….

They have endured strained relations earlier in the season during the Mike McCarthy affair however Connacht Rugby will be dusting down their blue tops on 17th May to cheer for Leinster in the Amlin Cup final.

While Joe Schmidt’s side maybe on course for a fourth European Trophy in five seasons a Leinster victory in the Amlin Cup final would seal a third season of Heineken Cup rugby for Connacht.

Eric Elwood’s charges had to settle for Rabodirect Rugby at the weekend with their more illustrious compatriots in European action and a late Paul O’Donohoe try saw the Westerners grab a 23-23 draw away to Treviso and move up to 8th in the table.

One step back, two forward…

Heineken Cup winner Denis Fogarty could have settled for home comforts when the offer of a 2 year deal was presented to him by Munster back in 2012 however the Tipperary native decided not to accept the offer and instead headed off for a new adventure in France, with Pro Div 2 side Aurillac.

The player has thrived in France and this week was rewarded with a contract at one of France’s bigger club, Agen. Despite their relegation from the Top 14, the move is a positive one for Fogarty and he looks set to start next season as the first choice hooker.

Dublin set for French Invasion…

The news that this year’s Heineken Cup final will be an All French affair most definitely will not have flown under your rugby radar. Toulon and Clermont sit 1st and 2nd in the French top 14 table and they will go head to head for Europe’s top prize after coming through stern tests over the weekend.

Johnny Wilkinson rolled back the years as he inspired Toulon beat Saracens 24-12. Wilkinson scored all his sides points and set up himself for a potential Lions call up outshining pretender to the throne, Owen Farrell at Twickenham.

Clermont meanwhile was given a real examination in their semi final clash with Munster. In an enthralling encounter the French top 14 league leaders ran out narrow 16-10 winners.

History makers…

The Queensland Reds make history at the weekend as they became the first Australian team in Super Rugby history to record a regular season clean sweep over New Zealand opposition. Quade Cooper was the Reds hero as he scored all 12 points to lead his side to a 12-11 win.

Women’s World Cup to take place in France…

The Irish women’s Rugby team will be looking to build on their Grand Slam winning 6 Nations campaign with a shot at the World Cup next year. The IRB announced on Friday that the next Women’s Rugby World Cup would be held in France next year will kick off on Aug. 1.

The pool matches will be in Marcoussis on Aug. 1, 5 and 9 with the semi final and finals set for Stade Jean Bouin on August 13th and 16th.

McCall nominated for Award….

Former Irish International Mark McCall has been shortlisted for the Aviva Premiership Director of Rugby of the season award. The Saracens man has led his side to top spot in the Aviva Premiership as well as the semi final of the Heineken Cup.

The Down man is up against London Welsh’s Lyn Jones, Leicester’s Richard Cockerill and Dai Young of London Wasps.

Weekend Rugby Results:

Rabodirect Pro12:
Benetton Treviso 23 – 23 Connacht Rugby

Amlin Challenge Cup semi final:
Leinster 44 – 16 Biarritz
Perpignan 22 – 25 Stade Francais

Heineken Cup semi final:
Clermont 16 – 10 Munster
Saracens 12 – 24 Toulon

International Rugby suits you Sir….

Despite the success of the provincial sides this season, the vacant Irish job continues to dominate the headlines. Leinster coach Joe Schmidt, Les Kiss, Ewen McKenzie and Mike Ruddock are all in the mix for the top job in Irish Rugby and New Zealander Schmidt make sure that the Rugby loving public knew of his interest during an interview on the Late-Late show last Friday night.

Schmidt is the current favourite for the job and he did his chances no harm telling host Ryan Tubridy, when asked if he wanted the job, “Well, yes, I think so,” before adding “it’s a super job. It is certainly one of the big jobs in world rugby”. A decision on the job is due to be made by the end of this week.

Schmidt is thought to be keen on a job at International Level as it would allow him more time to spend with his family, especially his 9 year old son who suffers from epilepsy.

Here’s Johnny….

Schmidt could have a further headache this weekend after Johnny Sexton made a successful return from injury in the 41-22 win over Zebre.

Such is the strides that Ian Madigan has made in recent months Leinster fans almost didn’t realise that Sexton was on the sides-lines. Student became Master as Madigan slotted into the number 10 jersey with ease mixing accurate kicking with an uncanny ability to score tries.

With Amlin Cup and Rabodirect semi finals looming Madigan was given a weekend off to rest leaving Sexton to give a timely reminder of his ability, the one that prompted Racing Metro to offer a treasure chest of gold for, scoring 16 points in 65 minutes on the field. Big decision’s ahead for Schmidt.

Practice what you preach…

All-Black winger Julian Savea featured in an Ad Campaign against family violence called “It’s not okay” sadly for the 22 year old however he failed to heed the message of the campaign and on Monday he appeared in court on charges of domestic assault.

Savea was remanded on bail at the hearing and will appear on court on the 15th May.

Speaking to a press conference after the hearing, the Hurricane’s star said “To my partner and her family I just want to say that I’m sorry,”.

“To have someone that you love and care so much for, to be in this situation, I know it’s hurting them and it’s definitely hurting me, so I apologise to them.”

The 9 times capped 22 year old rose to prominence last year with a hat-trick on his All Black debut against Ireland and this latest incident once again puts the spotlight on the NZRU and the support they offer to players.

Joy for Jackman…….

Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble side hadn’t won a Top 14 game since mid-February however they tossed the form book firmly out the window as they came from 18 points down to beat leaders Toulon 25-24 last Saturday. Even more pleasing for the forward coach was that the second try was scored by Hooker Anthony Hegarty.

Last season’s D2 Champions moved up to 8th in the table on the back of their impressive win while the loss moved Toulon down a spot to 2nd with Munster’s semi final opponents Clermont taking over at the top.

Well done Tullamore…

From the Rabodirect to New Zealand & France Backpage Rugby finishes off with some good news from the Midlands in Ireland as Tullamore claimed the 88th Provincial Town’s cup.

The All Ireland cup winners will play in the Ulster Bank league next season and they added to their trophy cabinet with a 38-6 win over Longford. Inspired by outhalf and captain Aaron Deverell Tullamore scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to seal an impressive win.

Irish provincial Rugby round up:

Ulster scored five tries on their way to 34-18 win over Connacht at the Sportsground. Tries from Andrew Trimble, the in-form Stuart Olding, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Jared Payne sealed the win for Ulster as they march comfortably on to a home semi final in the Rabodirect play off’s.

A much changed Munster side ran out time in Wales as they went down 30-24 to the Dragons. Tries from Paddy Butler, CJ Stander, Ronan O’Mahoney and Johne Murphy were not enough to prevent a 10th Celtic league loss of the season, their worst win/loss record since the 2003/2004 season.

Tries from Tom Denton, Fergus McFadden, Fionn Carr, Isa Nacewa and Dominic Ryan not to mention 16 points from the boot of Sexton helped Leinster to a 41-22 over winless Italian side, Zebre. The result, coupled with Ulster’s and third place Glasgow’s wins, means the race for top spot and the home semi finals will go right down to the wire on the 3rd May.

Why are British & Irish rugby fans, any beyond, so excited about the Lions tour? Let’s remind ourselves. Below are 5 great moment from recent Lions gone by.

1. First up is the moment that the great man, Brian O’Driscoll, announced himself to the Southern Hemisphere with an incredible solo try against the Wallabies in 2001. Twelve years on, would you be against him starting at outside centre in the first test against them again?

Although Warren G’s announcement is imminent, some key questions remain. Who will captain the touring party? Who will be this year’s bolter?  Who will be the star to miss out? And finally that great pub question, name your Lions test 15. This inevitably ends in a full scale argument but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

In our last post on the matter, myself, Tadhg Peavoy and HarpinOnRugby had a go at answering those very questions. The beauty of the Lions is that we all had different selections and practically everyone disagreed with us on some level! Perfect.

Next up are egg chasers of the highest order in Whiff of Cordite and Shane O’Leary. Let the games continue.

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Whiff of Cordite – check out the blog because because it’s great (genuinely) or abuse the lads on Twitter here.

Captain? 

Gatty has said his captain may not be in the Test team and that he already knows who it will be – he’s placed huge responsibility on Sam the Eagle before, now he’s going to go back to him

Bolter? 

There is only one contender who is playing regularly in Australia right now, and he is commanding a place in the 2011 Super Rugby champions starting XV – that’s right, Ed O’Donoghue is our bolter.  On a more serious note, Christian Wade is worth a look for his pace.  He’s still rough around the edges, but his speed would offer pleasing variety to the huge Cuthbert and North types that will be struggling to stretch their legs in the first-class seats.

A notable omission? 

Any number of Irish players took the Six Nations as an opportunity to book less intensive summer holidays.  Does Rory Best count as a notable omission any more? 2013 has been an annus horribilis for the Armagh farmer, and he’s struggling with his game. It’s notable based on last season’s form anyway. Chris Ashton would be a pleasing omission, while Rob Kearney has looked far off last year’s heights and could be squeezed out.

Current test team? 

It’s still a long way off with plenty of rugby in between, but if the match was tomorrow we think Gatty will go for:

Halfpenny, Cuthbert, O’Driscoll, Roberts, North, Sexton, Philips, Grant, Hibbert, Jones, Launchbury, O’Connell, O’Brien, Tipuric, Felatau.

Interestingly, the team has just one Englishman, but a lot of their tour contenders – Robshaw, Wood, Youngs, Farrell – have a ‘first reserve’ or midweek tourist look about them.

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Shane O’ Leary – Writing about rugby for Ramp.ie and tweeting like a champion here. 

Captain?

Gatty likes his fatties, and has recently intimated that he’ll likely choose a forward. It’s perhaps the widest captaincy conundrum of recent Lions tours, with names like Wyn-Jones, O’Connell, Warburton, Robshaw, O’Driscoll and Jenkins all in the mix. My personal choice would be O’Connell, though don’t be surprised if more than one ‘tour captain’ is chosen. Robshaw for example may not start the tests, but would make an excellent mid week leader.

Bolter?

Not much choice here, as for me a bolter should be classified as a young player with no or a small amount of international caps. Christian Wade is the name on most people’s lips, and a combination of the Wasps flyer, Hogg and Zebo would make an awesome attacking back three for a midweek game. Madigan is perhaps not ready yet, though would benefit from the experience, while Eli Walker would be a possibility but is injured at the minute. Richardt Strauss, while hardly a ‘bolter’ would be a surprise but possible option in a currently weak looking hooker lineup, while it’s a positive for Simon Zebo that he’s no longer seen as a bolter but a likely squad member.

Gatland has a penchant for young speedy wingers, so Wade may sneak in.

A notable omission?

Unfortunately, it’s Irish names that are being thrown up here. Rob Kearney has shown little to no spark in both blue and green this year, and with plenty of fullback competition may be a surprise absentee, while Rory Best wlll probably travel, but should be looking over his shoulder.

Flying Scotsman Tim Visser was a dead cert test contender at the beginning of the year, but his limitations when compared to more rounded wingers may also keep him off the plane.

Current test team?

15 Leigh Halfpenny 14 George North 13 Brian O’Driscoll 12 Jonathan Davies 11 Simon Zebo 10 Jonny Sexton 9 Ben Youngs 1 Cian Healy 2 Richard Hibbard 3 Adam Jones 4 Geoff Parling 5 Paul O’Connell 6 Sean O’Brien 7 Sam Warburton 8 Toby Faletau

This weekend sees the clash between the top two teams in the Australian Super Rugby conference, the Brumbies and the Reds. Justin Cormick takes a look at the ACT-club’s start to 2013, and wonders if they have learned their lessons from the disappointment of last year.

After a great start to 2012, including impressive victories against the Chiefs in New Zealand and the Highlanders at Canberra, the Brumbies found themselves at the top of the Australian conference and in poll position to make the Super Rugby finals series.

Unfortunately for the ACT-based side the nerves kicked-in and after a disappointing loss to the Auckland Blues the Brumbies failed to make the finals. In the round 18 match at Canberra stadium, the Brumbies missed more than 30 tackles and failed four penalty attempts in their 30-16 loss to the Blues.

After such a good season, it can only be said that the Brumbies ‘choked’. Before the beginning of the 2013 season, players and coaches from the Brumbies have explained they are even more determined to win the Super Rugby competition this year.

There were a number of positives the Brumbies players and coaches could take away from last year. The players showed great work ethic and determination, and played really well as a team throughout the season.

However, there were a number of weaknesses in 2012 that the Brumbies will need to improve this year. Although they had a number of impressive results, the Brumbies lacked ruthlessness at times. And despite the fact they almost made the finals series, the Brumbies did not defeat a single team in the top six all season.

The Brumbies will need to improve these weaknesses during 2013 if they are to have a chance of winning the competition. In their recent matches against the Bulls and the Kings the Brumbies lacked any ruthlessness and struggled to finish off the match.

In their recent match against the Bulls at Canberra Stadium the Brumbies lost an 11-ponit lead to find the match levelled at 20-20. And if it wasn’t for a successful 42m penalty after the siren the Brumbies would not have won the match.

The Brumbies found themselves 13-0 up after 17 minutes against the Southern Kings. But again they struggled to finish the match, and they allowed the Kings to get back in. And with a try and conversion after the siren the Kings managed to draw the match at 28-28.

Against the Highlanders last round, however, the Brumbies showed the ruthlessness they had been missing in recent matches. There were a number of positives the Brumbies will take away from their 30-19 win in New Zealand.

Returning to the team after an injury, Mogg had a good match with some excellent kicking. Speight provided good running, as did Joe Tomane who had a great game. And George Smith put in an excellent performance. The victory will give the ACT-side some good form as they head into their next match.

 The Brumbies will need to show against the Reds this Saturday that they are a ruthless team. With no wins against top-six players last season, a victory for the Brumbies will take them one more step away from last season’s disappointment and towards this season’s finals.

That is one of the most brilliant aspects of selecting a Lions test team – no one ever agrees with each other. Ever. But yet, we continue to indulge. Why? Because we bloody love the Lions.

I managed to gather a couple of knowledgeable fellows to offer their thoughts on some key questions awaiting Warren Gatland. Tadhg Peavoy of RTE and JL Pagano of HarpinOnRugby lend a hand. I’m first up and that is very much a case of putting your weakest foot forward.. Let us know your thoughts!

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Captain?

Tough one to call but it ultimately looks like it’s between Sam Warburton, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell. Both Irishmen are born leaders, have the necessary experience and command the respect of players from the other nations. It would be useful politically for Gatland too, given the dominance of English and Welsh on the management panel. Warburton is favourite but BOD for me.

Bolter?

Would love to say Ian Madigan given he is playing so well, is versatile and would thrive on the hard ground down under. However, it is probably unlikely and could be someone of a similar ilk in James Hook. The case for  Wasps flyer Christian Wade is gathering momentum too.

A notable omission?

Rob Kearney may be under pressure given he hasn’t fully got back to full form/fitness post injury and it is a competitive spot with Leigh Halfpenny, Stuart Hogg and Mike Brown all in the mix. Kearney will probably go in the end, given his class, but Chris Ashton may miss out, which would be just awful [heavy on the sarcasm].

Current test team?

15 Leigh Halfpenny 14 Alex Cuthbert 13 Brian O’Driscoll 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 George North 10 Jonny Sexton 9 Mike Phiilips 1 Cian Healy 2 Richard Hibbard 3 Adam Jones 4 Ian Evans 5 Paul O’Connell 6 Sam Warburton 7 Justin Tipuric 8 Sean O’Brien.

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Tadhg Peavoy  - sports journalist for RTE - @TPeavoy

Captain?

Captain is a very hard call for Warren Gatland to make, with no one man clearly standing out.

If he goes for experience then Brian O’Driscoll or Paul O’Connell are surely the best options. However, neither are guaranteed starters; the thing is, the same can be said of the other options: Gethin Jenkins, Ryan Jones, Sam Warburton and Chris Robshaw.

Personally, I think he might plump for Warburton. They know each other well from the Wales setup and Warburton knows what type of game Gatland wants to implement. He can also play six or seven, which means Gatland could also include Justin Tipuric in the side.

Bolter?

Two spring to mind. Leinster’s Ian Madigan and Wasps’ Christian Wade.

Jonathan Sexton has yet to make his comeback from injury and as such if Gatland takes him he risks having a player in his squad who may not feature in several of the tour’s opening games.

On current form Madigan is the best creative outhalf in Europe, and he provides a level of unpredictability that Owen Farrell or Dan Biggar can’t offer. The problem is that he is still unproven at Test-match level.

Wade’s pace is scintillating and he is just so hard to stop. That kind of attacking potent could prove invaluable on the drier pitches Down Under. He could prove a valuable player to have in the squad, at least for the non-Test side.

A notable omission?

Clermont’s Lee Byrne is out of favour with Wales, and with that his chances of making the plane to Oz are greatly diminished. But he offers pace, superb tackling and fielding, and an eye for a break. If Gatland doesn’t take a punt on him Byrne may feel hard done by. However, with Leigh Halfpenny, Rob Kearney, Alex Goode and Stuart Hogg all playing well, it’s hard to see Byrne getting the call-up he is surely craving.

Ulster’s Rory Best has probably had his worst season as a professional. His lineout throwing has been very poor in big games, and his work-rate around the pitch has been lower than usual. He has so much experience that Gatland might bring him, but at the moment he’s probably only fourth-choice hooker.

Current test team?

15 Leigh Halfpenny 14 Alex Cuthbert 13 Brian O’Driscoll 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 George North 10 Owen Farrell 9 Mike Phiilips 1 Gethin Jenkins 2 Richard Hibbard 3 Adam Jones 4 AW Jones 5 Paul O’Connell 6 Sam Warburton 7 Justin Tipuric 8 Toby Faletau.

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