Can the Wallabies beat the Lions in 2013?

I noted he played at 13 a couple of times and had a good game

Changed my mind: 1. Healy, Sheridan, Corbisiero (if fit - if not Paul James) 2. Hartley, Best, Strauss 3. Cole, Adam Jones 4. Launchbury, Gray, Ryan, Hines 5. Parling 6. Wood, Croft, Ferris 7. Tipuric, Robshaw 8. Heaslip, Faletau 9. Care, Ben Youngs, Murray 10. Sexton, Flood 11. North, Zebo 12. Roberts, Farrell 13. Tuilagi, O'Driscoll, Davies 14. Cuthbert, Ashton 15. Kearney, Goode, Brown

A bit of perspective here please. The Lions will be here to provide some warm up matches for the Wannabes. For the past fifteen years, whomever has warmed up against the Bleating and Cheating Lions, has won the 3N. The Lions have only won one game against a 1st XV in that time. They also won a game against the Springbok B team, which was deemed such a feat, that the coach got a knighthood. This tour perhaps is a little different in that, like 2001, they have a competent coach who will have to win the RWC Lottery in order to get knighted, even if he wins the series. Of course if that racist Gerrymander, aka IRB, selects third rate referees, like they do at the RWC Lottery, anything can happen

English players will throw on tour tantrums as usual and the Lions will lose the series. Too many big ego's

O'Driscoll has actually played 12 for Ireland. I'm sure he could manage the shift better than AAC, and clearly the Roarer wants to include both. I'd pick Croft over Lydiate every single day of the week.

1. Healy, Sheridan, Corbisiero 2. Best, Hartley, Strauss 3. Cole, A. Jones 4. Launchbury, Ryan, Gray, Hines 5. Parling 6. Wood, Ferris, Croft 7. Tipuric, Robshaw 8. Heaslip, Faletua 9. Ben Youngs, Danny Care, Mike Phillips 10. Jonny Sexton, Toby Flood 11. George North,Mike Brown 12. Jamie Roberts, Owen Farrell 13. Manu Tuilagi, Brian O'Driscoll, Jon Davies 14. Tommy Bowe, Alex Cuthbert, Chris Ashton 15. Rob Kearney, Alex Goode

Just out of boredom (slow Sunday). I'll obviously change my mind tomorrow... 1. Healy, 2. Best, 3. Cole, 4. Launchbury, 5. Parling, 6. Wood, 7. Tipuric, 8. Heaslip; 9. Youngs, 10. Sexton, 11. North, 12. Roberts, 13. Tuilagi, 14. Bowe, 15. Kearney; 16. Sheridan, 17. Hartley, 18. A. Jones, 19. Gray, 20. O'Brien, 21. Care, 22. Flood, 23. Foden

Tbh I don't see mental strength (as that's what I'm inferring) to be a problem. The results between Australia, SA and the Celtic nations were by and large very close during the Autumn, and last summer too, but I think that's explainable. Ireland should have beaten SA but in the second half they just couldn't cope with them physically. Ireland has never had the biggest pack in the world, and SA strangled them in a way the Wallabies would never be able to. Likewise England fronted up to the Boks physically but conceded a bizarre 7 pointer and there was the points fiasco at the end. Against the Wallabies they were physically outgunned, but they picked a comparatively lightweight pack, and after changing that around for the following games were in control up front. Both games could have gone either way. That said, the less said about Wales the better... Ultimately I think the Lions will have a combination of physical specimens and technical rugby players that the Wallabies will not have the game to cope with. In 09 McGeechan badly got the selection wrong in the 1st Test, but SA away on the high veld is a challenge that will break you if you do that. Australia doesn't pose that same threat. If Cooper starts then (in theory) he's going to have players like Heaslip, Roberts, Tuilagi and North running down his channel all day, and if McCabe starts at 12 where does the attacking threat come from down the middle - Ioane? The biggest issue for the Lions is getting the players on the same page defensively, but the Australian attack has been lamentable for a good while now. I rate players like Ioane and JOC, but Deans isn't getting the best out of them, and following another mediocre European tour where will the improvements come from with no warm-up Tests? My biggest worry is (and obviously there's a lot of rugby to be played) that we see Warburton as Captain, with AW Jones, Lydiate, Phillips and Roberts in the Test side. As things stand I think the side needs to be majority Irish-English to prevail.

I'm leaning towards can't pass.

Murray was just out of form. The year prior he and Grimes were in excellent form. Considering the selection of Davidson too it was a bizarre locking group picked by Henry.

The point is that Wales aren't a particularly good side. As a rule of thumb most 6N tournaments following a WC are poor affairs due to retirements and new coaches. It was only SH fans/Roarers who presumed Wales were that good a side following the 6N.

In order to beat the Lions the management must field the following team: 1. Benn Robinson 2. James Hansen 3. Ben Alexander 4. James Horwill 5. Sitaleki Timani 6. Scott Higginbotham 7. David Pocock 8. Fotu Aurelea 9. Will Genia 10. Christian Leelafanu 11. Joe Tomane 12. James 0'Connor 13. Ben Tapuai 14. Israel Folau 15. Quade Cooper

Rod Macqueen’s rhino reference to the then Springbok coach Harry Viljoen. Macqueen and Viljoen are good mates and they were on a Safari outing when they saw Rhino. Macqueen said: ‘Look Harry there’s your team … big, strong and f**king dumb’. haha loved that one

HT How can you leave out Timani , Pocock and Barnes . The best three performers in the side when fit. Folau is also a guaranteed certainty. You are right the wallabies did go alright and I think the Lions are overrated. I dont see too many natural great combinations so far but yeah they have enough games too develop this. It should be fascinating..

Right in one regard. Eddie the Eagle could coach the ABs to a high winning record as long as the players had good unity, but the coach like MacQueen aides in the focus and guides direction. The two normally go hand in hand. The best coaches pretty much were around when they won there prospective world cups, though the teams were also strong, they do add something. Wrong about Argentina they had a great year and are the most improved sides in terms of style and matching it with the big boys. Stats HT mean nothing rather performance and great ticker by the Argies and a little bit of great coaching and direction have seen a great introduction into the southern hemisphere arena. Also played really well in World cup especially first half against ABs

I think we have to stick with Dennis and H'bum for the Lions at least. They are the best we have got (until someone proves otherwise) and we've put 20 odd tests into them. I'd probably go with Dennis as he seems to play tighter to me than Higs, plus we need someone to run the lineout.

My mistake - sorry.You are quite correct,how the hell did I miss that?

Actually, Glacier, the combined SANZARG side is irrelevant to the discussion. It could be the combined Pacific Islands, or France and Argentina, doesn't matter. The question for Australian fans is how many Lions players would they select instead of one of their own for the Wallabies? How do they rate their own Wallaby players against their Irish/British counterpart? Some people might think none or one, others might pick 10 or 12.

Richard, I said "(Henry)...didn't gel with the non-Welsh" players, and you said I was wrong, because "the English faction were disgruntled...and undermined Henry from the start". And they didn't like his training methods. You are drawing a distinction that is too fine for me to see.