- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Wallaby supporters myself included are anxiously awaiting Robbie Deans’ squad announcement this weekend.
We on The Roar have selected what feels like thousands of combined squads over the past month which has been great fun and insightful.
I want to take the focus off the Wallaby squad for a moment and write about the Lions’ key men.
Much has been made of the Welsh flavour in the playing and coaching squad. The Welsh Lions as Spiro has dubbed them.
Wales of course deserved the most players selected after a strong Six Nations campaign culminating in the demolition of England.
We are pretty familiar with most of the 15 Welshmen touring with the Lions. They are all fantastic players and will likely dominate the starting XV.
However I think the non Welsh players selected could prove the difference in winning the series. I am going to predict that Paul O’Connell, Tom Croft and Johnny Sexton are certain selections.
O’Connell is an absolute colossus and modern day great. This will be his third Lions Tour and at 33 his last.
He is the Martin Johnson of the group, a towering presence at the lineout, scrummage and in general play.
A legend at Munster, he will be desperate to return home to Limerick with the Tom Richards Trophy.
Tom Croft will be making his second tour of duty after a magnificent campaign in 2009. He loves the harder, faster grounds and I’m tipping a huge tour. He is the Number 6 the Wallabies desperately crave.
High motor, great lineout tactician, tough as nails, mean defender and has the speed of a centre. His 50 metre try for Leicester against Harlequinns last weekend was sublime. What a player.
Johnny Sexton at 5/8 is making his first tour and could be the star of the show. We remember how he controlled the game for Ireland in the World Cup Pool game with aplomb. He is a big match player.
He has directed the ship at all conquering Leinster for three Heineken Cup wins.
He is a general, great kicking out of hand/goal, vision, running and strong defence ensures the Wallabies have a big job containing him.
These Lions are going to be one tough nut to crack.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.