The season is galloping towards a climax at a pace to match Gethin Jenkins in full flow, and that means that Lions selection isn't too far away. With RuckedOver dealing with out loosehead props last week, today we turn our attention to those nuggetty aggressive sorts in the middle of the front row – the hookers.
Hooker
I still have this down as potentially a weakness for the
Lions, with none of the candidates really impressing on a consistent basis. Let's take the pre-tournament shoe-in, Rory Best,
as an example – the Irishman started the tournament well against Wales but
finished it with an ineffectual display against the Italians in which his
lineout work demonstrated the same level of precision as a piñata-bashing-session
at an 8-year-old's birthday party. Richard
Hibbard certainly impressed in the latter stages, but then again he was part of
an increasingly dominant Welsh pack and, more specifically, between two titans
of the front row in Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins, so it's hard to judge how
effective he actually was as an individual since we didn't see any truly
stand-out performances.
England's Tom Youngs looked very impressive in parts, with
his carrying and defensive work particularly catching the eye, but he was part
of a front row that was mauled in Cardiff and his 10 minute lineout-collapse
(where he was otherwise solid) could have been very costly in Dublin against
Ireland. Dylan Hartley, the man who (six
months ago) was most people's favourite to take the starting 2 shirt, barely
got a look-in in a white shirt and, when he did, didn't do enough to suggest he
can guarantee himself a spot on the plane.
It may sound like I'm being negative – but perhaps that's
just because the two propping positions seem like areas of real strength and
next to that, the hooker options feel a tad sparse. Nevertheless, below are the gents I think should
be touring come June time.
TEST STARTER: RICHARD HIBBARD. He may look like an
electrician from a low-budget 1980's adult flick, but the blonde bombshell is
more than a little sparky. He was part
of a dominant front row and forward effort, and his lineout was pretty solid
for the most part, but it is his aggressive mindset that really gets him the
nod in my book. His physicality in
defence in particular will be a big asset to the Lions and, as long as he can
stay injury free, I expect to see him start for the Lions in the number 2
shirt.
BENCHER: TOM YOUNGS. I said before the Six Nations that this was the easiest spot to call at hooker, and I stand by it. Despite a couple of throwing wobbles against Ireland, he was mostly solid and his form for Leicester has been superb since, with his ball carrying being a particularly impressive aspect. With his body shape a geometrically-perfect square and possessing explosive acceleration, Youngs is incredibly hard to put down and he is the perfect Lions impact player should the men in red be desperate for front foot ball or just wanting to hammer home the advantage.
DIRT TRACKER: RORY BEST.
I wasn't alone in having Best down as a starter before the 6 Nations
but, along with the rest of the Irish pack, he didn't enjoy the finest couple
of months. I don't think he was awful by
any means, but a couple of bad lineout wobbles showed he is just fallible as
Youngs or Hibbard in this department and, in fact, his success percentage in
the Heineken Cup is the lowest of the 3 at just 75%. That said, he is still a proven first-rate player on his day, a strong performer in
the scrum and around the park, and he will have opportunity to impress with
Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter final before selection time. I can see him challenging for the starting shirt, but for now he just edges out Hartley, who has had a
season plagued by injury and bans (not to mention he was taken to the cleaners
by Leicester on Saturday), and Ross Ford, who put in a series of manful shifts
for Scotland but lacked the real 'punch' his rivals possess.
Who would take your Lions hooker jersey?
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