This, to be honest, is the selection I’ve been dreading. Firstly, there are a lot of good candidates so people are bound to be upset when Gatland announces his team next week, and secondly, people who know me know who I’ll pick (because one of my favourite players happens to be a scrum half, and therefore they will administer abuse as soon as I (predictably) pick him). So, suitably braced for allegations of harbouring a secret man-crush or love affair, let’s see who I’ve got in my Lions squad at 9...
Scrum Half
The game has changed a lot over the years, but I don’t think
9s have. Wingers have become giants,
props have become rapid, and yet scrum halves have remained obnoxious little
toads disliked by almost everyone on the pitch.
And yet they are integral to any team – probably the most important men in
any side. Their combination with the 10
often dictates how much space and ball the outside backs are going to see, and
seeing as I’m going to picking a 10 who stands pretty flat and attacks the gain
line (naming no names), I want a scrum half with the ability to create holes
for him and pull defenders away from him with a running game. Plus, with big carriers like Sean O’Brien and
Cian Healy lurking around, a running 9 is exactly what they need to pick lines
through arms, rather than shoulders, to make the big yards. With that in mind, join RuckedOver in
reviewing the British and Irish scrum half candidates:
TEST STARTER: BEN YOUNGS.
Like I said, I’m expecting stick for this one. But I made the prediction that he’d be a
Lions number 9 when I first saw him play for Leicester against South Africa
when he was 18/19 – still a 3rd choice scrum half back then – and I’d
really like to be able to pat myself on the back for having almost supernatural
levels of foresight. And, as Austin Healey
has pointed out, on front foot ball he is probably the best scrum half in the
Northern Hemisphere – his ability to draw in defences around the ruck and put
runners through holes is second to none, and he has the speed to get through
the gap himself. Couple this with the
fact he has largely eliminated his ‘two step’ pass when it’s time to ship it
wide, and is probably the best box-kicking candidate, and you have an attacking
9 with all the right ingredients to excel for the Lions – plus he has a good
history against the Aussies, who will be wary of him. His only issue comes when he’s under
pressure, and he can occasionally seem indecisive – but if the pack are doing
their job, this shouldn’t be a problem. And
as a further bonus, he also provides entertainment for the rest of the touring
party – please see @stuffbensaid on twitter (a collection of his ditzy
comments) for an idea on what I mean.
One of the latest examples: Tom: "Why shouldn't I do
woodwork?" Lendrid (Youngs’ nickname): "Two reasons - 1, you're sh*t; and 3, it'll fall
apart."Tom:"What happened to number 2?" Lendrid:"Oh."
Brilliant.
BENCHER: MIKE PHILLIPS. This is a difficult one, because I really dislike Mike Phillips (as a player). But I suppose that’s a sign of a quality scrum half – I’ve usually found him gobby, petty and petulant, apart from when I was supporting him when he was playing for the Lions, when I thought he was an absolute hero. He’s the sort of bloke who’s great when he’s on your side but you can’t stand playing against him – someone with the ability to really get underneath the opposition skin, which is a great quality to have down under. His passing is slick, his defensive work superb, but it’s his physicality that makes him really stand out – at 6 foot 3, he’s probably the only 9 who can take a power battle to the opposition back row. His ability to withstand pressure will be key if the Lions pack is going backwards and Youngs is being pressurised, which makes him an ideal bench player in my view. As long as he can keep up the form we saw at the end of the Six Nations (rather than at the beginning, when it looked as if he may have been scoffing too much cheese and wine in France) then his place in the matchday squad is assured.
DIRT TRACKER: DANNY CARE. The Harlequins 9 may have one of the worst haircuts in the rugby world but there’s no doubting his form this year – summed up by his nomination for Aviva Premiership player of the year. His acceleration is electric and he keeps fringe defences on their toes by ruthlessly exploiting gaps around the edges of rucks and mauls. He is another scrum half who has the ability to wind up the opposition and put them off their game, and I think he has a great shot at being the Lions starting 9 if he can continue his club form in the warm up games; because he and Youngs are fairly similar, it will be one or the other, rather than both, in the matchday squad. Where he is a shade short of Youngs currently though is in his box kicking and his vision – he is great at going for gaps himself but is less adept at creating the holes for others. Care travels, but he’ll have to work on these aspects if he’s to get in the matchday squad...and get a better haircut.
Which other yappy 9s are pushing for a spot on the plane? Well, Conor Murray is probably the unluckiest out of the remainder after having a solid Six Nations and a few noteworthy performances for Munster, but he’s a fairly similar player to Phillips but without the same ‘punchy’ physicality – and for that reason, he just misses out. Greg Laidlaw is another who will be feeling hard done by – his goalkicking and organisation were essential for Scotland’s success, but do the Lions really want a 9 with an average pass who offers next to no running threat, just because he’s reliable? Plus he seems like a nice guy – boring. We like our 9s to have little man syndrome (even Phillips has it, inexplicably).
Who would you pick at 9 for the Lions?
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