Post Six Nations Lions XV - Second Row (No. 5)

Yikes, the Lions squad announcement really is coming up quickly.  I'm so excited about it that I had a dream/nightmare last night that the squad was announced two weeks early and was to be captained by Danny Cipriani in an attempt to catch the Aussies "off-guard" – yes, I really am that sad.  Anyway, join RuckedOver in sharing your thoughts our latest Lions pick – the number 5 shirt…

Second Row – Number 5

I picked the powerful and aggressive Alun Wyn Jones as my first second row a couple of days ago, but he'd be lonely if he had to man the engine room of the scrum all by himself.  The second row position really is a spot where the Lions are spoiled for choice, and I think that pretty much any of the names mentioned below could do a good job there – but that hasn't been enough to make me shirk picking my favourites for the test and tour spots.  In my prime 2 positions I have a bloke who, 2 years ago, wasn't even considered an international player and another who, 2 months ago, was almost the forgotten man as far as the Lions were concerned.  I want a number 5 to rule the air at lineout time like a steroid-fed falcon and gallop around the park like an enraged horse, and with that in mind, here are RuckedOver's two choices for the number 5 shirt…

TEST STARTER:  GEOFF PARLING.  A mate of mine recently pointed out that all great sides should have at least 3 men with beards in.  Well, Parling can count for all 3 – he's the current holder of the prestigious "Beard of the Year" title, beating competition in the form of George Clooney, following a campaign by the kit manufacturers, Canterbury.  It makes his face look like that of a terrorist based on Sesame Street, but the Leicester and England man is a self-professed line out nerd of the highest order and his work rate is second to none, with he and Joe Launchbury putting in the highest number of tackles out of all second rows in the Six Nations tournament.  Quick around the park and deceptively strong on the carry, it's Parling's ability in the set piece that has won him the admiration of both pundits and peers alike – an asset that will be invaluable when trying to dislodge any foothold the Aussies will attempt to gain on proceedings.

BENCHER:  PAUL O'CONNELL.  It seems odd having Paul O'Connell on the bench but the big Munsterman hasn't been around long enough post-injury to wrestle away a starting spot – but his performance against Harlequins was sublime enough to win him a place on the plane.  His experience of two Lions tours, his leadership and his all-round ability in the set piece and breakdown will be invaluable to the squad as a whole, and with a bit more game time I think he could well push for a starting jersey.  I don't quite buy into the short-term reactionary view that he should be made captain after one decent performance in the Heineken Cup, but his ability to steady the ship or, perhaps more importantly, introduce the POC-patented brand of manic aggression into proceedings makes him an ideal candidate for bench duty in my opinion.  The Irish veteran simply doesn't take a backwards step and has a penchant for kicking the stuffing out of his opponents (literally, just ask Dave Kearney…).

So Parling and O'Connell are my 2 choices, but who misses out?  Big Jim Hamilton is unlucky after a decent Six Nations, but in my (harsh) opinion he's just a bit too lumbering for the type of rugby I want the Lions to be playing – and he was a cornerstone of a Scottish pack that was continually staved of possession, so I do question his ability to really throw his weight around.  Donnacha Ryan is another who can feel really hard done by, after an instrumental performance for Munster in the Heineken Cup and a solid Six Nations, whilst Ian Evans was in decent nick for the Welsh.  Courtney Lawes seemed to be in everyone's team prior to the Six Nations but his form just hasn't returned after his recovery from injury – that said, I'm sure his ability to break ribs hasn't completely discounted him from consideration….

Who would you have in your Lions number 5 shirt?