Sorry gents by that logic is Best not eligible. I mean they are all crap at the lineout but best is a brilliant scrummaging hooker... Not saying i would pick him but if we are conceding that we basically have no hooker with a throwing ability then Best is not only an experienced player captain he's a groundhog (Quick ball) and an extremely mobile unit.
I wouldn't pick him and i agree with Sporty about the Hibbard thing. He came in on 60 mins. the opposition were tiring anyway so too difficult to judge what if any impact he really had. The Scrum should really only be judged on the first 40 mins of the first two tests and on that note i would go.
Corbs, Youngs, Jones. Simples.

just read this chestnut!!!!

"The British and Irish Lions are hopeful that Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips and Alex Corbisiero will be passed fit for Saturday’s series decider against Australia in Sydney.
Wales duo Roberts and Phillips have hamstring and knee injuries respectively while England prop Corbisiero is troubled by a calf problem with a decision on their availability expected when the team is announced tomorrow."

Spot the odd man out!!! FFS if that tool is in i will jump off a bridge.

Half the media seem to think Phillips was out last week purely for injury but he and the coaches said he was eligible and available to play. He was dropped for a terrible performance. Had he had a brilliant game they would have risked him with his niggle.

I actually rate Best far above Hibbard but he killed himself with that lineout display...I'm amazed I thought he'd grab this chance with both hands and be at least on the bench for the Tests...he must be gutted.

Anyways I'll support whoever gets picked but I think it should be Youngs to start...his loose play is very good and his tackle count was like 3rd highest or something on Saturday.

Ye Sporty. I would agree. If they are all rubbish at the lineout i would go with Youngs but not really cos i think he's better, i defer to your knowledge there, but i would choose him because he just looks more switched on. Like he wants it more. And i think thats good energy that we can use.

Really hope you're right about Phillips. He's a pain in the backside to watch. However. I know the backline hasn't seen a lot of ball and there might be an idea that we are missing Phillips breaking game, but he was completely nullified in the opener. So there is no reason to think thats going to change. Youngs is the best SH we have in an overall weak area for us. But one thing i know about Youngs is he thrives behind a dominant pack so thats where the work needs to be done. The back-row need to get stuck in and provide quick ball.

This thread has sort of highlighted the major weakness of this Lions team, weakness in two key positions. Scrum half and Hooker...we have good players there but not necessarily top, top players.

Have you seen the squad? Dear God, NO!

Why not add Mervyn Davis and Fireman Sam in their too? No O'Driscoll, Youngs out (both of them), Phillips in, Davies keeps his place aaaargghhhh!

Sorry, there

15-Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14-Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 13-Jonathan Davies (Wales), 12-Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11-George North (Wales), 10-Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9-Mike Phillips (Wales), 8-Toby Faletau (Wales), 7-Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 6-Dan Lydiate (Wales), 5-Geoff Parling (England), 4-Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales), 3-Adam Jones (Wales), 2-Richard Hibbard (Wales), 1-Alex Corbisiero (England).
Replacements - 16-Tom Youngs (England), 17 - Mako Vunipola (England), 18-Dan Cole (England), 19-Richie Gray (Scotland), 20- Justin Tipuric (Wales), 21-Conor Murray (Ireland), 22-Owen Farrell (England), 23-Manu Tuilagi (England).

Gatland got what he wanted. Basically Wales v Oz.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Well it's not an easy selection to support. I don't mind Roberts or Falatau coming in but Philips, Davies and Hibbard are poor selections.

If Hibbard bombs that first line out we re in deep trouble. There's no croft on the bench either to improve the options.

Oh I also would have not picked Parling before I'm accused of total English bias!

Poor old Richie Gray, its almost like they feel they need a token Scot, will they even give him a shirt and let him in the dressing room or just send him out to warm Gatland's seat, whilst they're in the dressing room

Yea he was everyone's first name on the team sheet 2 years ago. I'm glad he should get on at least for 30 mins on Saturday.

This team is so defensive is painful. All Aussie comments I've seen are delighted we went with Davies over BOD

My wife's reaction was "Well we'll go to Ikea then" - thanks Gatland

I'll still be cheering the boys on but I'm really worried we re going to play the ugly defensive rugby again and get beaten by an Aussie team that have shown several times that they know how to beat that plan

What a joke, I just hope we lose now and never appoint a national manager again. Sad to say but I won't lie.

I'm Welsh, but Gatlands team selection is an embarrassment.

Phillips? Davies? Faletau? MISTAKE!!

Nothing wrong with Faletau in my mind, but the other calls........

Harsh on Falatau Vivec. I'm not a fan of his as I think he's high work rate, low impact but he's been better than Heaslip the last couple of weeks and deserves a go.

Don't really know what to say. I feel very little connection with this team. Much like i did with the first team that played the BaaBaas. It simply doesn't feel like a combined home nations side. It's Wales v The Wallabies and while under any other circumstances i would be happy to see wales beat them i really am struggling to give a rats backside about the outcome of this game.

Gatland said in his first press conference that it doesn't matter who takes the field that he was only concerned with the best players being selected and that if the 15 best were all English then he would choose them.

If this is what he considers to be the best 15 he has. Then he is a monumental idiot. We know he is not an idiot so the conclusion has to be totally and unashamed Bias team selection.

P.S.
The Wallabies have never been so fired up for a game. They are saying this is the biggest game in Australian rugby since the WC final in 2003. So lets see how this center partnership holds up against this Aussie attack. Honestly it really is sweaty bum time.

Twitter comments:

Dan Carter: “There must be some angry Irish out there waking up to see @BrianODriscoll not playing this weekend. #ShouldBeTheCaptain”

Matt Giteau: “Gee dropping @BrianODriscoll out of the team is a huge call.. For mine, he has been the stand out unsung hero this series.. Defensively huge.”

Brian O’Driscoll: “@giteau_rugby cheers man, hard one to take.”

Will Carling: “Jaw is still hanging open at Lions selection ……..!!”

Morgan Turinui: “Best Wallaby of our generation IN. Best Lion of our Generation @BrianODriscoll OUT. Most influential Lion @JonnyWilkinson absent. Advantage?”

Donncha O’Callaghan: “Harsh call by Gatland to leave O Driscoll out of the starting team, but out of the bench too #madness #Lions.”

Austin Healy: “So Wales v Australia it is then….hope then rain stops as the grass needs cutting Saturday morning.”

Austin Healy: “I actually thought BOD played well last week made some decisive big tackles…big call has Gatland panicked?”

Will Greenwood: “Incredible range of opinions re Selection... Gatland will do his own explaining but “Ballsy” re Bod is an understatement.”

****in' hell, Will Carling and Austin Healy expressing disinterest in a game against Australia!!!!

Carling especially, the man who was goign to have David Campese act as his butler in a bet over the 2003 WC final!

Hope Gatland knows what he's doing, the knives are really out!

Also, if O'Driscoll is saying that on Twitter, whats the mood like in the camp - 3 Irish players missing their captain, only 2 Englishmen, 1 of whom didn't make the initial squad both of whom are missing their captain and 1 Scot on the bench

Thanks for posting those twitter comments. Really interesting.

So deflated right now about the Lions. Gutted for BOD. He's a real rugby hero of mine and he was way better than Davies. He was our top tackler over both games... Think he made 25 of 25 whilst Davies missed 3 of 7 including the try

its a disgrace to leave one of the best NH players out which I have enjoyed watching play in my lifetime.

Its basicaly wales against the wallabies now.