Six Nations Lions Team

It's that time again when we have a break in the 6 Nations, so naturally we all go back to talking about the Lions. Here, I give my two pennies worth and pick the players that I believe should start the Lions due to their form from the first two rounds of the 6N. As usual, none of you will agree with me, but don't be shy, just shout at me if you think I'm wrong, and for those of you who think I'm being bias with the amount of Scots in the team, just remember they've scored more tries than anyone else so far.

Loosehead - Cian Healy
Straight away, the English are going to hate me. Yes, he may have stamped and yes, he may be a thug, but there's no denying that Healy has played well so far. He's got on the scoresheet and been near the top of the tackling statistics, no mean feat for a prop. It's just a shame that he'll be missing the next few games but for those who think this will damage his Lion's chances, have a word.

Hooker - Rory Best
Wales have been toying with hookers (hehe), Scotland have fallen out with Ford and for some reason, England have been starting Little Man Syndrome Tom Youngs. Not that all that matters, because Best still deserves to be here. He hits most rucks, he tackles and he's the turnover king. Gone about his business in fine form so far.



Tighthead - Dan Cole
Ahhh Mr Cole, we meet again. I can't get enough of this guy and he's proved why so far this 6N. The cornerstone of the English scrum and a big ball carrier, he's carrying on the trend of my frontrow who love to tackle. I could say more but all that needs to be said is; Best. Tighthead. In. The. World.



Lock - Andrew Coombs
To some, this may be a surprise but take a closer look and watch him in the next few rounds. He's extremely good in the loose, turns over a lot of ball and makes yards. He made his debut at the start of the tournament but has fit into the Welsh engine room with ease.




Lock - Geoff Parling
Whoever said "Rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen", probably had Geoff in mind. He has a toff's name, but on the field he's a workhorse who loves to carry and tackle. The only lock to have got on the scoresheet so far, and lets be honest, it's the tries that count.




Blindside - Sean O'Brien
This man is pure aggression. So far, O'Brien has bullied opposition backs with his rampaging runs and big hits, and it's no surprise that he was his sides biggest tackler in their opener against Wales. He's a great scavenger as well and the Lions need him in their team if they are to face the likes of Pocock, Gill and Hooper.



Openside - Chris Robshaw
The tournament's best player so far and it pains me to say that as I tore into him before the 6N started. But he's proven me and a lot of other critics wrong with some seriously impressive, mature displays. He tackles everything, gets around the park well and has the knowledge to know when to commit to the breakdown or not. Led by example so far.



No 8 - Johnnie Beattie
When speculation about this position has arisen before, everyone has talked about Faletau et al, but maybe not now. Had a great game against England and he overshadowed Parisse last week. Beattie has carried hard, hit hard and showed why it's a good idea for Scottish players to travel to the south of France. Beattie vs the Irish backrow next week should be a classic.



Scrumhalf - Greg Laidlaw
I struggled with this position, as Ben Youngs has been impressively solid so far but Laidlaw's goal kicking and maybe a little bit of bias has got him here. He's scored 22 points from the boot so far and his distribution and control of the Scottish pack has been impressive. Probably won't fly to Aus though, due to his poor defence.



Flyhalf - Owen Farrell
Faz has been leaps and bounds above all other rivals so far this tournament, if you hadn't seen him play before, you wouldn't know he was 21. He's been extremely mature but has taken risks when needed to, which have paid off. Kicking has been tremendous and his Lions hopes will have risen considerably due to Sexton's hamstring injury.



Wing - Sean Maitland
Scotland's Kiwi has been in impressive form so far this 6N, grabbing a try and a couple of assists. Nothing has got round him so far in defence and he's deceptively rapid. Been a shame that Lamont has played inside him, thus considerably reducing his chances to get the ball on the wing, but he's experienced enough to know when to go looking for it. Wouldn't be the first non-Brit to travel with the Lions.


Centre - Matt Scott
Don't scream at me guys, you may not know a lot about this guy, but he deserves to be here. He's extremely reliable in defence, can break the line and he knows where the tryline is. If Twelvetrees had done something last week, he might have been here.




Centre - Brian O'Driscoll
Cue all Irish readers bowing down and praising the talisman. BoD has been playing like days of old, he's shooting defences to bits and tackling anything that moves. You all know what he's like so there's not a lot more to say, plus, look at that cheeky little smile. Lions captain?




Wing - Alex Cuthbert
He hasn't made the same impact as last year but Cuthbert has been solid enough so far. He's a horrible man to try and tackle when he gets going and he knows exactly where the tryline is, as shown against Ireland. Expect a wing partnership of him and North.




Fullback - Stuart Hogg
He's been probably one of the best attackers so far with his silky footwork and the ability to get through the smallest of gaps. Scored two tries so far and he has a monster boot on him which many didn't expect. Note to opposition players, don't kick it down his throat.