Who is looking forward to the Summer tours?

Well im bricking it Gecko, We go to NZ for a 3 test series. The reason im bricking it is Declan Kidney, who when asked of his opinion about what Wales and England have done bringing young players through, he replied by saying... (im paraphrasing) Well its New Zealand and we have to go out there and represent ourselves well and show them respect.

Which translated from Kidney small talk to normal human being talk basically means that he intends to bring the same players and maybe a few token youngsters to help in midweek training but that we will see buuggerrr all change on the starting sheet.

So im bricking it!

Hey, and im not sticking the boot in, but is it SA that wales have never beaten? I don't know why i have that in my head but i thought it was?

I am confident as a Welshman. I certainly think we can do the Aussies in a 3 match series, not sure if we will, but we definitely can! I believe we can win all 3 games.

Doesn't look good for Ireland in NZL does it mate, i fear for you a bit on that one!

Wales have beaten South Africa (first game in the Millennium Stadium i think)

Don't think there is any team we haven't beaten, we have beaten the All Blacks a few (3?) times and OZ 10 times.

Hopefully you can get the All Black off your back and beat them before the next world cup, have faith!

Yup, we beat the Boks in 99, but that remains the only time, despite their fading form and our (erratic) growth.

What was the statistic? Over the last 4 games, we've lost by a combined total of only a handful of points? I think we need to get the nearly-men monkey off our back.

As for Ireland in NZ, I feel for you. It's going to be a horrible environment to bring in youngsters and fresh talent. Who are you playing in the Autumn? Ireland desperately need a chance to get some competition in for places.

We have a fair helping of lads coming through the system but a serious if not grossly inadequate number of prop forwards due to the Provincial teams getting out the cheque book every time there scrum is beaten. Lucky then that Leinster invested in a dedicated scrum coach who produced Mike ross and cian healy. BUt of the other provinces, you look at the front row and you see a whos whos of ex world champion south africans.

The depth of conservative selection in Ireland is perfectly represented in this titbit of information. Donnacha Ryan of munster and the lad who has ousted donnacha o'callahan from the his starting place in munster finally got his first start for ireland this six nations against Scotland.
The horror of this is that the lad is 28 years old!!! Not exactly a youngster! and so the story goes with Declan Kidney. It was the same story with Mike Ross in the front row. DK continued with John Hayes until Hayes was 38 years old and getting doubled up in the scrum by the opposition before DK finally went looking for a new tight head. Mike Ross is 32 years old and got his first start against the USA in 09 but was ignored for 2 years before getting into the team after Hayes got injured!!!

There is no doubt we have lads coming through in every position, but will Declan kidney select them? We maybe yes... in about 8 years when he thinks they are old enough!

and a quote from Tommy Bowe to inspire confidence!!
"We're really going to have to pick ourselves up if we're to avoid being made a joke of in New Zealand,"

Oh i just can't wait...

I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but YES, I am. Maybe the RFU will eff it up yet, but with Lancaster in charge, the youngsters coming through, Lawes and Wood to come back, Youngs to regain form - can it be? can it really be?

Oddly enough I think England would be better matched to Australia (I guess also our most mortal enemy in rugby terms) and Wales against South Africa. But the way the games are set up could still be great - if England beat South Africa we could be 3rd in the world! (Outrageous optimism indeed!!!)

For Wales - Australia I'd very slightly fancy Wales, I feel their winning mentality and sheer size may be enough, though they'll need to be fleet of foot to match the Aussie backs.

England - South Africa, hmmm, I feel like I'm standing on a tall building in a lightning storm waving a telegraph mast but, dare I say it?, I fancy England's chances (please feel free to link to this when we've lost the first game 63-0). I think the scrum will be in the Springboks favour, but not by margin enough to turn the backs advantage England have with the great Habana aging

New Zealand - Ireland - ouch, I guess someone has to play them and sometimes in adversity, genius is forged. But ... this would be a horrible series to be blooded as a youngster - hell, its only the World champions, on their patch, who Ireland have never beaten, but the youngsters are just what Ireland need. Maybe the one hope would be that this could be the last stand of O'Connell and O'Driscoll (though I think I've said that every year since 2007) and maybe, just maybe. How much more fitting would it be, series at 1-1, late in a wet and windy game tied at 9 each, ruck on the Irish 22, All Blacks lining up the drop goal, in comes O'Connell, ball pops out, to Stringer (in as a late injury sub) quick hands to O'Gara, cross field kick to the on charging O'Driscoll who picks it up on the 10 metre line, one man to beat, the clock goes red .....

LOL LOL ye sars! thats got me excited reading that... then another pig hit my window and i woke up.. your making a habit of that!

I fancy both Engalnd and Wales to win their series, but not a white wash. Its a bridge too far on foreign soil.

As for the AB and us, so i guess i will be ranting about DK on and off for the ext 3 months but to drizzle some positives over the situation i will dig in to my bag of optimistic statistics!

2003 RWC champions, faced Ireland in their first intentional test match after the RWC glory. And lost!
2007 RWC champions, Faced Ireland in their first intentional test match after their RWC glory and also Lost!
2012 RWC ...................

Could it be!???

opps 2011 RWC blaa blaa

I am pretty sure SA faced Wales in their first test as champions? I was there! Anyway it would take a miracle for you lot to win in NZL. but BOD on form could be that miracle

I don't even want to think about it but if I must I suppose I'll just have to go with a 2-1 win for Ireland with a line-up of Kearney, Bowe, Earls, O'Driscoll, Zebo, Sexton, Murray, O'Brien, O'Mahony, Ferris, O'Connell, Ryan, Archer, Best and Healy filleting them in the final test.

Yes, I know, I'm s