Lions outrage

Those gremlins, always trying to disrupt the smooth flow of Planet Rugby. Last week in the column, readers were invited to submit their Lions team for the first Test against Australia next summer. Good idea but what about the e-mail address? Some of you (two) still managed to make contact but in the interest of fair play and to spite the gremlins, a prize will be offered for the most "worthy" entry next week. You must submit a team, the replacements and 50 words as to how you arrived at your decision, along with your name and phone number. The e-mail address is josullivan@irish-times.ie. Now Irish Times polo shirts are not easy to come by so we at Planet Rugby expect a huge response from the five of you. In deference to Simon Bewley and Rory O'Connor who, like the old Pony Express, managed to get their entries through, it is only fair that we publish both teams.

Simon Bewley chose the following side: G Murphy (Ireland); D Hickie (Ireland), B O'Driscoll (Ireland), G Townsend (Scotland), A Healy (England); J Wilkinson (England), M Dawson (England); J Leonard (England), K Wood (Ireland, capt), P Clohessy (Ireland); M Johnson (England), M O'Kelly (Ireland); E Miller (Ireland), L Dallaglio (England), N Back (England). Replacements: P Rogers (Wales), P Greening (England), S Murray (Scotland), B Pountney (Scotland), K Bracken (England), R O'Gara (Ireland), M Tindall (England). Rory O'Connor's team is: G Metcalfe (Scotland); D Luger (England), B O'Driscoll (Ireland), S Gibbs (Wales), D Hickie (Ireland); J Wilkinson (England), M Dawson (England); P Rogers (Wales), K Wood (Ireland), P Vickery (England); M Johnson (England), M O'Kelly (Ireland); C Charvis (Wales), L Dallaglio (England), N Back (England).