Where do the Home Nations stand?

After a truly majestic series in New Zealand, the Lions are in good shape for the foreseeable future. Fans, players, coaches, and pundits all are celebrating the success of the Lions and what it means for World Rugby, so it seems that the incessant talk about the "death" of the Lions should be put to rest and the suits in the boardrooms accept that it should remain in place and be given a priority.

With the tour over focus shifts back to the four home nations. The coaches will all have kept a close eye on the Lions tour, looking for individual player performances, useful tactical approaches which worked, and any other areas which spark a thought. So what questions has the tour posed each of them?

The series ended all square, as the greatest in the world shared the trophy. Was truly one of the greatest series' ever.

England

George v Hartley

George reached new heights in NZ.

It's been the debate for the last year or so for those wearing the red rose. Should Dylan Hartley still be the first choice hooker, when Jamie George has been playing better rugby. Before now Eddie Jones has defended his captain - justifiably - citing his leadership and his set piece security. Additional the Australian likes his "finishers", and the dynamism of Jamie George has suited the replacement role a little better. 

However, now Jamie George returns to England with three Lions test starts (three more than Hartley), has proven how good he can be as a starter, having had some notable moments during the series. It can be argued that in the cauldron that was the final test his lineout throwing suffered a little, and any hooker prides themselves on their throwing. 

I suppose the decision will be based on performances at the start of next season, and whether Jones can find a suitable "finisher" to fill in for George on the bench.

Is Daly a winger?

This at first glance may be a pointless question, surely he is after he played all three Tests for the Lions on the wing? Well, I'd argue that while he was decent and solid, his pace a massive tool for any winger and his passes were sublime when keeping the ball in play. The nuances of wing play still seemed lacking from his arsenal. In the first Test, he was forced into touch when an international winger would be expected to score. Additionally, his defensive positioning was often lacking, the Codie Taylor try in the first Test a particular moment of note. 

Daly nails 55m+ kicks for fun, even in series deciders.

This isn't to say that Daly isn't a world class player. Instead, it is more a question if playing on the
wing makes the best of his talents. He plays week in, week out, at 13 for Wasps, and can confidently slot in at fullback too. Both positions make far more use out of his huge accurate boot, as well as his ability to link up with players around him with soft hands. Plus he is more than quick enough to exploit any gaps in defensive lines. 

Mike Brown is 31, the question is whether he will make the world cup while at his peak. If not a back three of Watson, Daly, Nowell would pose any team serious issues.

Ireland

What happened to Henshaw?

Henshaw is a talent,
but struggled in NZ.

Three months ago, at the end of the 6 Nations, Henshaw was my pick for the 12 shirt for the Lions. He was the leading light when Ireland beat the All Blacks in Chicago, a superb defender, and surprisingly difficult to stop when going forward. Combined with a nice little kicking game, and outside Jonny Sexton was remarkably apt at linking play out wide. 

For some reason after flying to the other side of the world Henshaw's form was left back at Heathrow. He struggled to make any yardage going forward, and the little grubber kicks weren't paying off. Eventually, his tour was cut short by a chest injury which later required surgery. It was a disappointing tour, and Joe Schmidt might be worried because Ireland isn't exactly drowning in centres at the minute, especially at 12. 

To be fair to Leinster man, his scramble defense was exemplary in the mid-week fixtures, showing surprising pace to track back. Hopefully, he's reclaimed his attacking threat at the lost and found before next season.

Balanced Backrow

This has been an issue for a small while with Ireland actually, and it's something that a lot of teams can struggle with. Ireland have a bit of a wealth in the back row from their Lions: Stander, O'Mahony, and O'Brien; former Lion Jamie Heaslip, and then the likes of van der Flier, Conan, and Ruddock. Logic dictates that selecting the backrow which were Lions this year, and the backrow that so excellent derailed England's world record attempted, is the way to go. With Stander ball carrying at 8, O'Brien smashing attackers at 7, and O'Mahony winning lineouts at 6.

The possible flaws in this backrow were - however - exposed during the first test against the All Blacks, where they failed to really compete at the breakdown and Sam Cane had a field day. Similarly against Wales when Heaslip was starting over O'Mahony, the twin opensides of Warburton and Tipuric were allowed free reign. Against teams with real breakdown operatives, Ireland seem to struggle.

Which is where the youngster Josh van der Flier can do a job, excellent at turning over the ball, and has real athleticism for getting around the park. In the end it could be a "horses for courses" decision by Schmidt.

O'Brien was a force of nature for the Lions, and is many people's pick for player of the series.

Scotland

Value of Laidlaw

Will Price claim the starting berth come November?

It is another niggling question that's been in a lot of Scotland fan's minds for a short while, is Laidlaw the best scrum half in the country, really? Take away his near faultless goal kicking - regularly above 90% - for a moment and just consider his effectiveness at being a scrum half. His box kicking, usually pretty decent, was sub par on the tour of New Zealand often far too deep to offer a decent chase. His passing from the ruck is often slow and arcing on it trajectory to his fly-half (although relatively decent at short range to forwards) which means the backline has a lot less time to workjersey.
with. Throw in his minimal running game which means defenders around the ruck can focus on other players, and you've got a player who isn't exactly ruling the roost in the nine

He brings different elements, the aforementioned goal kicking, a confident captain who can lead, and a wealth of experience. However, with new coach Townsend looking to play like Glasgow Warriors, plenty of pace, constantly high tempo, and plenty of offloads does Laidlaw fit into this system. Or do the likes of Ali Price, Henry Pyrgos and Sam Higaldo-Clyne offer more attack panache to compliment Hogg, Russell, Seymour and co?

Wales

Backrow, four into three

This question never seems to go away with Wales, four years ago it was should Tipuric be selected over Lydiate, now Ross Moriarty and Tipuric seem to be slugging it out. Let's start with a positive note, whatever back row Gatland and co. pick they've got the ability to bring on a game changer from the bench. This doesn't make the decision easier though. During the 6 Nations the double trouble of Warburton and Tipuric caused real problems to the likes of England and Ireland, making ferocious work of the breakdown. It worked so well in fact - with Moriarty having the season of his life - that Faletau was restricted to the bench after returning from injury.

Is Tipuric once again going to miss out?

In comparison, Warburton and Faletau seemed to work wonderfully alongside the defensive aggression, and ball carrying punch, of Sean O'Brien, a role which would be easily filled by the rampaging Moriarty. This would leave the wonderous Tipuric to once again on the bench, a place he is all too familiar with. It seems a waste of such a talented player, one who can pass like a back, almost never misses a tackle, and make yards when carrying.

So it could come down to Warburton v Tipuric as always, and with one of them likely to be captain under Gatland it's not hard to see which way it will go. Tipuric is also the one who is more likely to have a greater impact from the bench, as he has been asked to do for years.

Death of "Warrenball"

No one was surprised when Ben Te'o was selected at 12 for the first test, it was Gatland picking a physical gain line winning player at inside centre as he's done for years. The eye-opener was his acceptance that it didn't work, and he took the risk for game two to field two playmakers. The Lions opened up their game with Farrell in the role and really made use of the running lines of Davies and the threat of their wingers. Is this the changing of the guard under Gatland?

This season we saw Wales drop Roberts and bring in Scott Williams, however bizarrely he was still playing a crash ball game. Rob Howley seemed to accept that Wales needed a more skillful player who could link play at 12, but then asked him to just carry the ball up. With the success that Farrell had under Gatland - and Howley - with the Lions, could it see a change in mentality and Scott Williams allowed to play more like he does for Scarlets?

The other option is trying to place a fly-half at 12, but of the options available only one has any experience playing 12 professionally - Owen Williams - and he has almost zero international experience. Of the "fly-halves" Wales' best better would be Anscombe to adapt to the centre channel, with his running game, but lacks the defensive solidity required. Realistically
Scott Williams is the best better, the coaches just need to get him to play his game, not Jamie Roberts'.

Will Scott Williams be given license to play his own game, and open up Wales' style, and exploit width?