Everytime I’ve watched Exeter I’ve seen a very dour forward dominated game. Saw the last 20mins and extra time yesterday and saw Exeter pummel away with the forwards and create very little.

Perception is an interesting thing. They must have created a lot over this year to score all those tries. For some reason all the Rugby press I read up to and after the game have lauded Exeter and Wasps as the two sides with the most attack. Do you happen to be a professional rugby commentator as that would be good to have a presence like that on a forum?
My mate was saying that the forward pummel is one of their known attacks, the no 8 apparently scores well from that attack and that Wasps had been well drilled to defend against it.
Still my enduring memory is of both teams passing the ball about and running, was very good to watch, play moved across and up and down the field, so as spectator at the game you often had play right under your nose.

Wasps had to make 299 tackles yesterday, so a bit of a stretch to say Exeter weren’t ‘attacking’.
Nathan Hughes must have woken up sweating in the early hours, 90 seconds from victory & he gave away a stupid penalty to gift Exeter the equaliser.

In other news, Lancashire took both mens & ladies trophies this afternoon followed by a decent showing from England’s young guns against the Barbarians. Tom Curry was man of the match, keep an eye on the Curry twins – they are already great prospects. Glad Sale nailed them down with decent contracts.

Wasps had to make 299 tackles yesterday, so a bit of a stretch to say Exeter weren’t ‘attacking’.

Lots of tackles to be made when the opposition spend 30mins playing one out hit up rugby.

Yet they scored the same number of tries as the team known for attacking rugby? Possibly more, as they had one try disallowed.

I really enjoyed watching Eng v BaBa’s today. I hadn’t seen Tom Curry play before- not bad at 18!! Against a very tasty BB outfit Eng 3rds played really well

Best thing about Tom Curry?
There’s two of him!
Assuming he stays fit he (& his brother Ben) are on a meteoric path. From England U28’s, U20’s, Sale first XV to England without ever looking out of place.
Still very young but both very interesting prospects for the future. Watching them come through this season, due to injuries in the Sale squad they were thrown on at the deep end but coped remarkably well – well enough to catch EJ’s eye. Given they were playing in a struggling team that’s no mean feat.

U28’s???
U18’s even….

Article in WoL about cubby;

Former Welsh rugby stars, including Mike Phillips and Andy Powell have voiced their disapproval of the decision not to select Davies, with the former scrum-half branding the situation a joke.

😆 😆 😀

@tja As a fan from a distance I am a bit concerned about Glasgow. The squad was stretched last season .Nakarawa was a big loss. The additions to the squad didnt reach the standard required. The new coach will have to pick any players he brings in carefully as they will have to add to the quality of the first 15 and not the squad.

Mikw Phillips and Andy Powell intellectual titans that pair!

To be fair to Jiffy Junior Junior he should be on the tour but would be behind Ellis Jenkins. I think as Wales have moved away from a competiting on the floor gameplan Davies is a bit pointless for Wales.

Are we following the U20?

Aus beat Wales, close game. In another close one, Italy beat Ireland!

Are we following the U20?

Aus beat Wales, close game.

I know I ref-bash regularly but Frank Murphy was dreadful. ‘Advantage over’ called after one single complete pass from the knock-on? (Both sides suffered him doing this.)

I’m don’t understand why he refused to see the Oz no13’s shoulder drive into the Welsh player’s chin. He could have just said the he didn’t consider it a yellow offence, but he simply said he couldn’t see the offence. Very puzzling.

Mind you, the standard of reffing at U20 WC has always been suspect. I once watched Tom James sprint up the 5m line to score at the Liberty only for him to be called back for putting a foot in touch. His legs must be 5m long as he didn’t deviate off the line once. 🙄

Lions squad to play Barbarians:

Team: Hogg; Watson, Joseph, Te’o, Seymour, Sexton, Laidlaw; Marler, Best, Sinckler, Jones, Henderson, Moriarty, Warburton, Faletau.

Replacements: George, Vunipola, Furlong, Kruis, Tipuric, Webb, Farrell, Daly

Big game for sinkler!

Provincial Barbarians: 15 Luteru Laulala (Counties Manukau), 14 Sam Vaka (Counties Manukau), 13 Inga Finau (Canterbury), 12 Dwayne Sweeney (Waikato), 11 Sevu Reece (Waikato), 10 Bryn Gatland (North Harbour), 9 Jack Stratton (Canterbury), 8 Mitchell Dunshea (Canterbury), 7 Lachlan Boshier (Taranaki), 6 James Tucker (Waikato), 5 Keepa Mewett (Bay of Plenty), 4 Josh Goodhue (Northland), 3 Oliver Jager (Canterbury), 2 Sam Anderson-Heather (c) (Otago), 1 Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty)
Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio (Tasman), 17 Tolu Fahamokioa (Wellington), 18 Marcel Renata (Auckland), 19 Matt Matich (Northland), 20 Peter Rowe (Wanganui), 21 Richard Judd (Bay of Plenty), 22 Jonah Lowe (Hawke’s Bay), 23 Junior Ngaluafe (Southland)

One to watch? Lachlan Boshier (apart from having a cool name) has looked good for the Chiefs when he’s made a few brief appearances this season.

Best thing about Tom Curry?
There’s two of him!

And signed 5yr contracts at Sale 🙂 Fantastic work rate, brilliant at the breakdown and always seem to be antagonising the opposition pack 🙂 always a bonus!

Hogg not exactly inspiring today.

That try saving tackle by NotToby though! Outstanding.

A rusty, shaky first half from the Lions. Still on the the plane?

Lions looking poor, Sexton (missed penalty, kicked out on the full) and Hogg dog by all they can to okay themselves out of a test place.

Superb tackle by TF though.

Not toby looks like he’s holding the team up by the bootstraps.
He looks to me the only test starter in that team.
Moriarty, Sinkler and Watson haven’t done their chances any harm though.
Is there a player called Hel Dup? I can’t figure out why the ref keeps bloody saying it!
Only half time, lets see what comes.

V poor. The NZ Barbarians are a scratch side, so equally can claim “robustness” etc, so that is no excuse.

Sexton really off game so backs can’t get going and Hogg is poor. Playing well Te’O, Faletau and Sinckler

Agrees, Wales, Sinckler, Teo and Watson Ok. Seymour, and Hogg out of sorts. If Farrell comes on at 10 now he could threaton Sextons place.

Seymour is doing OK, looking for work. Difficult for him and JJ to show much because they aren’t getting much ball.
Sexton is having a shocker.

Yay!

Farrell’s on!

Kryton57 – Member
Wales, Sinckler, Teo and Watson Ok.

ROFLCOPTRZ

Unless there is a massive improvement it will be the last game they win on this tour…

Agreed.

They have only been together a few days lets give them a chance.
Obviously not enough welsh though 😀

They have been together longer that the 2nd tier scratch NZ Barbarians they only just beat.

Tipuric had a considerable impact. I really hope that he has a chance to claim that test shirt.

Well it was good to see a team who’d only just come together and hardly knew each other put on a decent display – the NZ Barbarians.

On the positive, some good individual running, but not backed by any real support or link play.

I am wearing my unlucky 2005 Lions shirt, so it may be my fault…

some good individual running, but not backed by any real support or link play.

Ref. Teo breaking and wondering wtf he was going to pass to.

CFH – COPTRZ?

They have been together longer that the 2nd tier scratch NZ Barbarians they only just beat

Are you sure about that?

The next game is against the Blues who played yesterday so may not put out a full strength side but, after that, it’s not gonna get any easier. All the Super Rugby sides have a month off so, if they field full strength teams, the Lions are going to struggle.

The first ten minutes of the Crusaders/Highlanders game this morning had more good rugby than the whole Lions match.

The Lions will improve, no doubt, but what is Laidlaw doing there? He was sh1t. Totally. Surely Gareth Davies or Danny Care would have been better bets?

I did think Laidlaw was incredibly slow on most occasions.

Hey Wrecker do you reckon Vunipola would have the engine to ger back and make this tackle? :lol:Great effort from Talupe despite Henderson trying to get in his way!!

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMOkAX0Mck[/video]

Hey Wrecker do you reckon Vunipola would have the engine to ger back and make this tackle? 

Dunno. Not Toby was very good today. Would billy have been any better? We’ll never know!

Lions XV vs Blues

15. Leigh Halfpenny – Toulon, Wales, 14. Jack Nowell – Exeter Chiefs, England, 13. Jared Payne – Ulster, Ireland, 12. Robbie Henshaw – Leinster, Ireland, 11. Elliot Daly – Wasps, England, 10. Dan Biggar – Ospreys, Wales, 9. Rhys Webb – Ospreys, Wales, 1. Jack McGrath – Leinster, Ireland, 2. Ken Owens (Capt) – Scarlets, Wales, 3. Dan Cole Leicester Tigers, England,, 4. Maro Itoje – Saracens, England, 5. Courtney Lawes – Northampton Saints, England, 6. James Haskell – Wasps, England, 7. Justin Tipuric – Ospreys, Wales,, 8. CJ Stander – Munster, Ireland

Replacements : 16. Rory Best – Ulster, Ireland,, 17. Joe Marler – Harlequins, England, , 18. Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins, England, , 19. Iain Henderson – Ulster, Ireland, , 20. Peter O’Mahony – Munster, Ireland, 21. Greig Laidlaw – Gloucester, Scotland, , 22. Johnny Sexton – Leinster, Ireland, , 23. Liam Williams – Scarlets, Wales

Blues:

1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2 James Parsons (c), 3 Charlie Faumuina, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5 Scott Scrafton, 6 Akira Ioane, 7 Blake Gibson, 8 Steven Luatua; 9 Augustine Pulu, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 11 Rieko Ioane, 12 Sonny Bill Williams/TJ Faiane, 13 George Moala, 14 Matt Duffie, 15 Michael Collins.

Replacements: 16 Hame Faiva, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Kara Pryor, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Ihaia West, 23 TJ Faiane/Melani Nanai.