Ta
Lions team to face New ZealandBacks: Liam Williams (Wales); Anthony Watson (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Ben Te'o (England), Elliot Daly (England); Owen Farrell (England), Conor Murray (Ireland).
Forwards: Maka Vunipola (England), Jamie George (England), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland); Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England); Peter O'Mahony (capt, Ireland), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
Would rather have started with Itoje and had Lawes or Henderson on the bench, but I think he was committed to this choice when he played CL and IH for 80 minutes on Tuesday. Curious to see how the wingers stay warm outside of JD2 as well.
Lions replacements
Replacements: 16 Ken Owens (Wales), 17 Jack McGrath (Ireland), 18 Kyle Sinckler (England), 19 Maro Itoje (England), 20 Sam Warburton (Wales), 21 Rhys Webb (Wales), 22 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 23 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales).
Really??? A few odd ones there, 2/3 best second rows in the squad not starting 😯
Glad for POM who I think is great. I always imagine what his teachers must have thought when that face came into the classroom on the first day of term. Great player
No 1/2 p! Loopy Liam has looked very dangerous so that picks on form. No Warburton either so old cement head is showing a bit of flexibility. AWJ tho despite the good showing of the other locks. I suppose he has to play one of his favourites 😉
Agreed, POM is a great choice as skipper.
Surprised to see AWJ and Daly start.
Amazed that Halfpenny is on the bench. It doesn't look a bad team but they're up against...
New Zealand team: Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (capt), Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty, Israel Dagg, Ben Smith.
Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden/Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.
Except for AWJ, that's the team I'd have picked. Rowntree must have done the selection 😉
Well wasnt expecting that.AWJ is very under rated here but I'd have picked Itoje every day of the week. I'd also have gone with sexton Faz and Joseph as mid field. Big game for Loopy Liam.
So bring it on!! Cant wait.
I am really pleased to see looppy Liam start over 1/2p - he really does look like a threat ball in hand. still a git tho 😉
I just dont get it. Gatland has never picked Liam over 1/2p and has always picked North..I guess its the welsh strength in depth... Cuthbert!!!!
I like the backline and the bench.
It may well all go tits up and most likely will but they will be giving it a ****ing good crack
Daly played nearly 80 min on Tuesday, AWJ came off the bench. I thought the whole point of the call-ups was to rest the test team?
Sinkler/Itoje/Warburton not a bad set of impact subs though. Was 1/2P only there as a kicker, so once Faz fit Liam got in?
Strange strange picks. No 1/2p ? My views on Farrell at 10 are well known here. He will not deliver fast flat ball, his kicking from hand is so-so for an international 10 too and the ABs will kill the Lions for that. I'll stick my neck out and say the Lions will be lucky to score a single try with Farrell at 10.
Daly played nearly 80 min on Tuesday
No he got subbed off after about 60. Gatland talks shit, get used to it he was obviously wanting to keep them guessing.
He will not deliver fast flat ball
And Sexton would? Faz has looked easily the best 10 and has been far better than the others at drawing in defenders and putting others in space.
And Sexton would? Faz has looked easily the best 10 and has been far better than the others at drawing in defenders and putting others in space.
Bang on. He's the best we have got. I can see the argument for putting him at 12 though. Whatever, he's easily one of the first names on the team sheet. Just like England, play him where you like, just play him!
Daly played nearly 80 min on Tuesday, AWJ came off the bench. I thought the whole point of the call-ups was to rest the test team?
I think they monitor them in training. If Daly was tired or not 100%, they'd know.
Liam played the full 80 didnt he? Daly getting pulled early made me think he was in on the bench over Liam.
I fear we will be so completely outclassed that it will be unfair to put the blame on Farrell.
Ford should have been on the tour. Sexton was crocked and form was variable. Biggar frankly that was a strange pick. Gatland has painted himself into this corner with the tour party seelctions.
anagallis_arvensis - Member
He will not deliver fast flat ball
And Sexton would? Faz has looked easily the best 10 and has been far better than the others at drawing in defenders and putting others in space.
Generally Sexton is better however in the game I watched I thought Farrell played much flatter and better than I have ever seen him. He is still no Russell tho 😉
Much as I hate to say It I'd probably have picked Farrell who seems to be at the top of his (limited) game whereas Sexton looks to be just about coming into form from a low start. One thing I am really glad is that Farrell is not at 12 - a centre he is not.
I really like Biggar and altho I didn't see the chiefs game the press seemed to say Biggar was right on top of his game.
anagallis_arvensis - MemberI just dont get it. Gatland has never picked Liam over 1/2p and has always picked North.
I suspect someone locked Gatland in a cupboard and wrote the teamsheet
Disappointing to see no scots in there. Who would you have in TJ?
Much as I hate to say It I'd probably have picked Farrell who seems to be at the top of his (limited) game whereas Sexton looks to be just about coming into form from a low start. One thing I am really glad is that Farrell is not at 12 - a centre he is not.
If you need me, I'll be in here;
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*Mutters*
Agreeing with TJ? Unclean! Unclean! Unclean! Out, out damned thought!
*/Mutters*
Actually feeling a little bit of positivity about Sat's game - may even splurge for PPV...
Only Seymour who is in the squad is a contender. That so and so Murray broke Hogg so his pals stood a chance the rotter. Laidlaw is not lions test material - certainly Webb is better (I'd have him over Murray but its close) and Dell is 3rd choice for Scotland and hardly lions material either.
Of course if the squad had been picked fairly ................... Ow AA - leave me alone let me just say ..........*muffled grumblings from behind a leek stuffed mouth*
I noted Daly removed after 60, but I saw him on the pitch again later - blood sub or HIA I guess.
happy with the team, even with my green tinged specs on Farrell deserves a chance at 10, amazing turn around for O'Mahony given he only played one full 6N game.
Backs: Liam Williams (Wales); Anthony Watson (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Ben Te'o (England), Elliot Daly (England); Owen Farrell (England), Conor Murray (Ireland).Forwards: Maka Vunipola (England), Jamie George (England), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland); Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England); Peter O'Mahony (capt, Ireland), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
Who'd have picked this team pre tour? Not me, and I suspect not many others. Out of the backs, the popular consensus was Murray and Farrell maybe, even then Sexton seemed like the clear favourite at 10 and Webb pushing Murray hard. I'd have named Watson but most wouldn't.
Forwards; Mako, Furlong and Faletau (once Billy withdrew). We guessed that George would be pushing but it didn't seem likely.
Form is a funny old thing.
And just as I say it this gets tweeted;
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Odds from march.
Really pleased for O'Mahony. Looked great on the tour so far, a real leader, it looked like he would miss out.
tjagain - Member
Really pleased for O'Mahony.
FFS, not again! My towel is still wet.
What's happened to Joseph?
Is that a euphemism CFH?
O'Mahony Has been great he deserves that. Feral Farrell getting the chance he deserves he needs to keep a cool head and not stick his nose in the forwards handbaging it's the only thing that might spoil his game.
The Allblack team is just dripping in quality and style.
And with 1/2p not playing means I don't have to fast forward the shuffle before the goal kicking!!!
And if anyone is feeling cheeky lions are 50/1 on for the white wash might be worth a £10 bet 😯
And with 1/2p not playing means I don't have to fast forward the shuffle before the goal kicking!!!
Are you thinking of Biggar?
****in welsh all look the same!
1/2p
Dan Bigger
On a more positive note relating to rugby players with illness - great to see Christian Lealiifano making a comeback for the Brumbies in a recent friendly.
Less than a year after being diagnosed with leukaemia and seven months after having had a bone marrow transplant he came on as sub against the Asia-Pacific Dragons and kicked 6 conversions.
Hopefully he'll play in the latter stages of Super Rugby if all goes well.
Thats brilliant!
Great start from Samoa, stadium bouncing, hits going in, wales playing shit!!!
Gutsy display by the welsh kids in awful conditions.
Good article about how rugby is helping in Argentina's prison system:
[url= http://www.rugby365.com/countries/argentina/79769-argentina-s-jailbirds-flock-to-rugby ]-argentina-s-jailbirds-flock-to-rugby[/url]
Sounds like a hard fought win for Wales, very happy with that.
So er, what has happened to Jonathan Joseph? Have I missed something, he appears not to be in any Lions team right now...
