Hmmmm. Not a great start to the second half.
Tennessee IIRC AA
All those red neck states are the same to me!!
Lawes off after 53 minutes - bring wrapped up ready for the second test?
Henderson has been very good tonight though, especially in the loose.
Kruis not having a good start to his bench appearance. Looks like the end of the season may well be catching up with him because he's had a good few seasons with Sarries and England.
I don't think Kruis has been the player he was before his long lay-off. He was the one pic that I thought a Scot should have gone instead of. Before he was injured he was a cert, I didn't think he has reached that standard again yet.
I don't think Gatland appreciates Henderson. He has been more effective than Lawes or Kruis.
I reckon Seymour is also underrated but he's not going to oust Watson or Daly.
AA - North at 13. What do you think? I have seen him play a few times there and he seems more effective
Can anyone explain why Russell was brought over if he is not going to get any game time? If its just a sub for the midweek games then surely someone else could fill in so Sexton / Farrell does not have to sit on the bench midweek?
Looks like squeaky bum time for the last 10mins or so especially a man down.
Henderson playing himself into contention then back out of it again?
[i]squeaky bum time for the last 10mins[/i]
No kidding!
Can anyone explain why Russell was brought over if he is not going to get any game time? If its just a sub for the midweek games then surely someone else could fill in so Sexton / Farrell does not have to sit on the bench midweek?
Absolutely - He should have got a run from the start in this game. Playing with Laidlaw he could have offered a bit diffent than Biggar does.
the cream of the British Isles...you are having a laugh!
Biggar needs to wind his neck in.
Silly penalties are killing are killing the Lions and just giving opportunities to the Hurricanes who look closer to providing a bit of magic to win the game.
My feeling is Gatland does not want to play him in case he plays a blinder and shows Gatland as being wrong for not taking him in the first place. I still say tho Russell would be ineffective without his pals around him - but this game he would at least have had Laidlaw and Seymour
My feeling is Gatland does not want to play him in case he plays a blinder and shows Gatland as being wrong for not taking him in the first place.
Yeah Gatland doesnt want to win!!
Superb game that.
AA - why not give him a run in this game then? I simply don't understand it. If all youneed is injury cover for the midweek games as it appears with no subs this game then surely someone in the squad already could be an emergency 10? Laidlaw even - he has played internationals at 10.
Can anyone explain why Russell was brought over if he is not going to get any game time? If its just a sub for the midweek games then surely someone else could fill in
You have ansered your own question.
Very enjoyable. Some good performances as well, both starting locks especially and I thought Nowell did well too. Not many chances for JJ or North though.
AA - if its Russell gets a call up simply to sit on the bench midweek then why bother? If Biggar had failed his HAI in this game then laidlaw could have gone to ten.
Tell you one thing - Gatland has failed his audition for the NZ job 😉
He didnt pick a bigger squad as then not everyone could have been given a proper shot before the tests. He always planned to bring in new players to be bench sitters and the coaches of the national teams were informed beforehand.
Laidlaw is a shit 9 I dread to think what sort of 10 he would have been.
You can argue it either way but a bigger squad where all the players cannot start a game before tge tests would have been bad for squad moral.
He was an OK 10. About Biggar standard 😉 Surely that would do tho in the event of an injury to biggar in a midweek game?
And who covers 10 from the bench?
He was an OK 10. About Biggar standard
BIL Dan Biggar to you!!!
In this game in Biggar goes off with an HAI laidlaw goes to 10 and whoever the replacement 9 is comes on?
It just seems a waste of everyones time to bring in a player like Russell and not even give him a chance.
Brother in law? I didn't know he was your brother in law AA.
Anyway - how about North at 13? He has played there a few times and I thought he looked good in this game
You guys....
Feels a bit of a disappointment to draw the game after having built a good lead in the first half. The injuries caused a few issues (JJ was limited st 12 but has been a bit of a disappointment this tour). Exciting game though.
Anyway - how about North at 13? He has played there a few times and I thought he looked good in this game
He's ok but defence suspect if opposition are not stupid enough to run straightvat him.
13 is the key defence decision maker in the welsh set up (and Lions). This is not s strength either!
So this really tells us who's now out of the test teams and who's on the bench.
Of that lot, my thoughts are:
Lawes -in with Itoje
Marler - Bench
AWJ - Bench but fighting with Henderson
Nowell - Bench
Stander - Bench
Kruis - out
JJ - out
North - out
Haskell - out
1/2p - out
Scotting players - out 😉
I'd give Farrell another chance to steady himself but I'd say Teo needs to be in the centres, so him & Sexton exchange.
Thoughts?
I'm mixed about Hooker - George is a better carrier but Best slowed down a lot of ball in the first half that I saw (as did Cole).
Nowell - Bench
Why didnt he go off injured?
1/2p was a late addition to todays bench so I expect he will make the bench unless they gamble on a winger. Not sure Nowel has dine enough to be that winger.
I'm mixed about Hooker - George is a better carrier but Best slowed down a lot of ball in the first half that I saw (as did Cole).
Owens is next in line, cant see Best jumping ahead. George was good last week.
AA - fair enough on North. He seems to get into the game more at centre in attack. Why is his tackling not so good for a big guy? Has he been to the Tim visser school [s]tackling[/s] flapping at a player when he runs past
His tackling is fine its his positioning thats dodgy.
Also at 13 he'd need a good passer at 12 to put him in holes from 13. Wales dont have that but we do have a good 13 in Davies but few wingers hence North and Williams with 1/2p at 15. If we had another winger we could drop 1/2p and have Liam at 15 but we dont.
My feeling is Gatland does not want to play him in case he plays a blinder and shows Gatland as being wrong for not taking him in the first place.
BIL Fin Russel 4 touches turned the ball over twice and threw a bouncing ball at Seymours knees with another. His long 22 drop out was ok though!!
He is your brother in law as well?
He was never going to shine ws he given a few mins as an HAI sub. I even missed his Cameo!
I wouldnt rush to catch up!!
As a side question; does anybody know what each Lion will get paid for being on the tour?
I've got in my head its £70k plus win bonus. Not sure if the bench warmers that have been there for two weeks and not played will get that or not.....I bet they'll no doubt have out earned me in the last two weeks mind!
So not much over £70k then 😀 shows how much it will generate in revenue though.
I heard that the unions get this money not the players directly. Hence all those welsh journeymen give a nice sum of money to the WRU. could be bollox
Hence all those welsh journeymen give a nice sum of money to the WRU.
I doubt its true but I think they deserve it given that they were the only union who let their coaches have time off to coach the Lions
I have never been able to get my head around why Gatland needed a year off to do so
I doubt its true but I think they deserve it given that they were the only union who let their coaches have time off to coach the Lions
Yeah...cheers for that! 😀
I'm beginnning to believe that with Lawes & Itoje to defend the fringes and later Henderson to do the same on for Lawes, Plan A could actually work with the same backs as last week pushing up. We suffocate them, avoid the fringe detriment from last week and it starts to look like a commendable plan. I would like to see Faletau attack from the base a bit more though.
Let's see eh.
I have never been able to get my head around why Gatland needed a year off to do so
To work on the exhilarating, attacking game plan? 😆
Not directly about the "geography 6" but definitely true that each union gets £50k per player selected fir the tour-not sure about legitimate call ups post departure date.
