summer rugby

Brilliant start!

If only we could get rid of Miles Harrison and Fatty Barnes.

A poorer commentary duo I can’t imagine.

Cooked breakfast: check. Good Coffee: check. AB whitewash of French with two outstanding length of pitch tries: Check. Cracking Lions start: check. = happy sofa bound kiwifiz!

Zebo looking up for this. Philips could do with being a bit sharper.

Awful lot going on after the ball has been played away from the rucks in particular.

Zebo on fire, playing himself at least into test squad, admit his defence not fully tested yet. Heaslip should have done much better at the last scrum

Mm Zebo great in attack but worrying in defence, bit too lightweight in the tackle. 1/2p is the nailed on full back on this display.

I have to say I really like this novelty of cheering, rather than cringing, every time 1/2p gets the ball 😀

Personally I think it is the defensive system that can leave the wingers a bit exposed, in two minds who to take and making them look worse than they are. Except cuthbert he is poop in defence….and in saying the above and although scrambling maitland should not have missed that tackle.

Think j davies playing very well also

How is the back row working as s unit?

Backrow ok as a unit, heaslip not his very best I would say. Think they are benefitting from the tackle work of poc, awj and tom youngs.

Lions cutting loose now. 1/2p outstanding 😀 making himself a legend.

JD looking exceptional would be man of match if not for 1/2p, looking bad for doctor

JD superb I would have him at12 and bod at 13 irrespective of roberts being fit. Tom youngs prob best performance by hooker on tour so far. Poc and awj very good took a lot of work off backrow as did t youngs.

But warbs still with the highest tackle count i believe as you’d expect. Played solidly, nothing flashy, first to the breakdown, good captaincy.

Not able to see the game but I hear the lineout was good, was this the case?

Agree scamper.

A_a lineout was good but youngs only threw front and middle, hibbard threw one long and it missed target. Plenty of options with croft, poc and awj

Any good middle ball tapped off the top or was it slow?

Are the wallabies playing a warm up match?

Don’t think they are.

Test team:

1. Mako
2. Youngs
3. Adam
4. AWJ
5. POC
6. Croft
7. Hovis
8. Heaslip
9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Davies
13. BOD
14. Zebo
15. 1/2p

???

If Roberts is broken I think Gatland will want Cuthbert in to help punch holes, not sure Zebo is any better a defender than Cuthbert.

bench

Corbisero
Hibbard
Cole
Grey/Parling
SOB
Youngs
Coaches kid
Tuilagi or maybe Zebo or Maitland

Line out ball was pretty quick for the most part, breakdown could have been quicker and I think philips was cruising a bit.

Tom_b pretty much how I see it but faletau at 8 and corbisero to start purely for his scrumaging mako as impact sub.

Would like to see zebo or maitland start but not sure gatland wont go with Cuthbert.

Edit: they need to look at the defensive setup in the backs, against reds and waraths the wingers have been exposed/outnumbered at times…unless what we have seen is all a decoy

Double edit: Farrell sat too deep when he came on and kicked a bit too much and aimlessly, hogg as 10 cover and manu for me

woohoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGWhSMSuJM

Mainland wasn’t very good at all today. It was ok, but I feel they lacked aggression. The waratahs were missing 6 first team players and still had dominance at the breakdown for a lot of the game. I’m starting to feel less confident about the tests……..
Wouldn’t let Hogg anywhere near the tests.

Watched first half, Warbs working hard, Croft playing well, Heaslip completely awol. Warbs talked to the ref more in first ten mins than the entire of last weeks game.

Cheers for the link a_a watched most of it. My thoughts…..1-7 were all very good Youngs AWJ and Croft really put their names in the mix for a start. Warns very good too. Heaslip was pretty quiet….maybe Toby will start at 8. Half backs are nailed on starters as is 1/2p. Centres are the biggest call for me. I thought that the Roberts Davies partnership was excellent today but surely BOD starts? Zebo and North on the wings for me if fit.

Wade been caled up

The scots are having a bloody good go at the boks!
Glad laidlaw isn’t on the lions tour though.

Gahh is Wade not playing today for England then? Edit…no he isn’t. Hopefully this must spell the end of Gashton’s England career. Jonny May set to replace Wade tonight.

Kvesic didn’t impress last week. Not sure he’s an international standard 7, we’ll see how he gets on tonight. Surprised no spot for Burrell with 36 called to aus. Looking forward to seeing eastmond and may.

So could be without north and roberts for first test!?

Losing North would be a big blow. There’s plenty of talent available in the centre.

If Roberts, North and Tuilagi are all broken Gatland Ball is ****!

If Wade is being called up they must want to not play Cuthbert on Tuesday and dont want maitland and zebo to double up.

How bad is Manu? Davies and 36 are available. Still not bad options!
Shame for Scotland today. So close but came down with a case of stupid rugby syndrome in the 2nd half. Pity as they were the better team in the first. Strokosh was immense!

Barritt on his way as well, can we say scrapping the barrel?

Barrit will be fine for mid week cannon fodder but in a test! God no. How many mid week games are left?

anyway have watched the second half, good job that Skelton fella is good at rugby because if he tried show jumping like his brother he’d need a **** big horse!

Aussies are horrible niggly **** aren’t they

Heaslip only came into the game when Croft went off, I don’t think they work together

Did anyone replace Roberts or did they play the last 5-10 with 14 men