Who is it making that wonder pass in the first gif AA? Is that Owen ‘The Saviour Of Rugby’ Farrell?

it is indeed, he was really really bad, for all the ice man talk he looks like pressure gets to him, young though, he’ll come good, but so far he’s playing the Keet Earls role for the Lions.

He’s been rubbish towards the end of the season, I have no idea why he was picked by the Lions*, His performances for Saffacens have been petulantly going to pieces since January time.

*No wait, isn’t there some relation on the coaching team?

AA – I’m tempted!!!!!!!

He was picked because the other options were worse I suppose and St Jonny was unavailable. Biggar is strictly average at international level but might have been worth taking or Flood. I expect an outside back to get a niggle any day now and then St Johnny can be bought in to cover.

AA – I’m tempted!!!!!!!

to watch the game?

DD gracing us with your presence? Grand. Based in how he was schooled by JW a couple of weeks ago,we have one stand off,expect Hogg to do a 20 min shift in a midweek game.Was Farrell actually crying when he clapped the yellow? Looked like it. I would imagine he may regret that one first contact drill of preseason.

Duckman – what era did you play in, ever play Blackheath in the 90’s?

Bear, I played for London Scottish from 1989 to 1994. I played a few 1xv games including playing Blackheath for the 1xv and getting a broken eye socket from a balding,sandy haired second row in a ruck. I could describe him as we used to play Blackheath, R-Park and Sarries a fair old bit and I was REALLY looking forward to meeting him again….Wasn’t you was it? 🙂

LIONS TEAM:

Leigh Halfpenny, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll (captain), Manu Tuilagi, George North, Jonny Sexton; Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Dan Cole, Alun-Wyn Jones, Ian Evans, Tom Croft, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Matt Stevens, Geoff Parling, Toby Faletau, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland

like that backline

That’s a proper team now, for a proper game.
That farce at the weekend was an embarrassment. Wrong team, wrong place. Very prawn sandwich.
If Gatland chose it, he should have been sacked. If HSBC picked it, he needs to grow a pair.
Tour starts now. But with our midweek boys needing a rest for the midweek game, and our top scrumager knackered for a fortnight.

Sat 1 British and Irish Lions v Barbarians, So Kon Po Stadium, Hong Kong 19:35 local, 11:35 GMT, 12:35 BST

Wed 5 Force v British and Irish Lions, Subiaco Oval, Perth
18:00 local, 10:00 GMT, 11:00 BST

Sat 8 Reds v British and Irish Lions, Lang Park, Brisbane
19:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 10:30 BST

Tue 11 Combined NSW-Queensland Country v British and Irish Lions, Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle 19:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 10:30 BST

Sat 15 Waratahs v British and Irish Lions, Sydney Football Stadium 19:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 10:30 BST

Tue 18 Brumbies v British and Irish Lions, Canberra Stadium
19:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 10:30 BST

Sat 22 Australia v British and Irish Lions, Lang Park, Brisbane 20:00 local, 10:00 GMT, 11:00 BST

Tue 25 Melbourne Rebels v British and Irish Lions, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium 19:30 local, 09:30 GMT, 10:30 BST

Sat 29 Australia v British and Irish Lions, Docklands Stadium, Melbourne 20:00 local, 10:00 GMT, 11:00 BST

July 2013
Sat 6 Australia v British and Irish Lions, Stadium Australia, Sydney 20:00 local, 10:00 GMT, 11:00 BST

I don’t think it’s anywhere near decided who is midweek and who is test team yet. There are 5 games before the first test, and I reckon most spots are up for grabs.

If HSBC didn’t back the Lions, would there be a Lions?

Probably but with a different sponsor, with different corporate demands. Commercialism is part of all top sport these days and sometimes it does go against the grain but needs must….

Why was the BaBas game a farce? A couple of players played 80 mins in testing conditions, a pack gelled pretty well together, Farrel got proved to be a tit 😉

Rather them have a game under their belts that go to Subiaco cold.

I’d say there’s at least one midweek spot been nabbed last Saturday. 😉

Loum; that,s actually a team to ensure that everybody on the party has played. No more proper than Sat’s side.

What was wrong with last weeks selection? Very sensible given players other commitment.

I’d say there’s at least one midweek spot been nabbed last Saturday.

I did say “most”! Don’t worry though, Johnny will be on his way soon 😉

aa, There was nothing wrong with last weeks selection. It was very sensible given other players commitments. Shit fixture, not shit team selection on the day.

duckman, I understand that it’s a team selection based on giving gametime to unused players and protecting the knackered.
But seeing as Wednesday’s team consists of players who were unavailable earlier, due to their participation in end of season finals – as opposed to those whose season’s ended earlier, it stands to reason that they’re the better ones. A proper team. 😉

pigface, true – at least they got something out of it.
But it stinks.
The timing – if the coach is going to be so vocal about the tour party leaving together, don’t shcedule your first match before half the party can play.
The place – 30 degrees, 90% humidity. There’s a reason they only really play sevens there at the top level. Some of those lads won’t recover for at least a week. Training’s devalued. Selection’s compromised for the next couple of games. With 5 games in fourteen days, someone was always going to have to play two games in a week. This fixture has pushed that event closer to the test games.
The opposition – aren’t worth it. Nothing really learned against a team that doesn’t care. Should have been a tasty game against someone who’d really want it – Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji. Lot’s more benefit for both the Lions and the upcoming nations.

By “a proper team” I assume you mean more irish?

as opposed to those whose season’s ended earlier, it stands to reason that they’re the better ones.

Did you miss the 6 nations? 😀

Well it was the Welsh Lions on Saturday now it is time for the Irish Lions on Wednesday 😉

The good thing about this squad is you can imagine several different starting 15’s, all being equally strong with different +’s and -‘s. There doesn’t seem to be too much filler in the squad besides perhaps Maitland, Stevens and Farrel (on current performances) but they can all play a good game when on form.

Certainly an exciting squad and some good matches to come!

Stephen Jones from The Times

@stephenjones9 4m
Lions just landed. And immediately Lions tours at stake.W Force to field second XV. Q will field few regulars. Insulting and devaluing

?@stephenjones9 2m
If Lions just play 3 Tests and a few joke games then they are not the Lions and should stay at home

hmmmmm. Not a fan of Jones, but he has a point.
I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to watch the club games. I’ll decide on the tests when I see the teams.

Aussies need to write about something …

Fielding weaker teams against backfired in South Africa in the mod 90’s tour as it allowed the Lions to really gel without too much pressure and too many injuries (sadly Howlet got “done” but as Dawson says no one though he was good enough to throw a dummy, and it been Howlet everyone would have been expecting it)

Howlet

that’ll be Howley, and Dawson is not fit to even talk about him.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz3JTx76-p0[/video]

Of course yes, apologies, truely wonderful player and he did a very good job with Wales this year. Dawson is good enough to have the winners medal that really counts.

BTW @bear no need to apologise to AA you certainly wouldn’t have upset him, his eyes are only for Wales and boardering on trolling at times but we try not to feed him too often,

Its only trolling if you have nothing to back up your opinions with!
Anyway had Howley been fit for that series he’d still have been the second best 9. Dawson and the **** Healey just happen to be on my mind at the moment as they both spat the dummy on the last lions tour to aus after Howley was picked for the tests.

that’ll be Howley

Indeed. Howlett is a far better player.

Howley second best to Joost ? I never saw Howley trip anyone

Howlet was a very good player but I never really rated him as top 2 or 3 in his position. Joost was the only 9 better than Howley from that era imo.

Western Force: Sam Christie (4 Super Rugby caps); Dane Haylett-Petty (9 SR), Ed Stubbs (6 SR), Chris Tuatara-Morrison (Uncapped), Corey Brown (Uncapped); Sam Norton-Knight (66 SR, 2 Tests), Brett Sheehan (92 SR, 6 Tests); Richard Brown (88 SR, 23 Tests), Matt Hodgson (captain) (95 SR, 6 Tests), Angus Cottrell (15 SR); Phoenix Battye (11 SR), Toby Lynn (61 SR); Salesi Ma’afu (72 SR, 13 Tests), James Hilterbrand (1 SR), Salesi Manu (8 SR). Replacements: 16. Hugh Roach (Uncapped), Sione Kolo (Uncapped), Tim Metcher (Uncapped), Ben Matwijow (Uncapped), Lachlan McCaffrey (8 SR), Alby Mathewson (97 SR, 4 Tests), Nick Haining (Uncapped), Junior Rasolea (10 SR).

http://www.espn.co.uk/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/184317.html

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FwUkFz3e8mk[/video]

AA Howley gets it for me as he was playing behind a piss poor pack that was generally going backwards. Dawson was ok flattered by the juggernaut he had in front of him.

Sam Norton-Knight better not play like he did for Cardiff Blues if the Lions want a testing match 😉

Sam Norton-Nightmare you mean!!

Joost was the best for me, think he is pretty ill these days unfortunately.

Scotland team for the first match in SA.

I like the look of the midfield for the first time since perhaps the early 90s

Scotland: Greig Tonks (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Glasgow), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow), Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tim Visser (Edinburgh), Tom Heathcote (Bath), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Ryan Grant (Glasgow), Pat MacArthur (Glasgow), Euan Murray (Worcester), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Kelly Brown (Saracens) (Captain), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Stevie Lawrie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow), Peter Horne (Glasgow), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).

Last try at the Arms Park was from Howley wasn’t it? When he put Dawson on his arse with a side step.

Irish rugby is **** if thsi happens….

http://www.herald.ie/news/plan-to-ban-alcohol-sponsorship-will-hit-rugby-hard-irfu-chief-29316453.html

Hell; THAT Sam Norton-Knight! I thought he had gone to work somewhere that didn’t involve catching anything.

Dunno why some people on these threads have to talk like football fans.
Dawson “not fit” to talk about Howley? What utter crap.
Joost, Howley & Dawson were all fantastic. (And I can’t stand S.A.)

See ya.