summer rugby

duckman – Member
I didn’t say Phillips was poo

that was me 😉

England U20’s are world champs – beating the Jnr AB’s before then Wales in the final.

Huzzah.

No, i agree with you duckman

OZ backline for next test rumoured to be

9. Genia
10. Beale
12. Lealiifano
13. Ben Tapuai
15. Folau
11 & 14. O’Connor and either Nick Cummins or Luke Morahan

Despite the injuries that is a dangerous looking line up.

Starting to think there will be a change or two. We got the result, but we were very lucky. They know there’s work to do, and improvement needed.
Tomorrow looks very much like a ” playing for places ” selection.
TBH, don’t think the management are that happy with the last two performances, and we’ll see them really go for it against Melbourne. And reckon there’s a spot up for grabs – probably between between Lydiate, Faletau and SOB. Just not sure who’s spot yet.

100 % sure Warburton’s playing on Saturday. He was better than the week before, which was better than his first game. He’s captain, and he’s improving week on week.
Be interesting to see who get’s the rest at 60 of the 2 locks, and the two flankers. Or if he leaves them both out there and Croft and Tips both come on as BR subs.
If he was to demote Croft, who’s our next best jumper – Warburton, Heaslip, Lydiate?

ijs445ra

that does look good.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they swapped the centres in defence too.
Protect CL who could be goalkicking, and put Tapaui in for the hits.

I hope there is a big reaction from tomorrows team, with injury concerns etc there has to be places up for grabs and you would expect them all to be keen to get a Lions test jersey.

Does Heaslip not do a fair bit of jumping for Leinster and Ireland? Can’t recall seeing the other two doing much.

Edit: That is not doing much jumping rather than not doing much of anything 🙂

He’s not bad, but no Croft.
He’d be my guess, if picked, but don’t know enough about Warburton / Lydiate.
I seem to remember seeing a lot of Faletau lining up in the centres off lineouts, so guessed one of them two must be a decent jumper ?
Might be completely wrong here…

What I was getting at, is Warburton’s nailed on. If he’s a jumper, then there’s more scope for change.
If he never jumps, then the best of the other at jumping is more likely to play.
Chances are it’s heaslip, leaving 6 as the position up for grabs.
If lydiate a good jumper too, I’d say he defo in for Saturday.

Think it’s significant that now 7 is nailed down, SOB’s starting there this week and Lydiate’s being given a chance to go for the 6 position. If tommorrow works out, I’d bet on Lydiate starting the next test.

There might be an outside chance of them then having Croft cover lock/6 from sub, and picking another 7 on the bench.

ijs445ra – Member
OZ backline for next test rumoured to be

9. Genia
10. Beale
12. Lealiifano
13. Ben Tapuai
15. Folau
11 & 14. O’Connor and either Nick Cummins or Luke Morahan

Cummings but no Mogg! I’m surprised.

That aussie backline will be devastating with enough ball.
Arguments about Phillips or Youngs aside hasnt Dawson got this arse about face?

Matt Dawson

Former Lions scrum-half
He believes Youngs’ quicker, less-confrontational style may suite the Lions’ cause better than the famously combative Wales scrum-half Phillips.

“The Lions are all about momentum,” he said.

“They need pattern, they need to get into strategy and actually they didn’t do that until, really, Ben Youngs came on with 20 minutes to go.

“And all of a sudden everything calmed down, people could get into position and just run the clock out and they threatened a couple of times.”

First bit could be true butI thought the Lions started the last 20 with a comfortable ish lead and then very near **** it up and in fact should really have lost. The replacements in the front row seemed to do the most damage but Youngs didnt preside over an easy close out of the game at all.

POC is a huge loss, I’m gutted for him as a chance to be a Lions hero at this stage of his career was there for the taking. We need plenty of cool heads and experience, Warburton’s only 25 but he’s got to start IMO. Saturday will be a huge pressure game, even more so than Brisbane, sorry to be boring but it’s about control, territory and keeping the scoreboard ticking along. The Lions have players that can hurt Australia, holes will appear when the Aussies are under pressure.

@a_a – I think Phillips is first choice at 9 as you’ll see from my posts, but what do you think about his “chase” of Genia on the first Aussie try ?

Shit. But to be fair Genia is **** rapid. When Genia turns him and then puts the after burners on it was game over. Phillips could have sprinted for his life it would have made no difference.
Ioum I cant see any of tuesdays starters starting saturday. Bench at best again for Lydiate or SOB. Parlings been pulled out so he starts saturday. Bowe and Parling and maybe Roberts are the changes. Tuilagi may bench as Roberts could cover 15.

Philips was ambling back when there was a good chance they could have been stopped, not great from him. Genia had a much better game however Youngs would not do any better than Philips at stopping him and Gatland will go with experience again. Maybe Yongs to come on a bit sooner on Saturday if Philips doesn’t look any sharper around the base.

Overall I would rather be in our position, we had good possession and territory and the goal kicking was immense again. The injury blow to POC is bad but there are other players who are far more vital, the squad of forwards in general is pretty good, plenty of line out operators and born tacklers in the mix. For some reason we just lacked the spark to turn the possession and territory pressure in to points although we were comfortably ahead early in the second half, a bit sharper game management could have made it a comfortable victory in the end.

Anyone fancy doing a world xv pick? For the first time in a while I’ve seen recent games involving every major rugby nation (I caught a bit of a Scotland game too 😀 )

Mine:

1.Tony Woodcock
2. du Plessis
3. Adam Jones
4. Eben Etzbeth
5. POC
6. Thierry Dusatoir
7. Ritchie Mccaw
8. Kieran Read
9. Will Genia
10. Dan Carter
11. Julian Savea
12. Wesley Fofana
13. BOD
14. That Aussie Fofau
15. Sorry 1/2p but Israel Daggs just edges it.

How to play Genia:

Nice vid but I don’t think you are going to get that every time, once in the series would be a result.

Thats al very well ioum but thats **** all to do with Genia and all about dicking their scrum. Nice wheel to cut him off from the easy pass and then put the drive on. Even croft could do what SOB does in that clip!!!!! The hard part is how to stop Genia when he has front foot ball and plenty of runners coming off him and the fringe defence is poor.

Tom B – Member
Anyone fancy doing a world xv pick? For the first time in a while I’ve seen recent games involving every major rugby nation (I caught a bit of a Scotland game too )

Mine:

1.Tony Woodcock
2. du Plessis
3. Adam Jones
4. Eben Etzbeth
5. POC
6. Thierry Dusatoir
7. Ritchie Mccaw
8. Kieran Read
9. Will Genia
10. Dan Carter
11. Julian Savea
12. Wesley Fofana
13. BOD
14. That Aussie Fofau
15. Sorry 1/2p but Israel Daggs just edges it.

Hmm, as always you can argue most of the positions but not a bad team at all! 🙂

Except I wouldn’t have BOD in there. He’s going in over Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Rene Ranger, just to name 3 NZers? On current form I’d pick one of those, maybe Smith as he looks like he’s turning 50 next week. (He looks older every match I see.)

Nonu is on the bench alongside Corbs, Hoare, Cole, Pocock, Parisse, Parra and 1/2p

Cole? Are you on crack?

Name me the better option….fwiw a great deal of sports journo’s had Cole in the starting xv earlier in the year.

In fact, name your 15 you infuriating Henson lover-no supergav allowed though 🙂

Franks, Mas one of those DuPlesise all better than Cole whose form has dropped of a cliff recently. The first 15 was good. I would have Picamoles over Parisse but you need a lock really no idea who I’d pick AW Jones but I may be biased! You also need a ten so sexton

Corbs (but on becaue stampy healey is broken), Youngs, Franks, AW Jones, Picamoles, Phillips,Sexton and Nonu

No comedy gav pick. I iz disappoint 🙂

Lock is a funny one…AW Jones was my thought as a third pick.

Just read that an arrest warrant has been issued for Loane so he may be a doubt for the weekend!

I’ve totally forgotten the name of the French 8, but I’ve have him instead of Parisse*.

I wouldn’t have Parra – there are several NZ 9s I’d have instead, or Ruan Pienaar.

And Mtwarira on the bench just so that the crowd could hidd ‘Beeeeeeaaaaaastttttttt’ when he comes on.

a_a got it – Picamoles.

What about that big lock from the warratahs he was a monster

That stampy Horwill fella is no slouch either!

Can’t have McCaw in there, he’s on a year off still isn’t he?

6 months all done and dusted I thought?

Ah ok, I stand corrected. Didn’t think I saw him playing Fance though.

Seems like his sabbatical just caught the France series. Due backnfor the rugby championship.

And if you thought the Horwill verdict was bollox…
😉

“If I am to uphold this citing I must conclude that the Player has lied to me. My assessment of the Player is that he is honest: he immediately accepted that he had grabbed an opponent’s testicles – he did not attempt to dispute that fact – and he said that there is no room in the game for insidious acts. Further there was no attempt to weaken the evidence given by Strauss who himself accepted that there was probably no malicious intention.
“In those circumstances I determine on the balance of probabilities that the Player did not intend to squeeze Strauss’s testicles, nor were his actions reckless. In the dynamic situation of a ruck in which he was attempting to clear out an opponent he attempted to grab hold of his shorts and accidentally grabbed his testicles.”

http://www.espn.co.uk/blogs/rugby/story/187293.html

Further there was no attempt to weaken the evidence given by Strauss who himself accepted that there was probably no malicious intention.

Do they even consult with the “victims” before they waste time and money on these citings?
I’ve never grabbed an opponents testicles, but a team mate had a fondness for flicking them. Somewhat unmaginatively, he called it the testiflick. He made many people very angry.

Tipuric on for O’Brien at the 50 minute (ish) mark, a sign for Saturdays team?

Possibly, one of them will be on the bench.

The big sign is that both locks played 80. So maybe Croft will cover lock and 6?
Maybe from the bench, with Lydiate starting?
Either way, there could be a spot freed up on the bench.
Tipuric probably more likely than SOB as an out and out 7.
And he’s Welsher 😉

Reports say Faletau had a stormer. But played 80 mins. might be a real wildcard for that bench spot, he’s fit enough to do 2 games in a week.

Maitland and Manu (and Zebo)also played 80.
To me, that says Roberts is fit. And Kearney’s moved ahead of Maitland for a bench spot, although much more likely to be JD if not in starting 15.
Then there’s Tommy Bowe too 🙂

Apparently Gatald says Roberts unlikely to play. Leaves JD as likely starter.
Puzzling why Manu’s played 80 minutes. Not rated?

The big sign is that both locks played 80. So maybe Croft will cover lock and 6?

Parling was pulled from the squad so he starts Saturday.
Given Joubert is likely to police the breakdown like Pillock did SOB would be a better option than Tipuric to bench. Turnovers are banned front foot ball is needed.
Changes will be Parling, Bowe to start or bench over maitland and Roberts to start if fit over Davies

Needs game time I reckon and he’s unlikely to be needed for more than 20 mins on saturday (if he’s even on the bench).

I am going with the below for 2nd test on the assumption that Corbisero/J Roberts are not going to be fit and I think Kearney came off with an injury today which is why he did not play the 80. Don’t see Gatland changing much except where necessary.

I dont think they can afford to have a specialist wing or fullback as the third back on the bench, Manu could cover 12-14 if necessary but I think Maitland is more likely to be on the bench again to cover back three and allow a rejig if required of North to centre for example.

1. Grant
2. Youngs
3. Jones
4. AWJ
5. Parling
6. Lydiate
7. Warburton
8. Heaslip
9. Philips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Davies
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. 1/2p

Vunipola
Hibbard
Cole
Gray/Croft
Obrien
Youngs
Farrell
Maitland/Tualagi

Can’t see Lydiate coming in, and I’d prefer Vunipola at Loose head. Otherwise, yep.

Grey’s poo would really appear to smell,so Croft on bench and Vunipola to start,although Grant is a better scrummager. Tuilagi will get the nod as well.