summer rugby

Balanced?
It’s a team of boshers. There is no finesse; Bowe and 1/2p aside. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not balanced.
As for warbs being the best player over two tests? Not a chance in hell. A reasoned argument for that doesn’t exist particularly when he was so poor in the first test.
Gats has simply chosen the most defensive team he possibly could.

What is your balanced/ finesse match day squad Wrecker?

A genuine question as I don’t think the other options add enough gain to counter the potential losses as a team. The more risky (?), exciting options are on the bench (Manu/ Tipuric/ Murray/ Gray/ Cole) to make for an exciting finish from a a solid start.

I would say the bench selection is looking pretty good too unlike the previous tests which was solid to be replaced with solid. At least this bench has attacking potential too

Phillips and Hibbard are the two that I’m surprised at….Youngs and Murray for me.

Personally I’d have gone SOB Tips and Toby in the back row too.

The reason I won’t question gats stuff too hard is because of the bench. There are some potential game changers on there as danw says. Croft would be on there for me though.
My main hope is that mikey plays well. If he can get quick ball to sexton, we might see some good rugby. We’ve not had any penetration so far, without line breaks coming from people other than north I think we’re ****.
I will probably get flamed for this, but i think danny care would have been a real asset to this team. Mind you, I bet we’ve all got a countryman that we feel aggrieved because they didn’t tour.
I would be making half time substitutions, not 60-70 minutes.

Gotama – Member
… Agreed with above in that murray should start and philips on the bench…
Welsh history against the Aussies….and he’s basically picked Wales.

Dec 12 Home Lost 14-12
June 12 Away Lost 20-19
June 12 Away Lost 25-23
June 12 Away Lost 27-19
Dec 11 Home Lost 24-18
Oct 11 World Cup in NZ Lost 21-18
Nov 10 Home Lost 25-16
Nov 09 Home Lost 33-12
Nov 08 Home WON 21-18
Sept 07 Home Lost 32-20
June 07 Away Lost 31-0
May 07 Away Lost 29-23

Just wanted to add one detail to Gotama’s post.
That Nov 08 result was the game when Wales they played Cooper, not Phillips, at 9.

Good “solid start” from him in the first test too, DanW?

Wrecker,
Slightly disagree with you claiming halfpee’s finesse.
Goalkicking -yes.
But in open play he’s got the rugby brain of a bosher, just lacks the size.
A sort of “Mini-bosh”, or Half-boshey

Agree about Danny Care , though. Said something similar months back, that Oz pitches and style should suit him.

Not quite a countryman, but for me, the player they needed more than most was the Richardt Strauss, Leinster hooker and darts champion. If he had no intention of ever playing Rory Best, then he should have taken a chance on someone else. Strange, but we’ve missed the naughty kiwi.

The counter to the argument boshers don’t work would be to ask how did Scotland beat Aus? A pointless argument I’ll admit 😀 Nevertheless, I don’t think the NH have the guile to out-guile (or out-finesse) Aus so why try to beat them at their own game?

With 1/2p the way he plays (or is coached to play) is almost exclusively defensively- he covers a massive amount of ground to free up more players in the team for other duties.

Euan Murray beat Oz that day.
But being Scottish, it’s not an available option.

1/2p is capable of some blinding line breaking runs. I don’t think he tries to go through every time, he has the pace to go around. We need to split the feckers open and turn their heads. Get them running towards their line, not away from it.

Being a bosher and having skill are not mutually exclusive, North is a big hard hitting lad but there is plenty of skill in the way he plays.

There are very few players who have really hit top form and nailed down their place on this tour. When you think of the fit players who have nailed down their places a lot happen to be welsh: 1/2p, North, Jonesx2 (Roberts maybe). Of the remaining fit players I would suggest only Corbs and Sexton are nailed on. That’s 4/5 welsh 1 Irish 1 English. The rest of the places are up for grabs because the test performances have not been good enough, there can be no complaints.

Looks like a lineout disaster waiting to happen. Centre pairing understandable given injuries prevented new partnerships to build. Backrow choice has been muddled all tour..

if lions wins genius decision

if they lose ……oh dear

AA fair summary but would have kept BOD and Roberts, better blend, chance of playing the ball wide

Philips if fit was first choice

Corebsario again first choice

backrow as AA says muddled

Not quite so new, it’s been out for a few days now 😛

zokes – Member

Not quite so new, it’s been out for a few days now

Yeah I know.

Thought I’d just try and lighten the mood of doom and gloom on here. 😉

Thought I’d just try and lighten the mood of doom and gloom on here.

I’m cheery enough. If it all goes TU, even AA would struggle to blame the English 😆

Personally I’m looking forward to having North and 1/2p on my side for the last time in four years!

Its not often I agree with Campo but he’s got a point.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/lions-tour/campese-questions-tourists-approach-as-aussies-turn-to-smith-29394423.html

To a certain extent I think we went into our shell a bit in the second Test, especially at 15-9 up. We could have kicked on and finished it off then.

I have read a lot of rubbish about momentum shifts but I don’t buy into that.

As much as it is a Test series, they are all one-off games and we are confident we can still do it.

I think Adam Jones’ assesment is right on the mark. In both tests the lions have built a decent lead and then i think they have all started to think about the clock. Same again on Saturday but play to the end and finish it off. Starting to get squeaky bum again already!

Blindmelon – I clicked on your link and got this

http://www.independent.ie/woman/fashion/jourdan-dunns-breasts-hinder-couture-catwalk-dreams-29392427.html 😯

Rumbled

Let me guess Campo is critical of the lions not playing expansive runnning rugby? I suppose it worked against ingland in the 92?!? World cup final. Dont think Roberts and Davues are as easily swayed as Carling and Guscott were.

Actually it is normally wise to ignore Campo and he is a wind up merchant at the best of times. Yes, ’92 was the perfect example of a spoof and England fell for it hook, line and sinker. But in this case, he is a bit closer to the truth IMO.

We need to get across the gain line and play some rugby without going OTT. As an Englishman, it feels too much like watching England on a bad day. I want to see some of the Irish/Wales back line flair. Taking the ball at speed etc. At the moment, is is looking too predictable. BOD used to provide this with great angles, support and off loads, but I think he has lost this edge and hence the need to change.

Australia team: Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), Israel Folau (NSW), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW), Christian Leali’ifano (ACT Brumbies), Joe Tomane (Brumbies), James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), Will Genia (Reds); Benn Robinson (NSW), Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), James Horwill (Reds – capt), Kane Douglas (NSW), Ben Mowen (ACT), George Smith (Brumbies), Wycliff Palu (NSW).

Replacements: Saia Fainga’a (Reds), James Slipper (Reds), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Reds), Ben McCalman (Western Force), Michael Hooper (NSW), Nick Phipps (Rebels), Jesse Mogg (Brumbies).

Looks remarkabley like Hooper is covering centre again 🙂
Guess they saw Davies there and figured he won that one last time. 😉

What is Deans thinking! Settled starting team with only one change to the previous match and that is to bring in a 30+yr old rugby legend.

Deans for Lions 2017? 😀

It is a clear anti-Gatland stance 😀

Lions get rid of a legend so Aus bring one in 😀

A timely reworking of an old classic…

Muke – Member
An appropriate working of an old classic…

Bloody groundhog day in here

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/summer-rugby/page/38#post-5125057

I looked back a couple of pages b4 posting as well 😳

Been away all week on field trip. I presume everyones piss has been boiling at a suitable temperature? At least you can all blame Gatland and the welsh if it goes wrong!

No, I’ve come to like it. Can’t find who to quote, but if the Lions win, we can all rejoice. If Australia win, we can blame the welsh. Seems like a win win to me.

AA, all calm on here but more concerned that Murray may revert to being Scottish and Gatts a Kiwi (rather than honory Brit) at this rate. But hope neither is the case!!!!

Tense already. Fingers crossed for a lineout.

Adam jones comments on his test team mates.

Jamie roberts is a classic 🙂

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23197555

Fatrick Swazye 🙂

Still don’t get the BOD dropping. The Aussie’s hold him in great esteem and all the backs will and at least one loose forward will have half an eye on him for as long as he’s on the pitch. Hibbard for hooker better bosher but maybe not as mobile, as much as I hate to say it Cole should be on.

Cole? Three props?

Cole rather than Adam? You are crazy. Cole has had one good 20mins and one crap 20mins. Adam has been outstanding throughout.

in case anyone is unable to go to the pub or have sky
http://cricfree.tv/sky-sports-1-live-stream-online.php

I think he’s got cole confused with youngs.

so gatland justified then 🙂