The UAFC

tigerburnie wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 10:46 pm The Boks have played no rugby, I would not be surprised if the Lions win this by more than a score, their skipper has just recovered from covid, could struggle to play more than 40 minutes.

Bar the South Africa A game which was basically the Springboks team, Lions have had games but they have been very one sided.

South Africa "A" looked sharp enough for a team with no rugby.

Snipe Watson wrote:

Dave wrote: ↑Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:14 pm I'd say banker will be making a big deal of this.

Nah

Yep

https://www.planetrugby.com/british-and ... pointment/

Cockatrice wrote:Jesus can’t believe some think Cooney should be a Lions starter…

Why not? Price is rubbish and Murray completely off form. He's a better kicker than Biggar.

UlsterNo9 wrote:
It's a bit of an unfiar position to put Jonker in. He could end up over compensating in the opposite direction.

Well the Lions won by two hair line decisions of the TMO -- but that may have been the Boks best match to win to put pressure on the Lions in the next two ; but , the Lions can't be complacent .

What was learnt in the outing Lawes is a better 6 than most would admit especially in a physical confrontation were his errors etc are lost in the heat of the fray likewise Itoje .

Both teams played marginally offside in the backs where wrap a round tackling was forgotten in the SHOULDER CHARGE to the chest.

Both sides thus seldom tried to pass the ball along the back line opting more often for a high box kick as I expected given that De Klerk is possibly the best box kick in world rugby at the moment every kick being contestable . And also providing the reason why Stockdale was omitted from the selection ( he's not as bad as his reputation but has the reputation )

It may be interesting to see what changes are made in the Lions team for the next game and I expect some minors adjustments to stop the players being complacent.

A lot going on in that match, and in other ways not a lot going on. A real arm wrestle and kick fest.

I'll start right at the final whistle, Itoje stripped the ball and then played it on the ground, should have been a penalty to the Springboks. And just to add before that when the Lions won a kickable penalty with 3-4 minutes to go against a team with so little offensive threat, I would argue territory is too important and they should have went to the corner and milked the clock.

Pitch awful, and probably going to get worse match after match.

Springboks attack consists of box kicks and attempting to get scrum penalties, not really a lot else and when you have some of the backs they have it is such a pity.

Hamish Watson no idea how that isn't a card, but it feels like rules have been changing during this season so what do I know.

Would argue on Le Roux's non try I thought it was a forward pass, and definitely feel Le Roux's foot was in front of the ball which I'm assuming is off side?! Thought on Van der Merwe when he nearly scored and they ruled it forward that was pretty debateable.

Ali Price a far better scrum half than Murray if you want any kind of pace in the game which is probably that way the Lions need to play it.

Expect Wyn Jones will come back at prop, not sure if Biggar is OK and unfortunately Hendo isn't going to get any minutes unless they decide they need more grunt on the bench which might be a possibility.

Lurgan Lad wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:02 am
Hamish Watson no idea how that isn't a card, but it feels like rules have been changing during this season so what do I know.

Would argue on Le Roux's non try I thought it was a forward pass, and definitely feel Le Roux's foot was in front of the ball which I'm assuming is off side?!

Agreed
I'd swap Hogg and Williams, Adams for vDM and possibly Farrell for Daly

not to sure about the call for Farrell instead of Daly TBH Farrell has played like a rabbit caught in the head lights and is looking for time to think --knowing he is target NO1. He also is an extremely iffy tackler with a bad technique .

In my book the lions will be hoping Bigger passes the HIA before Saturday. If he fails it could AKI at 12

I think Hamish Watson got the benefit of the call because the in truth guy didn't go down that hard and to a degree made it look worse in his attempt to hold and play the ball backwards also his treatment after the tackle was milking the situation to see a card given (A bit like Payne at Ravenhill ) give the Ref and TMO enough time to think and think -- the mans injured its card time -- what colour --man injured --- It must be Red and it was never a red.

Is the a rule that we on uafc try to pretend this series isn't happening?
Seems a bit churlish?!

Don’t think so Bobbi. Might be a bit more activity if Hendy was involved but when he is competing against the captain whose leadership is seen as key and a guy who is one of the best locks in the world he has got a tough gig. If the Lions win on Sat I reckon he’ll get a game for the 3rd Test.

It is possible Hendy May be the only Ireland player not in the squad for the 2nd Test if Bundee gets the nod over Daly whom I thought was pretty poor in the first test and had his weaknesses exposed.

Thought Ali Price showed up reasonably well and hopefully silenced some of the Irish medya who were gurning about his selection, forgetting that Conor Murray is no longer off for,, if that form hasn’t really been produced for 3 years,

The odd thing for me is that Gatland also seemed to forget that when making him captain!

Price was OK.

Most of Gatland’s relatively controversial picks - Daly, VDM, Hogg and C-D - were all pretty average.

Slightly strange game really - something of a phoney war at times.

This Saturday should be livelier, especially after the Saffers saw Hamish, the posh English fella, get away with a spear tackle.

Murray Mako and Harris in for Price, Sutherland and Daly.

Daly on bench instead of Liam William's and Faletau on bench ahead of Watson

Saffers to go 6 2 and front-load the physicality?

Springbok team to face the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium:

15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 63 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 15 caps, 40 pts (8t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps, 15 pts (3t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 48 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 15 caps, 70 pts (14t)
10 – Handré Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 50 caps, 477pts (6t, 78c, 93p, 4d)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 31 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 1 cap, 0 pts
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers) – 57 caps, 25 pts (5t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 52 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 41 caps, 5pts (1t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 87 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 5pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 38 caps, 40 pts (8t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps, 5pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 35 caps, 30 pts (6t)
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 44 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 21 caps, 0 pts
19 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 46 caps, 25 pts (5t)
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 pts
21 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 8 caps, 5 pts (1t)
22 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 25 pts (5t)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 5pts (1t)

What does Murray have on Gatland? There is no rational explanation for this selection. Plodding performance at the best of times.