B&I Lions vs. Western Force

[Kofi Annan]

Tis a beautiful thing to see a Lions team with two Ulstermen.

Aye , It's bold and it is beautiful . And their colours they are fine.

[Snipe Watson]

by Snipe Watson » Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:14 am

My worry about all of these warm up matches is that there is potential for injuries and 'other damage' to players. We have seen this before in Australia.

Exactly the same as every other Lions tour. Whats the big issue?

Only in Australia have I seen specific players targeted in the warm up games. That's the big issue, it's a worry...........

[Scranner]

Whereas in NZ they target them in the tests!!

[UlsterNo9]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3zr2HJv6BE

Doddie Weir - South Africa immediately springs to mind.

Load of nonsense, get on with it and play

[Scranner]

Just watched that, No9. Criminal! Just goes to show why there's no place for foul play in the game. It's just too fecking dangerous.

[Scranner]

Speaking of which ... Healy off with an ankle injury and one of the Force players has accused him of biting.

[breakdown]

FT, Lions win 69-17. Could have been better, but for a team thrown together with little preparation time I would take it. Heaslip, O'Brien, BOD, and Vunipola all stand out performers, Healy had a nasty looking injury too. Best throwing not great either

Going on the two games so far, a test team of:

1. Vunipola (on the assumption Healy is out)
2. Hibbard
3. Jones
4. Parling
5. AWJ
6. Lydiate
7. SOB
8. Heaslip

9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Roberts
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny

16. Best
17. Jenkins/Vunipola
18. Cole
19. Evans
20. Tipuric
21. Youngs
22. Farrell
23. Cuthburt

wouldnt be too far off the mark. No Warburton as he hasnt played, B.Youngs on the bench as i thought Murray was really awful today, a big physical presence but mostly provides slow ball with little precision, Young's has a much quicker, cleaner pass which will be ideal for Sexton

[Setanta]

Best had two missed lineouts where the Jumper did not get up high enough or on time; I thought he threw well. The Australian stuck his fingers in Healey's mouth and he had to struggle NOT to bite him. The Player himself had second thoughts and said nothing was deliberate. Much ado about nothing on both counts.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

by Snipe Watson » Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:14 am

My worry about all of these warm up matches is that there is potential for injuries and 'other damage' to players. We have seen this before in Australia.

Exactly the same as every other Lions tour. Whats the big issue?

Not sure if it's different in australia, but over here it's a magazine thingy you buy off a seller in the middle of a road at traffic lights.

[mikerob]

I think you are being charitable to Besty for one of the missed line outs. It went over AWJ at full stretch - a definite overthrow.

[Bart S]

Rory neither played himself into contention for a starting spot nor completely out of contention. I'd say Hibbard came out as first choice and after the first 2 games will still be in pole position. Based on the 6 Nations as well it would be hard to argue otherwise.

Youngs is a likely impact sub so Rory could well miss out on test selection. Long way to go though and there will be a decent test of Youngs' throwing at the weekend when he starts against the Reds.

[BR]

by Snipe Watson » Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:14 am

My worry about all of these warm up matches is that there is potential for injuries and 'other damage' to players. We have seen this before in Australia.

Exactly the same as every other Lions tour. Whats the big issue?

Not sure if it's different in australia, but over here it's a magazine thingy you buy off a seller in the middle of a road at traffic lights.

Is that not 'Big Issues' ?

[ruckover]

I think you are being charitable to Besty for one of the missed line outs. It went over AWJ at full stretch - a definite overthrow.

There were at least two where he completely overthrew AWJ. He certainly hasn't done anything to get rid of the notion he is poor at line-out throwing and based on that I'd say he's still third choice. It's why he was left out of the test squad in the first place and if he hasn't got it sorted, he's only justifying Gatland's call to leave him out originally.

BD - I'd go with that team too, except for Warburton. If he's fit he will play and I'd expect SOB to move out to 6 instead.

[bazzaj]

FT, Lions win 69-17. Could have been better, but for a team thrown together with little preparation time I would take it. Heaslip, O'Brien, BOD, and Vunipola all stand out performers, Healy had a nasty looking injury too. Best throwing not great either

Going on the two games so far, a test team of:

1. Vunipola (on the assumption Healy is out)
2. Hibbard
3. Jones
4. Parling
5. AWJ
6. Lydiate
7. SOB
8. Heaslip

9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Roberts
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny

16. Best
17. Jenkins/Vunipola
18. Cole
19. Evans
20. Tipuric
21. Youngs
22. Farrell
23. Cuthburt

wouldnt be too far off the mark. No Warburton as he hasnt played, B.Youngs on the bench as i thought Murray was really awful today, a big physical presence but mostly provides slow ball with little precision, Young's has a much quicker, cleaner pass which will be ideal for Sexton

No surprises in that game and just what I was expecting really.
Think it could have been 100+ if we had gone wider earlier but rightly wanted to stick with the gameplan to get go forward.
They would not have flung the ball against better oppo with success and would also have got into bad habits in the process.
Perhaps that was the learning point from previous tours as its all about the test matches and the test selection is a lot clearer now.

Agree with the back line BD selected completely and Bowes experience nudges him ahead over Cuthbert.
In the pack however would have Jenkins to start with Vunipola to impact from the bench if Healy is not available.
Hibbards darts puts him well ahead of Best at this stage.
Best struggles to find the back of the lineout and they had to revert to the middle today to secure ball.
Not having off the top ball at the back removes a massive attacking threat and he will have to play the best rugby of his career to get back in contention.
People who could not understand his inital omission can possibly see it more clearly now.

Elsewhere POC will start but I cannot decide the back row as by making Warbuton captain there is a necessity to include him.
Otherwise would have Tipuric, SOB and Heaslip on current form.
Unfortunately that is a Welsh/Irish 15 but if thats the strongest team so be it.
I think the likes of Vunipola, Tuilagi, Gray,the Youngs bros, Farrell, Hogg, Croft, Parling, Cole etc could have a massive part to play off the bench.

[AndyB]

I would buy into the dodgy thrower reason as to why Rory was omitted if it wasn't for the fact that Hartley got picked instead. He is not steady eddie either and his throwing has disintegrated in some big matches.