Lions Tour of NZ 2017

[bazzaj]

Firstly brilliant from fleg loving your work.

Secondly I think it's only going to get worse for our wide men
Heard that Hoggs tour is over and I really believe whoever is flown out as replacement could be looking at a place in the test squad due to our complete lack of cutting edge out wide.
Its almost an sos take a punt call to Salmona or Ringrose in complete desperation.
Daves looking right with his assertion that noone else in the backs has the x factor.

As for Warbuton I don't see what he brings to the table.
In terms of balance we have to stick with the same back row v the Crusaders.
He isn't particularly dynamic or confrontational as those guys are and I don't think an honest grafter is going to particularly trouble the All Blacks or Maori

I personally can't understand the reasons Warbuton is captained whilst you would take Haskell over Robshaw given they are similar players with similar characters.

Well I suppose one is Welsh.

But that's this Lions tour mantra -the non Welsh have to play themselves in whilst the Welsh have to play themselves out.

[rumncoke]

Don't see anybody being called up at this stage to be honest with options available at full back -Halfpenny Payne Watson Daly and Williams while some are less appealing than others I can't think of any others in the U.K who would be better than those available.

The lions problem is not at full back it is on the wings . NH rugby seldom gets the ball out to a wing in space due to centres running laterally and drift defences

New Zealanders look to get the ball wide as quickly as possible to exploit the space.

[BaggyTrousers]

Oh yes, "perfect conditions didn't suit the Lions"

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Again Scott Quinnell analysis and if you don't think conditions play a part in rugby you clearly are unravelling like a Lions scrum.
I suppose you know more than Scott Quinnell though?
Feck me mate you are losing it.

Moronic.

Mate, I normally enjoy engaging with you but of late you aren't making a great deal of sense.
Hope alls ok and Im going to lay off you for the foreseeable.

You are a witless buffoon Jizzbag, what part of "perfect conditions didn't suit the Lions" do you not understand as indefensible rubbish. Poor conditions impinge on the ability of both teams to play & can often be a leveller. Perfect conditions mean what it says on the tin, it offers neither side an excuse.

Why do you find that so hard to understa .............oh wait, it's because you are a fuc'king moron trying to be cleverer than your mental abilities allow.

Now I hope you can understand that, I deliberately avoided complicated words to ensure you'd have the best chance.

You might consider apologising for your stupid sentence "Again Scott Quinnell analysis and if you don't think conditions play a part in rugby you clearly are unravelling like a Lions scrum", moronic was the only suitable word, what I said was perfect sense as I've explained, just for you.

I'll not hold my breath waiting for the penny to drop and you to accept how dumb your response was.

[Dave]

Sinkcler getting stick on social media for making a break.

[Rooster]

It's interesting that some of the English media are calling on Gatland to be merciless with Warburton even though he is team captain.

Stupid choice as captain as he is as robust as a newly signed Ulster player

[Dave]

Tipuric has been shafted by the lions.
He's like an extra back, which is handy if your backs are tom kite.

[BaggyTrousers]

I am not a big Warburton fan but I think some are treating him as a Dave, I don't think that's accurate. The other back rows aren't exactly setting the world alight.

Stander had a huge struggle to get into the game today, the Highlanders stopped him in his tracks time after time early on. Fair play to him he got better as the game went on but a worrying performance, though not on the scale of Payne's disaster, given he only need to look rock solid to be favoured for at least a bench spot given his talent at 13 in defensive mode & full back.

Was O'Brien brilliant last Saturday? Some say he was & I didn't see the full game, what I did see he was ok bordering on good.

Haskell is a clown, Tipuric never Gatland's first choice & only Toby F looking to be on top form though Moriarty has done ok & has the advantage of being Welsh, something that POM doesn't have. I will be surprised if Capt. Warburton is not starting both on Saturday & the following Saturday.

Of course given the pack & penalties is Gatland's only viable option in any of the tests, he could well be tempted to look towards Itoje or Hendy at 6, though surely Hendy couldn't get that lucky, he was ok today, nothing more than that.

[againstthehead]

My backrow would be Falatau, SOB and POM this weekend and see how they fair. Bloody tough game on Saturday - Maori's won't have had long together but they have some serious firepower in the backs. In fact, I'd say more attacking threat in the wider channels than the ABs but defensively will be suspect. Add to that, what Roturua means to the Maori and this is a real challenge for the test team - expect blood and thunder stuff. If the Lions have one eye on the first test they'll be in for a another tough day at the office.

[BaggyTrousers]

My backrow would be Falatau, SOB and POM this weekend and see how they fair. Bloody tough game on Saturday - Maori's won't have had long together but they have some serious firepower in the backs. In fact, I'd say more attacking threat in the wider channels than the ABs but defensively will be suspect. Add to that, what Roturua means to the Maori and this is a real challenge for the test team - expect blood and thunder stuff. If the Lions have one eye on the first test they'll be in for a another tough day at the office.

I'm a big fan of POM but he has the problem of not being Welsh, Gatland likes his Welsh players. I'll be surprised if it's not SOB/Toby/Warburton on Saturday.

[Dave]

Maori back three of Milner-Skudder, McKenzie and Lowe would be terrific to watch. Might give the lions a headache or two.

[ruckover]

Maori back three of Milner-Skudder, McKenzie and Lowe would be terrific to watch. Might give the lions a headache or two.

They'll give the Lions more than one or two headaches. Those three are better than any back three the Lions could put out, Lowe is an outstanding signing for Leinster.

[Dave]

Maori back three of Milner-Skudder, McKenzie and Lowe would be terrific to watch. Might give the lions a headache or two.

They'll give the Lions more than one or two headaches. Those three are better than any back three the Lions could put out, Lowe is an outstanding signing for Leinster.

Ulster have a better back three than the lions.

[againstthehead]

All Blacks team to play Samoa at Eden Park tomorrow night:

Ben Smith (c), Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moodie.

Reserves
Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Vaea Fifita, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Jordie Barrett.

No surprises with Coles, Crotty and Kieran Read out injured. Backrow is a little questionable with Savea still a bit raw and hasn't played much at 8 whilst Kaino is back from injury and hasn't been amazing this season. Julian Savea has been average this season but he tends to come right when it's needed. Ben Smith is back from a head-knock so again could be rusty. SBW is a bench-man for me. Considering the number of Samoans living in Auckland, I'd imagine Samoa will treat this as a home game and come out pretty hard.

[BaggyTrousers]

A pretty mouthwatering team just the same Agen. For me, that is a team built to attack. The backrow looks incredibly mobile but as you saw, two of them have been out for a while. I like Ardie Savea a lot, he has an incredible engine on him, tremendous pace and great handling skills.

Think I'll take a look at it.

[Dave]

Ardie Savea is class. He never stops. He's the NZ Chris Henry.