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True, BH, but pilferers are usually good at protecting possession too. And I doubt the Lions will kick it quite as much this week.

Does a sporting tribunal have to act like a court of law? I'd have thought that it did not. It's not created by statute and it's not governed by legal precedent or by the same rules of evidence and so on. The lawyer-ification of such processes (ie Horwill having a QC (Quade Cooper) present) seems to be an...

Some gold work by the rugby reporters. Thanks for posting those, Sully.

BOD to captain?

Triple, I'd say, Slim. At least. Could be quadruple, even centuple.

Rugby players, other than QC (Quade Cooper), aren't very good at those kicks. They tend to kick to where the player is, rather than putting it on the try line. You want the ball to come down right around the try line so that the defender is back-pedalling and the attack leaping with pace, coming down over the...

Most stats site aren't 100% reliable. I always think they are more helpful as giving indications of performance or testing perceptions.

I don't think Douglas has been better than average in either game, but that's fine. He hasn't been a liability either. You're right on the line out, but it makes a difference that Douglas is an option, whereas Timani is not.

By the way, it's pretty interesting to look at the stats from the second test. http://www.rugbystats.com.au/matches/rugby/match22231.html Mowen, who everyone thinks had a great game: 3 tackles, 5 runs (20m), 4 penalties, 1 t/o, 5 ruck/mauls. Palu, who a number of people think was rubbish...

If there was a positive from the pre-series injuries, it was Timani going down and ensuring that Douglas got a start. He hasn't been amazing, but he's been solid in both games and is a legitimate line out target.

The Lions scrum will be stronger with Corbisero back.

It certainly doesn't sound like Deans will from the articles in the SMH today.

I had thought it was against Simmons too. Mind you, I was almost going into cardiac arrest at the time so I'm not surprised my memory was faulty.

Yeah, it makes no sense. After a game in which we got hurt at the breakdown, people want to get rid of one of our forwards who actually hits rucks? Is it that he's ineffective at them?

Lilo might well make 12 his own this season and I don't like the idea of moving him to 10. He'll play at 12 for the Brumbies, keep him there for the Wallabies. I suspect To'omua will be the 10 soon enough. All the attributes, as others have said.

Yes. What makes the All Blacks so impressive is that they almost always find a way to win, even when they're not smashing the other team off the park. I thought that was the most impressive thing about Saturday. The Wallabies stuck with the game, fought for opportunities, and gutted out a win...

If Kev somehow escapes the wrath of the IRB, I think Simmons needs to go. He's been average at best and he nearly handed the Lions the series last night. We just need more impact and more composure. The last 20 minutes next week will be incredibly intense and hard fought. I don't think Simmons...

Strong line out, strong scrum. Both aspects of the game he had a pivotal role in. I thought he ran and tackled well, although the errors were bad. For me, most of the forwards were solid to good without being great. I haven't watched a replay yet, though, so I might change my mind on second viewing.

Hooper has been strong on defense and great with ball in hand. He also hits a lot of rucks. But he's not a breakdown merchant like Smith or Gill and that is an area where we've struggled to make an impact. The Lions, clearly, have focused a lot of their attention there, both strategically and in...

Absolutely. We won the set piece battle overall and Moore was also really strong around the park. Our best forward, IMO.