Australia vs British and Irish Lions - 1st Test (Brisbane)

[Joe Blow]

If howill is gone which he most likely will be I would bring kimlin into the second row and MMM on the bench as cover for 4/6.

Time for Sharpie to strap on the boots again?

 

[gel]

Typical comment from a Reds fan - defend, defend, defend! Regardless of whether he was going for the head or not (he most likely wasn't), it was a clear stomp with his foot aimed at the body of the player on the ground. What other possible reason would he have to place his foot down with that force at such an awkward angle? Placing his right foot outside his left leg for balance? Do me a favour.

I have no doubt that if that was an opposition player you would be calling for some sort of disciplinary action.

I really have no idea on what he was doing with his feet, but I still don't know how he is supposed to AIM at anything if he simply does not have any view at all of where the guy on the ground is.

During the snippet you show, at NO stage has he ever got any view of what is happening down near his feet. Maybe there is stuff before hand that I will have to try to find to see.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Playing JOC (James O'Connor) at 10 was heavily reliant on Lealifano starting at 12 to provide that extra ball distribution, we shouldn't forget that

Isn't that akin to putting all your eggs in the one basket? Without a ball playing 10/12 on the bench, it only took the one injury to Christian to cause the whole game plan to unravel. Not the epitome of good coaching/team selection.

 

[redstragic]

I really have no idea on what he was doing with his feet, but I still don't know how he is supposed to AIM at anything if he simply does not have any view at all of where the guy on the ground is.

During the snippet you show, at NO stage has he ever got any view of what is happening down near his feet. Maybe there is stuff before hand that I will have to try to find to see.

I remember being stomped like that a few times in my playing days. Arms caught in the ruck, looking up at the boot about to connect with my face. The only thing do to is close my eyes and hope i don't sound like a girl when i scream.

 

[gold heart]

I really have no idea on what he was doing with his feet, but I still don't know how he is supposed to AIM at anything if he simply does not have any view at all of where the guy on the ground is.

During the snippet you show, at NO stage has he ever got any view of what is happening down near his feet. Maybe there is stuff before hand that I will have to try to find to see.

As much as I would love to defend horwill that is not true. If you have ever played in the forward pack you have a pretty good idea where people are. If you look at horwill he could see phillips about to pick up the ball as we were coming over the top. If it was a team mate on the ground there is no way horwill would have done that weird awkward cross step which resulted in a stomp.

 

[Brumby Runner]

And there's no way we'll see more debutants for this next match now that the series is on the line...

It's actually a big shame we didn't win the first match, because if we'd taken out the series next week we might've had some room for experimentation in the last test..

Thankfully the faith in the debutants in the first test has paid off, and as long as Lilo is fine we probably shouldn't see many changes...

We'll still have that opportunity if the Lions win the second test.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

The selection error imo was to not initially have two ball players at 10 and 12. JOC (James O'Connor) was not the right selection at 10 in the first place. This error was compounded by not having a ball playing 10/12 on the bench. For these errors Deans must accept responsibiilty (and not just by mouthing the words, assuming they can be understood).

I disagree. Lilo was a ball playing 12. Barnes could have slotted into 12 as a playmaking 12. But both out injured. Beale could be a 10 and JOC (James O'Connor) at 12. The problem is that two of them got injured within 30 minutes. There were plenty of options but injuries ruined it.

 

[Pusser]

I really have no idea on what he was doing with his feet, but I still don't know how he is supposed to AIM at anything if he simply does not have any view at all of where the guy on the ground is.

During the snippet you show, at NO stage has he ever got any view of what is happening down near his feet. Maybe there is stuff before hand that I will have to try to find to see.

You may be right but he has history. He was lucky not to get cited against the Brumbies and is on an off field yellow for the following week. Everyone laughed at the concept of an off field yellow but the implication is that if he is not completely exonerated, he will be suspended. I hope he is not but I have a nasty feeling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[terry j]

whatever he does, deans can't win. As much as I disagree with this reason for it, sadly I think his time is up because of that. (sad that that is the reason, not particularly saying he should or should not go)

'McCabe should not have played cause his neck was a concern'.

Show me once where this was raised prior to the game? But McCabe ended up with a neck injury, therefore deans must go.

I pity the poor sod.

His neck never healed? Well which team doctor/neck specialist allowed him to play then. Or, deans must have overruled the doctor. (which would land him in court no?)

All that matters to a lot of people is deans must go, and by crickey we is gonna find any excuse we can to white ant him.

All I wanted was to see a game that was NOT based on 'let's just make sure we don't lose'. I did not care tooo much if we lost as long as we played good rugby. I'd have hated it more if we won by playing safe boring rugby (a minority opinion I grant)

But deans took risks, and for mine they almost came off and it was a bloody good game.

Deans must go cause he took risks. A few weeks ago deans had to go because he played conservative game plans. As I said the poor bastard cannot win.

But, we all have the right to our say so it cannot but help continue, it's just a pity that (for mine) the heroic efforts on the field tend to get lost in the traffic.

That vid of horwill does not look good to me, and with the injuries we suffered, the real potential hiccup is next week.

 

[Bardon]

Re-watched the game this morning and it was just as entertaining without my heart in my mouth for the entire 80 minutes.

 

[Garryowen]

There were both sides of Horwill's captaincy on display last night.

His consoling of Beale at the end of the match was the mark of a great leader.

However, that stomp looks like a moment of madness, especially given his comments about discipline earlier in the week. Worse still is that it occurred so early in the match.

That could have, and might still, cost his team greatly.

 

[flat_eric]

I thought Pollock was excellent

Negatives:

Beiber at 10. Wasn't going to work, and didn't. Either pay him at 12, outside Lealiifano, or bring To'omua/Cooper in and push him to the wing.

Barnes: Unlucky injury, but he wasn't playing well before that. It was his shocker that landed in North's breadbasket under less pressure than something under no pressure at all, and he was then embarassed in defence by North.

Goal kicking: meh, shit happens. Lose your 1st choice kicker, and the backup who is under a lot of pressure missed a couple. They didn't miss by much, no real blame there. Or Beale. 1st miss was a bit grim, but 2nd fine.


Positives:

Scrum, 1st event excepted, was fine. Absolutely no ground given, and even won a crucial penalty at the death.


Lineout: superb. Barely a ball thrown to a man under pressure, the sign of excellent calling. Put their lineout under pressure.

Breakdown: Excellent again. The whole forward pack was good, and if we hadn't played this game on Dog Green and the backs not had trouble getting their hair to stay flat, we'd have won.


Changes:

To'omua/Cooper into 10, ASAP. Horne onto the bench for McCabe. If AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is out, Fainga'a into 13. Diggers benched, Beiber onto the wing.

I've never heard of a 'fine' miss. We had two chances to win the game and the goal kicker didn't take them. That's unacceptable at this level.

 

[RedsHappy]

If howill is gone which he most likely will be I would bring kimlin into the second row and MMM on the bench as cover for 4/6.

If JH receives enforced side line time, surely Mowen must be captain. With the huge pressure on the Wallabies in Test 2, I agree with other posters here that Genia would be best left without the added responsibility and distraction from his principal work.

Btw, the admirable growth and development of Mowen and so many Brumbies players over the last two seasons is a massive compliment to the Brumbies' management group (as well as to those players of course!).

 

[Dark Shark]

Re boots/studs & kickers slipping.

The teams have unfettered access to 1/2 the pitch for 45 minutes before kick off.

The kickers and others can test the surface then to confirm if they have made the correct decision regarding which boot/stud combination is optimal.

I was at the ground fairly early and at the end where the Lions warmed up. Well before the rest of team came out they had four players practicing their goal kicks and drop goals from everywhere. Despite looking out for it (to work out who may be designated kicker) I did not see any of the Wallabies having a go at place kicks.

Can someone please confirm for me that Wallabies did practice some place kicks and if I did miss it, how many/ who was doing so.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Nooooooo

No chance. Horne is in the camp. If Inman has a big game Tuesday he will get called into camp. He was in camp last year.

 

[Garryowen]

No chance. Horne is in the camp. If Inman has a big game Tuesday he will get called into camp. He was in camp last year.

I sincerely hope not. Fainga'a has no pace or ball skills - cant believe anyone would seriously pick him.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

For the past year and a bit I have that diggers was one of the most overrated wingers in the game and last night reinforced that. I though JOC (James O'Connor) was quiet and some bad mistakes in the first half. I'd put Beale at 10, JOC (James O'Connor) 11, lilo at 12, Horne at 13 if AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) out, folau wing and Barnes at 15. If Barnes out folau at 15 and cummins on the wing or tomane if he's ok to play.
But agree. JOC (James O'Connor) was not hot. He didn't cost us the game but just didn't do much and Beale played there more in the second half it seemed

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Also I thought mowen was fantastic

 

[RedsHappy]

I've never heard of a 'fine' miss. We had two chances to win the game and the goal kicker didn't take them. That's unacceptable at this level.

Totally correct. We have known for years that kicking was likely to play a massive part in any contest against the very best teams, especially the ABs and BIL. This truth is so obvious that no great analysis is required to sustain it.

As I have posted for years here, Deans' continuous refusal to build a complete and properly resourced Wallaby management team incl a full time, top class kicking coach was again to pay a very large price last night.

Not one Wallaby kicker looked in control of technique of accuracy, no doubt made worse by the reckless decision to have no warm-up games where clutch kicking can be practiced against the pressure of real competition. Barnes - our best kicker last year and close in S15 this year - was not even used. JO'C's S15 kicking form this year has been highly mixed...and so on.

Meanwhile, the BIL's specialist kicking coach brings out every tee and offers little murmurs of encouragement or advice to his charges before each kick.

There can be absolutely no question that poor place kicking lost the Wallabies that crucial game. Like it can in so many Tests.

 

[Dan54]

SAH, there is no way someone from outside squad will be brought in, it takes to long to bed down how they are going to play etc.
Geez I just saw the Howill stomp, I will be surprised if he plays before RC, given he will probably get at least 4 weeks for it!!
And Reds, I assume that there is room in budget for a kicking coach.