B&I Lions v Barbarians, Hong Kong, Sat 1st June, 9:30pm AEST

[JSRF10]

First match of tour kicks off on Saturday, purely a money making exercise to please their sponsors I'd have preferred the Lions to have a game against an Indigenous XV or something along those lines to kick off a tour. Given there are no Leinster, Leicester or Ulster players involved expect to see a Welsh dominated team with Farrell, POC and Hogg probably starting.

 

[GunsGermsRugbyandSteel]

When is the BaBa's team announced?

 

[Wales Fan]

I'd expect the Lions to line up something like this given the late arrivals.

Halfpenny
Maitland
Davies
Roberts
North
Farrell
Murray

Vunipola
Hibbard
Jones
O'Connell
Gray
Lydiate
Warburton
Faletau



Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[ChargerWA]

When is the BaBa's team announced?

Same baa baa team that played England last week.

They will have to aim up considerably against the lions. England gave them a whipping. Dean mumm is the only Aussie in the baa baas team that I could see and played well when subbed on.

 

[Blue]

Same baa baa team that played England last week.

Not nearly the same.

Players to come into starting lineup.

CastroG
Kahn Fotualii
Nick Evans
Sergio Parisse
Franscois Louw
Joe Rok
Jared Payne
Schalk Brits

Much better.

Back row of Parisse, F Louw and Hairydonkey is bloody good.

Back 3 of Payne, Joe Rok, Tagudza Ngwenya.

Kahn and Evans in the halves. Hook at 13.

Castro will shore up scrum, Schalk Brits to carry it up all day.

That was a crap Babaas team against Poms Lite. Will be close if the Baabaas can defend well and if they give a toss.

 

[JSRF10]

Lions are without Jenkins who has a calf strain, Wales Fan has the team probably spot on except I'd expect Mike Phillips to play and get a lot of game time leading up to the first test.

 

[qwerty51]

Did Toulon cut Jenkins already?

 

[Wales Fan]

Did Toulon cut Jenkins already?

Yeah, he joined the squad last week and is heading back to Cardiff Blues next season. Not a happy year at Toulon for him (apart from the bank balance I guess)

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[Blue]

BARBARIANS (v British and Irish Lions, Hong Kong, Saturday June 1st: J Payne (Ulster); J Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand), E Daly (Wasps), C Laulala (Munster & New Zealand), T Ngwenya (Biarritz & USA); N Evans (Harlequins & New Zealand), D Yachvili (Biarritz & France); P James (Bath & Wales), S Brits (Saracens & South Africa), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester & Italy); M Wentzel (Wasps & South Africa), D Mumm (Exeter & Australia); S Manoa (Northampton & USA), S Jones (London Wasps), S Parisse (Stade Francais & Italy, capt).

Replacements: L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso & Italy), D Jones (Ospreys & Wales), A Lo Cicero (Racing Metro & Italy), J Hamilton (Gloucester & Scotland), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz & France), K Fotuali’i (Ospreys & Samoa), J Hook (Perpignan & Wales), M Tindall (Gloucester & England).

 

[JSRF10]

Very strong Baa-Baas team, should be some tries in them anyway.

St Sam is a doubt with a knee injury, obviously exerting himself for more than the 6 nations could be catching up with our captain fantastic.

 

[Ash]

Laulala at 12? How does he go there? Why not Laulalalalala at 12 and Hook or Tindall at 12?

Interesting that Hairydonkey is on the bench. Otherwise not too much I would change with that side. Not a bad Baabaas team, at least compared to the one that played the Poms.

 

[JSRF10]

British and Irish Lions team to play the Barbarians in Hong Kong on Saturday:
S Hogg (Scotland); A Cuthbert (Wales), J Davies (Wales), J Roberts (Wales), S Maitland (Scotland); O Farrell (England), M Phillips (Wales); M Vunipola (England), R Hibbard (Wales), A Jones (Wales), R Gray (Scotland), P O'Connell (Ireland, capt), D Lydiate (Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: T Youngs (England), C Healy (Ireland), M Stevens (England), A W Jones (Wales), J Heaslip (Ireland), C Murray (Ireland), J Sexton (Ireland), G North (Wales).

 

[Pfitzy]

Jeez. Gatland not beating around the bush is he?

Only question you might have is Vunipola starting, but otherwise...

 

[JSRF10]

St Sam and Gethin Jenkins injuries have probably messed up Gatlands plans for this one. Surprised to see Sexton on the bench, thought Hogg as 3rd choice 10 would get some time there. There is zero creativity in the Lions starting 23 probably only Sexton aside, the BaaBaas have a fantastic chance of a victory.

Vunipola is going to be really vulnerable at scrum time, the Castro will be targeting him. Given that 5 of the bench played last weekend I'm not sure how wise a choice that is from Gatland, although off the top of my head only Halfpenny is missing guy missing out after being with the squad since mid May.

 

[BPC]

Dean Mumm starting for the BaaBaas. I think its time to put some money on the Lions.

 

[qwerty51]

Marco Wentzel is a thousand times worse than Mumm. Not sure if you watch much Euro rugby but Dean has been playing very well over there.

 

[Bardon]

Lions tour is now really underway. Good intensity at the start of this game. Great hit by Laulala on Hogg.

Farrell has just slotted a penalty to give the Lions an early lead. Plenty more to come from this game.

 

[qwerty51]

That's his team mate!

 

[hazzaj]

"WHY THE HELL IS WALSH REFFING THIS GAME?" - Every Tah's fan

 

[Shiggins]

Walsh is the man