Lions Tour Thread
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Biffo
Ken Catchpole (46)
I didn't see the game last night. I was watching Australia Network and was pleased when the live pictures came on the screen. I saw the teams announced and then start to come onto the field. As Nathan Hines came out, the RSA commentator pronounced him "the only Scot in the 22". Within seconds, the telecast cut out, not to return until after the game. I wonder if the duty editor at Australia Network last night was a boy from Wagga Wagga? Even our very own Lindommer?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Lions 74 Lions 10
That was a terrific display by the Lions
and must have made their coaching staff a lot happier than they were after the 1st game of the tour. The midfield of 12 Jamie Roberts and 13. BOD was devasting and the halves of 9 Mike Phillips and 10 Stephen Jones just kept feeding them.
These 4 look like the likely starters in the 1st test but there is a bit of rugby before them.
The forwards were dominant with 6 Tom Croft, who is only on the tour because Quinlan eye gouged somebody, had a cracking match and old Vickery was giving a bit of cheek.
The Golden Lions were virtually the Lions team that finished the S14 - ie without Jacque Fourie - they were missing a lock or two but Baywatch was back for them. They played poorly and were put away more comprehensively than any Super14 team could this year.
Apart from the individual efforts of the players there was a team crispness and lack of error that was missing in the tour opener.
They put on some good rugby - I may watch the game again - that's how good.
That was a terrific display by the Lions
and must have made their coaching staff a lot happier than they were after the 1st game of the tour. The midfield of 12 Jamie Roberts and 13. BOD was devasting and the halves of 9 Mike Phillips and 10 Stephen Jones just kept feeding them.These 4 look like the likely starters in the 1st test but there is a bit of rugby before them.
The forwards were dominant with 6 Tom Croft, who is only on the tour because Quinlan eye gouged somebody, had a cracking match and old Vickery was giving a bit of cheek.
The Golden Lions were virtually the Lions team that finished the S14 - ie without Jacque Fourie - they were missing a lock or two but Baywatch was back for them. They played poorly and were put away more comprehensively than any Super14 team could this year.
Apart from the individual efforts of the players there was a team crispness and lack of error that was missing in the tour opener.
They put on some good rugby - I may watch the game again - that's how good.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Pretty disappointing effort by our Lion lot. I surely dont want to look for excuses or try and dont want to take credit away from the opponents. Our Lions look exactly in the current state they are. They did not have miss Jac Fourie but his replacement the Leoprd Deon van Rensburg, playing for the Leopards and the Royal team in the first tour game. But I do know they have a great talent in Walter Venter that came off the bench but way to late.
A great win for the NH lot and should be a great injection for their tour. Be aware of the Cheetahs, they'll be in much better shape and have more or less a S14 team that will be well prepared.
I just feel the provincial team should include their Boks. Think they need some match preparation and will give experiense and skill to the teams.
A great win for the NH lot and should be a great injection for their tour. Be aware of the Cheetahs, they'll be in much better shape and have more or less a S14 team that will be well prepared.
I just feel the provincial team should include their Boks. Think they need some match preparation and will give experiense and skill to the teams.
H
Hugonaut
Guest
Lions have picked an absolute freak-show of a team for the Cheetah's game - all the forwards are big mutants and all the backs are 20 year-old speed merchants who don't trouble the upper end of the weighing scale.
British & Irish Lions (vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs)
15. Lee Byrne (Ospreys / Wales)
14. Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues / Wales)
13. Keith Earls (Munster / Ireland)
12. Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster / Ireland)
11. Shane Williams (Ospreys / Wales)
10. James Hook (Ospreys / Wales)
9. Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers / England)
8. Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues / Wales)
7. Joe Worsley (London Wasps / England)
6. Stephen Ferris (Ulster / Ireland)
5. Paul O’Connell (Munster / Ireland – Captain)
4. Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster / Ireland)
3. Euan Murray (Northampton Saints / Scotland)
2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh / Scotland)
1. Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks / England)
Replacements
16. Matthew Rees (Scarlets / Wales)
17. Adam Jones (Ospreys / Wales)
18. Simon Shaw (London Wasps / England)
19. Nathan Hines (Perpignan / Scotland)
20. Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster / Ireland)
21. Ronan O’Gara (Munster / Ireland)
22. Mike Blair (Edinburgh / Scotland)
*All those in bold are big ugly mutants.
The starting pack gives a cumulative weight of 908 kg.
Stephen Ferris is the lightest man in the pack at 109kg; the average weight is 113kg. If they bring the bench into play, they'd be looking at one of the biggest international packs ever assembled, something like 930kg.
They should own first phase ball, but they may struggle with second phase, because the three-quarters are pretty light and will get counter-rucked to hell without any loose forwards to back them up - as an openside, Worsley has neither the pace nor the instincts to get to where the ball is going to be, and Andy Powell ... well Powell just likes to bash it up with ball in hand. Not really into any of the rucking lark.
Should be an interesting game to watch.
British & Irish Lions (vs Vodacom Free State Cheetahs)
15. Lee Byrne (Ospreys / Wales)
14. Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues / Wales)
13. Keith Earls (Munster / Ireland)
12. Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster / Ireland)
11. Shane Williams (Ospreys / Wales)
10. James Hook (Ospreys / Wales)
9. Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers / England)
8. Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues / Wales)
7. Joe Worsley (London Wasps / England)
6. Stephen Ferris (Ulster / Ireland)
5. Paul O’Connell (Munster / Ireland – Captain)
4. Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster / Ireland)
3. Euan Murray (Northampton Saints / Scotland)
2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh / Scotland)
1. Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks / England)
Replacements
16. Matthew Rees (Scarlets / Wales)
17. Adam Jones (Ospreys / Wales)
18. Simon Shaw (London Wasps / England)
19. Nathan Hines (Perpignan / Scotland)
20. Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster / Ireland)
21. Ronan O’Gara (Munster / Ireland)
22. Mike Blair (Edinburgh / Scotland)
*All those in bold are big ugly mutants.
The starting pack gives a cumulative weight of 908 kg.
Stephen Ferris is the lightest man in the pack at 109kg; the average weight is 113kg. If they bring the bench into play, they'd be looking at one of the biggest international packs ever assembled, something like 930kg.
They should own first phase ball, but they may struggle with second phase, because the three-quarters are pretty light and will get counter-rucked to hell without any loose forwards to back them up - as an openside, Worsley has neither the pace nor the instincts to get to where the ball is going to be, and Andy Powell ... well Powell just likes to bash it up with ball in hand. Not really into any of the rucking lark.
Should be an interesting game to watch.
the gambler
Dave Cowper (27)
You know you are going to struggle getting to the breakdown when your prop forward is the quickest player in the forward pack.
H
Hugonaut
Guest
Haha! Yeah, it looks that way alright, doesn't it?
In fairness, Stephen Ferris is quick – just went 75m in the last minute of the game for the tenth try against the Golden Lions on Wednesday. That said, he only came on after an hour ...
However, he's going to be the next top quality forward from Ireland. He's a serious physical specimen: he picked up a javelin for the first time in his life when he was 16, and 9 months later he was the All-Ireland U-18 Javelin Champion – that's pretty random, I'll admit, but he's just one of those great explosive strength athletes that don't exactly grow on trees in Ireland, and he's got that hardline Ulster-Says-No aggression. Great combination for a blindside.
Keep an eye on him if you're watching the game today, I reckon you'll see a good few ferocious hits and some tasty carries.
In fairness, Stephen Ferris is quick – just went 75m in the last minute of the game for the tenth try against the Golden Lions on Wednesday. That said, he only came on after an hour ...
However, he's going to be the next top quality forward from Ireland. He's a serious physical specimen: he picked up a javelin for the first time in his life when he was 16, and 9 months later he was the All-Ireland U-18 Javelin Champion – that's pretty random, I'll admit, but he's just one of those great explosive strength athletes that don't exactly grow on trees in Ireland, and he's got that hardline Ulster-Says-No aggression. Great combination for a blindside.
Keep an eye on him if you're watching the game today, I reckon you'll see a good few ferocious hits and some tasty carries.
S
Spook
Guest
..and that is exactly what happened. B&I backrow was shamed.the gambler said:
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Great game by the Tin Ears. They should have pulled this one through. Thought Brussouw once again had a outstanding game. Much stronger on defense and Barnes wasnt that bad. The Lions scrum was pretty impressive and some big work ahead needed for the Bokke. Think the Tjarks will be easier for the Lions due to absent Bokke , which is a shame. Think the top Bokke should play in this matches.
H
Hugonaut
Guest
..and that is exactly what happened. B&I backrow was shamed.
[/quote]
2/3 of the Lions backrow was shamed: Ferris notched up a decent try and won Man of the Match, despite his sinbinning. Agreed that as a unit, they were a monumental failure.
Another p¡ss-poor hour from the Saturday Lions. Raced out to a 20-0 lead after 20 minutes and then absolutely fell-the-f*ck-apart. Conceded two tries in the ten minutes that Ferris was [appropriately] sin-binned. In his defense, it was pretty worthwhile, good tackle on a breaking Cheetah 10m out in front of the sticks and then a serious dose of lying on the ball to allow the rest of the Lions to regroup.
The Lions couldn't deal with Brussouw at the breakdown at all. The selection of Worsley at openside [no pace, no anticipation, no running lines] meant that any time the lightweight threequarters were tackled in midfield, the ball was almost automatically turned over.
The Lions actually played a very sensible game in the first twenty minutes, given the team they had selected. Bashed it up with their big runners, keeping the contacts close together and only letting the ball out to the lightweights when the Cheetahs had been forced to commit to close-in defense.
For whatever reason, they totally lost their shape once the Cheetahs made a match of it. Pretty dire leadership from O'Connell in not being able to steady the ship and just revert to what worked – it's not as though their set-piece was under any pressure.
The Cheetahs won the last hour 24-6, and could have won the game very handy if they'd got their kicks. They played a tough game, countered very well and dominated the breakdown. Made a lot of the Lions look like they didn't belong out there.
[/quote]
2/3 of the Lions backrow was shamed: Ferris notched up a decent try and won Man of the Match, despite his sinbinning.
Agreed that as a unit, they were a monumental failure.Another p¡ss-poor hour from the Saturday Lions. Raced out to a 20-0 lead after 20 minutes and then absolutely fell-the-f*ck-apart. Conceded two tries in the ten minutes that Ferris was [appropriately] sin-binned. In his defense, it was pretty worthwhile, good tackle on a breaking Cheetah 10m out in front of the sticks and then a serious dose of lying on the ball to allow the rest of the Lions to regroup.
The Lions couldn't deal with Brussouw at the breakdown at all. The selection of Worsley at openside [no pace, no anticipation, no running lines] meant that any time the lightweight threequarters were tackled in midfield, the ball was almost automatically turned over.
The Lions actually played a very sensible game in the first twenty minutes, given the team they had selected. Bashed it up with their big runners, keeping the contacts close together and only letting the ball out to the lightweights when the Cheetahs had been forced to commit to close-in defense.
For whatever reason, they totally lost their shape once the Cheetahs made a match of it. Pretty dire leadership from O'Connell in not being able to steady the ship and just revert to what worked – it's not as though their set-piece was under any pressure.
The Cheetahs won the last hour 24-6, and could have won the game very handy if they'd got their kicks. They played a tough game, countered very well and dominated the breakdown. Made a lot of the Lions look like they didn't belong out there.
S
Spook
Guest
Hugonaut said:
2/3 of the Lions backrow was shamed: Ferris notched up a decent try and won Man of the Match, despite his sinbinning.
Agreed that as a unit, they were a monumental failure.[/quote]
Problem is Ferris did very little else at the breakdown or ruck. He swooped on the ball and ran away for a try - he could be accused of being a seagull. He made one other good run but I'd like to see him contesting the ball a bit more. He gave away a few penalties after his sin binning. Good athlete but needs to up his workrate.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Cyc I think it have something to do with ELVs :lmao:
Back to the match. I think both the Lions & Cheetahs show them to much respect and were a bit big eye in the first stanza. Will go to the WP match and think our lot will be in better shape to beat them. Rassie wisely left out his big name players for the last few rounds of S14 and they will have a rythm and Newlands will produce a big crowd for the game. If they dont have a big one on Newlands blame it on the mad prices
Back to the match. I think both the Lions & Cheetahs show them to much respect and were a bit big eye in the first stanza. Will go to the WP match and think our lot will be in better shape to beat them. Rassie wisely left out his big name players for the last few rounds of S14 and they will have a rythm and Newlands will produce a big crowd for the game. If they dont have a big one on Newlands blame it on the mad prices
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