Lions Watch

[Rassie]

And he has had a very nice house bought for him, by Saracens, to retire to in SA to bypass the salary cap, ALLEGEDLY.

Good to see them not only recruiting talent from SA but learning from our drug lords as well. Nothing can hide your cash better than property

 

[the plastic paddy]

Geez TPP, that's some sour grades your stomping there. If the lions weren't on, the irish would be touring be touring some where anyway so the number of games argument smells a bit.

Seems like the biggest problem is that gatland picked a bunch of wellies. Problem for you though is that he probably would of picked more poms as best was probably the only Irish that was unlucky. Lions is the most special tour in the world. Come down if you want proof, I can get you seats. RWC is the pinnacle but lions is more special if that makes sense.

Ireland are touring somewhere, we have got two games in North America. Apart from Gatland's picking of eight more Irish players than I wanted, I think his squad is excellent especially the genius decision not to pick Ryan Grant. I am looking forward to the arrival of Wilkinson which will lead to a feeding frenzy in the English press that he should be starting ahead of Sexton even though he isn't a tenth of the player, that should do wonders for squad morale!?! I am not surprised that you regard the Lions as such a special tour, BTW, as you make all the profit out of it.

 

[cardiffcider]

being realistic the squad the lions have picked are going to be far to strong and powerfull for the aussies . the game is won up front and with the lions pack based around jones hibbard healy oconnell wyn jones warburton lydiate if fit and heaslip we will have far to much power. if you cant get the ball theres not a lot you can do thats what wales did to england in the six nations. lions will win the series with ease 3-0

 

[Bairdy]

What is with the perception that the Australians are powderpuffs and can't do the tight stuff like team in the NH can. The Australian teams are pit up against NZ and SA, the latter the country with the best physical forwards in the world. We can play with power and with speed, but because we don't play in pissing rain and in the mud for 3 months we're just automatic rollovers in the forwards.
I dont buy that.

All we need to do is seek parity in the setpiece and we will win the series with ease, with our in form and superb backs.

 

[Bardon]

What is with the perception that the Australians are powderpuffs and can't do the tight stuff like team in the NH can. The Australian teams are pit up against NZ and SA, the latter the country with the best physical forwards in the world. We can play with power and with speed, but because we don't play in pissing rain and in the mud for 3 months we're just automatic rollovers in the forwards.
I dont buy that.

All we need to do is seek parity in the setpiece and we will win the series with ease, with our in form and superb backs.

Personally I don't think the Lions pack will steamroller the Aussies, as from watching S15 I know there are some damn fine forwards available to RD. However I do think the Lions have an edge in that department, it's not a gulf by any means.

In the backs Australia have the edge but they're not as superior as many who only watch S15 believe. If Sexton can reproduce his Leinster form then there will be quite a few people south of the equator surprised by just how good the guy is. On their best day the Aus back are probably still just that little bit better. But a little bit is often enough to edge a tight game.

I still believe that it will be a close series and that neither team will steam roller, blow away, win easily or any of the other hot air that's been bandied about recently. I think it will probably be 2-1 and it may come down to either a mistake, a piece of luck or one moment of brilliance to clinch the series for one side or the other.

There are plenty of fantastic players on both sides, but one or two moments will see one group branded losers and the other heroes. At the moment there is maybe a feather between the two squads in terms of overall quality, but after the test series history will remember one as being vastly superior simply because they won. Personally I'm glad that I'll actually witness it and see some great guts, heart, skill and no little effort from two exceptional sets of players.

At least I will be able to enjoy the good from both teams as opposed to those who'll look back through the lens of history and make their judgements based on the final outcome rather than the merit of the effort put forth by each player. Unfortunately history loves winners, but me, I just love rugby.

 

[the plastic paddy]

being realistic the squad the lions have picked are going to be far to strong and powerfull for the aussies . the game is won up front and with the lions pack based around jones hibbard healy oconnell wyn jones warburton lydiate if fit and heaslip we will have far to much power. if you cant get the ball theres not a lot you can do thats what wales did to england in the six nations. lions will win the series with ease 3-0

I think your moniker should be 'Cardifflotsofciderbeforebreakfast' !!??!!??

 

[Dai bando]

What is with the perception that the Australians are powderpuffs and can't do the tight stuff like team in the NH can. The Australian teams are pit up against NZ and SA, the latter the country with the best physical forwards in the world. We can play with power and with speed, but because we don't play in pissing rain and in the mud for 3 months we're just automatic rollovers in the forwards.
I dont buy that.

All we need to do is seek parity in the setpiece and we will win the series with ease, with our in form and superb backs.

apart from the piece in bold, that was quite a leveled responce, I personally dont think any side will win with ease, both sides will want to win, the hardest part for the lions is getting the four home nations singing off the same sheet. If gats can get them to gell then it will be harder for the Australians, It starts with the coaches.
The lions under SCW was an absolute shambles, McCechan (sp) has been able to get a responce of sorts from the lions, Henry as good a coach as he was lost the English at his tour and suffered a loss. you have to imagine bringing NZ SA &A together to play as a unit then you might understand what needs to be done first.

 

[Bairdy]

You could see the last sentence of my post was playing on cardiffcider's post. Tongue in cheek rather.

 

[Dai bando]

Bardon I posted before I saw your responce, I look forward to it too, Cant wait now.

 

[Dai bando]

You could see the last sentence of my post was playing on cardiffcider's post. Tongue in cheek rather.

Hmmm, OK, yes we all say things without thinking on times, Perhaps the red mist has descended on him allready

 

[FingalRaven]

Ireland are touring somewhere, we have got two games in North America. Apart from Gatland's picking of eight more Irish players than I wanted, I think his squad is excellent especially the genius decision not to pick Ryan Grant. I am looking forward to the arrival of Wilkinson which will lead to a feeding frenzy in the English press that he should be starting ahead of Sexton even though he isn't a tenth of the player, that should do wonders for squad morale!?! I am not surprised that you regard the Lions as such a special tour, BTW, as you make all the profit out of it.

The new Pacific Nations Cup could play an important part in Ireland Tour. The USA play Canada the week before they play us in Texas so they should benefit from that. While Canada play us on the Saturday night before they are due to fly to Tokyo to play Japan 4 days later in the Canucks last game of the Cup. Japan have the same fixture mess up with a game against the Welsh on the Saturday too but they don't have to deal with all that travel and adjustment to a new time zone. So if your Canada and your in with a chance to win the first Pacific Nations Cup do you field an under strength team against the Irish? Or hope that the Japanese play fair and give priority to the Welsh game too.

At least the English media this weekend has started to slowly realise that apart from kicking and defence Wilkinson offers little to the Lions going forward.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Actual breakdown of where Lions squad were born:
England 10
Wales 9
Ireland 8
New Zealand 3
South Africa 2
Scotland 2
Tonga 1
Samoa 1
Israel 1

If a horse is born in a sty it doesn't make him a pig.

Not a good line of argument for any Aussie sport supporter to follow methinks

 

[Cardiffblue]

I see Jocks are about to announce new coach who is 'not a scot'. Any last minute ideas?

 

[Cardiffblue]

Do you think Martin Johnson puts his captaincy of the Lions above his RWC medal? Of course he doesn't and that in a nutshell is why I don't think Irish players should be in Lions squads anymore. We do not have the player pool to afford our best players compromising their summer break involved in a tour where they beat shit out of each other to get on the team and they have to contend with half wits like McCrae trying to make a name for themselves by maiming someone.

The Southern Hemisphere nations accrue the financial benefit disproportionately in relation to the IRFU so the financial argument doesn't fit either.

I also don't buy the 'the players love it' argument either. The players are happy to play with concussion in spite of the definitive proof that it is potentially fatal but are prevented from doing so for the good of their health.

When you factor in the resolutely charmless coaching ticket (apart from Howley and Jenkins) and the presence of individuals such as Tuilagi and Hartley(FFS) in the squad I thank Christ in his infinite mercy that I enjoyed my revelation as far as the Lions are concerned on the 17th September 2011 and can now thoroughly enjoy the shambolic spectacle that Gatland is overseeing. Although that said, I will still be watching with fingers crossed that we do not have another Ferris type injury on this tour.

Plastic. What are you ging to do if they win?

 

[JSRF10]

I see Jocks are about to announce new coach who is 'not a scot'. Any last minute ideas?

Will Scot Johnson not just get made permanent?

 

[KevinO]

Will Scot Johnson not just get made permanent?

Also posted in the McKenzie life after Reds

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby...ugby-coach-kept-secret-by-sru-chief-1-2920952

 

[JSRF10]

No injuries for the Lions this weekend although there are still a lot of players who'll be involved for the next few weeks whilst some of the squad put their feet up. Off the top of my head the following will be playing next week:

Healy, SOB, Heaslip, Sexton, BOD, Kearney, Bowe, Hogg, Maitland, JD, North, Stevens, Vunipola, Farrell, Ben Youngs, Youngs the Younger, Cole, Parling, Croft, Tuilagi, Hartley, Jenkins

With still a lot of key test players (in bold) still involved in domestic and European competition Gatland will have a few nervous moments before the flight to Hong Kong.

 

[Blue]

On the contrary,

Definitely not.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Plastic. What are you ging to do if they win?

Be surprised but not as surprised as I will be if no Irish players get smashed up, that would be a very pleasant but unlikely surprise.

 

[the plastic paddy]

The new Pacific Nations Cup could play an important part in Ireland Tour. The USA play Canada the week before they play us in Texas so they should benefit from that. While Canada play us on the Saturday night before they are due to fly to Tokyo to play Japan 4 days later in the Canucks last game of the Cup. Japan have the same fixture mess up with a game against the Welsh on the Saturday too but they don't have to deal with all that travel and adjustment to a new time zone. So if your Canada and your in with a chance to win the first Pacific Nations Cup do you field an under strength team against the Irish? Or hope that the Japanese play fair and give priority to the Welsh game too.

At least the English media this weekend has started to slowly realise that apart from kicking and defence Wilkinson offers little to the Lions going forward.

I hope that Ireland will leave Ross, Best, Ryan, DOC etc at home and send a team of young lads on this tour.