The Lions Are Coming – The Backs

Fly-halves

Jonathan Sexton was the front runner for the fly-half position as early as a year ago but does not have the advantage of playing behind a powerful pack. He has a good all-round game and has been a better runner than Farrell, though the Englishman is improving. I still have Sexton in the lead for a starting Test spot but his hamstring injury in Six Nations and Farrell’s smart form could change that view by the time the Lions arrive in Australia.

Owen Farrell has progressed since the start of the Autumn Tests more than I thought he would. The 21 year-old displaced Flood in the England side and astonished us with his mature performance against the All Blacks. Now that form and a growing mental toughness have carried through to to Six Nations. Hard-headed teammates at Saracens and England now look to the youngster for assurance.

The young iceman’s variety of kicking from hand, and fearless kicking at goal, have been superb. His ten penalties against Racing Métro in a Heineken Cup match seemed routine.

Missing out: It’s too early for Freddie Burns to be considered and Jonny Wilkinson won’t be needed because a third fly-half spot will be covered by others.

Scrum-halves

Ben Youngs has always been a brilliant style of player but now he is showing more variety, and better control over his game management and scrum-half skills. This is giving him more confidence and it’s why he grabbed the England shirt off Danny Care. If he can keep that going and not drop his head when things go wrong he could be the Lions’ Test halfback.

Mike Phillips has lost the Lions mojo he had four years ago and hardly troubled the Wallabies in the five games he played against them in little more than a year. He has been listless in Six Nations, and not that great either for Bayonne this season in the games I have seen. He makes my team only because he is a big match player who can rise to the occasion against the odds.

Greig Laidlaw was moved to fly-half when Scotland had too many good scrum-halves available, but he is back now in his favoured 9 jersey. He is an able technician and plays the position as in France where the scrum-halves are the quarterbacks of the backline. Like Twelvetrees he would be an ideal tourist to cover 10 and his own position.

Missing out: Danny Care does not have the brilliance of Youngs, the big match game of Phillips nor the versatility of Laidlaw, but nevertheless will be unlucky not to be on the plane. Conor Murray has played some poor rugby for Munster this season and has not starred for Ireland. He could be a Lion one day but probably not this time.

Utility Backs

Alex Goode is one of the boldest and most skilful players in England. He is currently playing fullback for his country but if he can’t play outside centre or wing with his range of skills I am a monkey’s uncle.  He is a genuine footie player and played flyhalf before Eddie Jones moved him to fullback at Saracens.

Billy Twelvetrees would play inside centre and cover fly-half on tour. With his fly-half’s passing skills he has given the England backline a different look at inside centre and he could do that for the Lions also. He can get his team up the field with the pass or the run and he can boot the ball a mile from the tee or from hand.

Missing out: James Hook could have taken the fly-half/centre utility spot but there is a seed of Will Greenwood in the play of Twelvetrees that is hard to overlook. Keith Earls is also unlucky as he is a natural outside back utility.

Best backline:  15. Leigh Halfpenny, 14. Tommy Bowe, 13. Brian O’Driscoll, 12. Jamie Roberts, 11. George North, 10. Jonathan Sexton, 9. Ben Youngs.

Next: The forwards

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Australian School  Championships – Queensland fight back

The Queensland teams fought back on the second day of the Division I matches in the 2016 Sebel Australian School Championships, winning both matches in improved performances.

But the two NSW teams remained undefeated as Combined States and Victoria didn’t play at the same level as they did on the opening day

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NSW 1 31+ – +Combined States 27

by “William88”

A dominant first-half display by NSW I enabled them to beat Combined States 31 -24 but they had to fight hard to keep the lead later on.

It took ten minutes for NSW to get on the scoreboard after being held up twice over the line. Eventually quick hands created the spaces and winger Mohi was there to finish off twice.

Because NSW worked hard as a pack and valued possession, CS saw little of the ball during the first half and with Doueihi calling the shots and making good decisions NSW looked to be in control.

Lawson scored a good try for NSW after powerful lead-up work by the forwards then Combined halfback Dowling took advantage of a gap down the blindside after a lineout with a clever individual try. NSW 19-5.

NSW struck back soon after when winger Taukamo dived over to increase the lead to 26-5 with ten minutes to go in the half.

Half-time score: NSW I 26 – Combined States 5

After the break NSW increased its lead to 31-5 after a Jaffer-Williams try; then the wheels fell off for NSW because they waited for things to happen, which was incentive for Combined States to get their act together.

With a NSW player in the bin CS took advantage by scoring two quick tries through Shannon and Jeffries to make it game on at 31-17 with little more than 10 minutes remaining.

NSW thwarted a number of attacks with stoic defence and leading the charge was big prop Helu together with hooker Ongosia and Margin.

Several times the NSW defence was tested but they withstood the charges until the final minute when hooker Lynch crossed for Combined after some good lead-up work by his forwards, and the NSW scrum not functioning for a change.

Final score: NSW I 31 – Combined States 24

For NSW Jaffer-Williams was elusive before oranges and made good yards; Lawson was never far from the ball.

For Combined Fry and Jeffries got through a mountain of work and THP Bo Abra was a standout again

NSW I 36+ – +ACT 27

by “William88”

Queensland II 22– – +ACT 10

by Lee Grant

ACT was the dominant team in the first half but Queensland II lifted their game after oranges and were impressive.

ACT Scrummie Ryan Lonergan sprinted down touch before he was felled and when the ball went wide, 23 Jordan Nicholls scored in an embrace. Flyhalf Hansen used lineout ball lost by Queensland in the ACT 22 and dished it to 7 Gersekowski, right on the money, for him to score wide.

The southerners led 10-0 at 23 minutes. It looked like another Queensland drubbing, but they came back.

Both teams were kicking the ball from the west to float the ball to the east or grubbering it low to not float it, and when Qld lock Wilson charged a low one he found it in his hands and had nothing but grass in front of him, quite a way out. Try.

Half-time score: ACT 10 – Queensland II 5.

Straight after the restart Queensland 22 De Flavis grubbered superbly for 25 Mack, who had no contenders for the ball, which he grounded to bring the scores level. Flyhalf McCarthy got the only kick of the day over the crossbar and the northerners lead 12-10.

Then reserve hooker Raven burrowed over after 22 occupation and ten minutes after the break the Red team led 17-10.

Queensland weren’t being fancy: they were playing in the wind more accurately.

The killer blow for ACT came after they lost a lineout in their 22, and after some time at the crease a Harbour Bridge pass in the wind by Queensland actually worked and Mack ran outside a defender to dot down his second..

Final score: Queensland II 22 – ACT 10.

Queensland deserved their victory and should be commended for bouncing back after disappointment on Day 1.

Hooker Matthew Faessler was noticeable for them again, as was outside back Callum Hicks. THP Joshua Nasser was hard to stop in the tight but so were many others such as 8 Tavalea.

For the ACT, halves 9 Ryan Lonergan and 10 Mackenzie Lonergan had commanding games in the first half and lock Jayme Field was a standout.