Rugby Union

[GAD]

Williams better be fucking brilliant. I've no idea how Owens managed to get promoted to a start to be honest. It looks like a really half arsed attempt to play a bit faster and wider, that's going to be absolutely crippled by having Biggar at fly half when Price is on, and Murray at scrum half when Russell is on.

[peasy23]

Very surprised that Duhan has kept his place. Thought Hamish would at least have been on the bench, not really surprised at the others dropping out.

Ken Owens though. [emoji85]

[peasy23]

Williams better be fucking brilliant. I've no idea how Owens managed to get promoted to a start to be honest. It looks like a really half arsed attempt to play a bit faster and wider, that's going to be absolutely crippled by having Biggar at fly half when Price is on, and Murray at scrum half when Russell is on.

God knows how Jamie George has gone from skippering the Lions against the Sharks 3 weeks ago to being 3rd choice behind Owens and LCD.

[GAD]

4 minutes ago, peasy23 said:

13 minutes ago, GAD said:

Williams better be fucking brilliant. I've no idea how Owens managed to get promoted to a start to be honest. It looks like a really half arsed attempt to play a bit faster and wider, that's going to be absolutely crippled by having Biggar at fly half when Price is on, and Murray at scrum half when Russell is on.

God knows how Jamie George has gone from skippering the Lions against the Sharks 3 weeks ago to being 3rd choice behind Owens and LCD.

I'm not convinced by either if those front rows to be honest. Wyn Jones he's become a better player the less he's played, and is seen as the big fix, but not much attention has been paid to the fact Furlong hadn't been doing very well. AWJ hadn't been great, and Itoje struggled last week. The back row were also given a pasting, so not sure why Beirne and Watson are out altogether, as there is now zero turnover threat in that pack. 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

That's fucking appalling treatment of Hamish Watson and Beirne.

Gatland can fucking do one imho


And Ken Owens?

Jesus wept.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Faf being out is probably a bigger thing than any of the changes made by Gatland - he totally controlled the game on Saturday - his box kicking was on the money.

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

Gatland just reverting to type, isn't he ? 

Packing the side with Welsh players. 

f**k them, I hope the Lions get a tanking on Saturday. 

[Detournement]

The set piece is struggling so start the hooker who can't scrum or throw. 

If the tactics are the same again Townsend will need to speak up at some point in the future and set out exactly how much influence he had over the attack. Biggar passed 3 times on Saturday and the Lions carried for 105m. Townsend surely can't be happy being married by that.

The game was so bad Jiffy is calling for rule changes and I actually have to agree with him. 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Detournement

[GAD]

9 minutes ago, Detournement said:

The set piece is struggling so start the hooker who can't scrum or throw. 

If the tactics are the same again Townsend will need to speak up at some point in the future and set out exactly how much influence he had over the attack. Biggar passed 3 times on Saturday and the Lions carried for 105m. Townsend surely can't be happy being married by that.

The game was so bad Jiffy is calling for rule changes and I actually have to agree with him. 

Another problem with the back 5 for this test is that it's been exactly the same now for the third game in a row. SA have swapped it up and brought in some fresh legs, we are just going with the same guys who've been found wanting last week and must be knackered, and thrown Beard and Simmons into the bench for no fucking reason I can really understand. Beirne, Henderson and Watson have been fucking shat on during this tour. Henderson in particular must be absolutely raging to just be bombed out altogether after AWJ was flown back in as the great Messiah.

[GAD]

Actually, wonder if Henderson was the guy who leaked the teamsheet for the first test?

[aDONisSheep]

49 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

Gatland just reverting to type, isn't he ? 

Packing the side with Welsh players. 

f**k them, I hope the Lions get a tanking on Saturday. 

I've never been a Gatland picks his favourites beiliever;

As a Wasps fan, Gatland likes to win more than favouritism and can we really argue with many of the changes?

Hogg was poor on Saturday only really out-shytted by Watson who was simply awful (and I'm a big fan of Watson), so I wouldn't call those two changes bias (I think both Williams and Adams deserve a chance).

Wyn Jones is a fair shout, so it's only the decision of Owens starting that I'm struggling with.  I didn't see that he added much when he came on, and Vunipola and Cowan-Dickie are going to play at some point.

He's also dropped the very talented and versatile Faleteau for Simmonds, so I don't think there's much bias there, other than it's the right call. 

As for other changes;

Price for Murray is a good call.  I thought Murray was terrible, so predictable, I can't remember him trying to snipe once.

Farrell being replaced by Russell is an interesting decision as well.

Looking at the team, I'm hoping to see a bit more rugby and less of the kick-shyt-fest, I'm hoping Biggar is there to tire the opposition and Russel to be the dagger!

De Klerk and du Toit missing for the Saffas is a lucky break and a real opportunity for Lions as well.

I'm still hopeful.

Yours

aDONis

[honestly united]

I wish i had just stuck with the Lions are pish / an irrelevnace / the reason the NH has an inferiority complex over SH rugby rather than get invested in the tour to be left fuming by hte end of it. We've run up some scores against the 3rd teams of the SA pro sides, scraped a win in the first test but played no rugby against a SA team that had 1 test in nearly 2 years, then lost and looked like no idea what we are doing when put under pressure in the 2nd. He's ripped the team up for the last test but ignored the fact the 2nd and back row were completely outplayed by SA which was far more an issue than the front row (which werent great) but struggling in the scrum is not always the props fault if the 2nd row are not helping out.

Im hoping for a 0-0 shitfest until the last 10 and Russell comes on a throws a miracle pass to VDM who steam rolls in, only for Williams to drop a high ball and gift SA a try

[codfish]

It’s a thoroughly uninspiring selection from Gatland - Hogg’s been wasted in the Tests through never getting attacking ball in hand, and the selection of Biggar in particular shows it’ll be another game of kick-the-ball-away. Trouble is, SA are just better at that than the Lions.

[John Lambies Doos]

Actually, wonder if Henderson was the guy who leaked the teamsheet for the first test?

I actually thought it was Adams, but given the leak was wrong by one ie Henderson, u could be on the money here.

[git-intae-thum]

Seems to me Gatland has not addressed the real problems.

The forward battle has been lost  in both  tests (lions got lucky in the first one.) ...they have not fronted up and more importantly 6, 7 and 8 simply have not made any turnovers and are very slow to the break down..

The worst thing is that probably the most talented back line in the world has had f@ck all to work with in two games.

The half backs have kicked everything and the ball has  hardly passed the inside centre. As an advert for the pinnacle of world rugby it has been atrocious.

This is Gatland ball tactics.

The back 3 in the last test have been hung out to dry. 

Watson and Hogg have been scapegoated. No doubts.

 

 

 

[git-intae-thum]

But hey....f@ck the British Lions. Absolute colonial hangover

Cmon Scotland 

In the Autumn series I hope we show them how it's done against SA.

[Detournement]

I just watched the Squidge analysis. He highlights that Murray got in the way of the catchers on a lot of the dropped box kicks rather than do the blocking job that Price had done in the first Test. On the Mapimpi try he picks out Dan Biggar demanding Lawes slides over to the other side of the ruck and Lawes ignoring him leading to Watson getting exposed 2 on 1. And he highlights the Boks' timewasting with injuries and fucking about in the scrum. The first scrum of the second half took 4 minutes and ended up in a free kick. 

I've also seen a stat today that the Boks haven't caught a single Lions kick with Duhan chasing. Add in how quiet Kolbe has been and that's why he retains his place. Both teams have adopted the Irish tactic of having multiple chasers jumping to disrupt the catcher or slap it back which is obviously a big advantage against the one defender who has to actually try to catch it. 

[ajwffc]

I just watched the Squidge analysis. He highlights that Murray got in the way of the catchers on a lot of the dropped box kicks rather than do the blocking job that Price had done in the first Test. On the Mapimpi try he picks out Dan Biggar demanding Lawes slides over to the other side of the ruck and Lawes ignoring him leading to Watson getting exposed 2 on 1. And he highlights the Boks' timewasting with injuries and fucking about in the scrum. The first scrum of the second half took 4 minutes and ended up in a free kick. 
I've also seen a stat today that the Boks haven't caught a single Lions kick with Duhan chasing. Add in how quiet Kolbe has been and that's why he retains his place. Both teams have adopted the Irish tactic of having multiple chasers jumping to disrupt the catcher or slap it back which is obviously a big advantage against the one defender who has to actually try to catch it. 

This has tge stats https://amp.rugbypass.com/news/why-duhan-van-der-merwe-keeps-getting-picked-for-the-lions/

[Eednud]

My favourite rugby competition, the NZ National Provincial Championship has just kicked off in Palmerston North. Manawatu 0 Counties Manukau 3 but only 4 minutes in.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Alan Brazil suffering from classic Jockholm syndrome this morning: " Faf de Klerk is out - that's good news for England".