Lions tour of New Zealand

I will never forget a game between London Welsh and Cardiff when the former fielded a very large number of Welsh Internationals. Cardiff had Gareth and Barry. The LW pack kept getting the ball. Their backs then lost it, Cardiff scored. This was repeated - often! LW lost massively. It wasn’t all due to the (later) Pontypool front row that Wales won!

No, they had some excellent backs. But as many of the players have said in books or in the press, it was the strength of their forwards that allowed them to break teams down, with most of their attacking coming once that hard work had been done. The idea that Wales used to throw the ball around with merry abandon all the time is a long way off the mark (although defences have certainly become far tighter since professionalism).

I think the Lions looked like they were trying to hit those channels (Payne’s crossing with Haskell) but it’s always the difficulty of a touring side, to find that timing.

I think the platform could be solid. The pack is gelling (Best’s line out aside) fairly well considering. Itoje drifted too far for that final try but otherwise they seemed to scramble quite well.

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Most definitely true.
I saw virtually every home game, and many away, in the late '60s and '70s and the open rugby we played, while brilliant at times, was not by any means continuous.
The game now is totally different from how it was then and I can’t see that there is anything positive to be gained from a comparison.

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The comparison I think that holds water is between what we’re doing now and what NZ are doing now - the skill levels in moving the ball are so much higher down there - but I suspect we need some serious changes the whole way down the player development ladder to match how dangerous NZ sides are on the counter-attack…

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No argument with that!!

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Diolch @aran, much better put than my rambling!!

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Creativity was desperately lacking on the part of the Lions yesterday. Contrast the Blues backs doing everything at pace. As for the Crusaders - they are running angles which Pythagoras hadn’t thought of. Unless Lions can eclipse them up front it could be a depressing Saturday morning. And Lions must forget kicking pens to corner and grab every point on offer. Which reminds me of the last minute line out yesterday. What a terrible throw from RB.

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I agree, they should take their points. Treat it like a test match.

A little bit of desperation kicking in, I suspect!

Speaking of kicking, if Halfpenny and Farrell are both in the Test team who should take the goal kicks ?

Leigh bach!

Good question. Both are great options. I’ve not seen Farrell miss many recently. First test was an exception to his normal form.

Da iawn! Shame no tries, but Crusaders good scalp! Played to win, played on own strengths and Crusaders’ blocked from usual game ( I gather!)

Highlanders yfory in Dunedin! Early am our time, but 10 pm on S4C, repeated later. Lucky me, watching in English on Sky!

Another superb game of rugby to watch! Very entertaining!

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My prediction for the starting line-up vs. the Maoris:

  1. Mako Vunipola

  2. Jamie George

  3. Tadgh Furlong

  4. Maro Itoje

  5. George Kruis

  6. Sean O’Brien

  7. Sam Warburton (C.)

  8. Taulupe Faletau

  9. Conor Murray

  10. Jonathan Sexton

  11. Liam Williams

  12. Owen Farrell

  13. Ben Te’o (Only because I think Jonathan Davies is still injured)

  14. Anthony Watson

  15. Leigh Halfpenny

  16. Jack McGrath

  17. Ken Owens

  18. Dan Cole

  19. Alun Wyn Jones

  20. Peter O’Mahoney

  21. Rhys Webb

  22. Dan Biggar

  23. George North

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I think North and probably Alun Wyn will start, and I’m not really expecting the Sexton/Farrell thing. Otherwise I think you’re pretty much on the money there, although I’d rather see literally anyone in the world (including my own kids) on the bench in place of Dank.

I reckon at some point during the Tests we’ll see a Murray/Biggar combo - I think losing Biggar was the game today, if only because there’s no way he’d have missed that kick. I don’t think there’s going to be much in it between George and Owens at 2.

I hope we do see Murray - Biggar. The only reason I’ve gone for the Sexton-Farrell thing is because I think it’s a bit sparse at 13 if Davies is injured. Otherwise I think he’d shift Farrell to 10, Te’o and Davies, for this game. I’d rather see Biggar given another shot to start on Saturday because his flat passes and kicking was brilliant, all game! I agree, I think he was the turning point.

At first I wondered why Laidlaw didn’t kick but then that wouldn’t prove anything to Maitland about his test squad because I don’t think Laidlaw is in the running. Which is a shame for him.

I also agree with you on Dank! (maybe we should run the Cathod?) Sinckler had a mostly good game today. Scrummaging changed when he went off. I don’t think picking him would add much to Gatland’s thought process though.

Do you think it’ll be North instead of Watson or Williams?

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Instead of Watson - he always seems a bit more comfortable at 14 to me, and Gatland really has a thing going for Liam Williams (which I don’t entirely share, although he’s done better than I ever expected).

I’m pretty happy with Henshaw at 12, although Te’o looks ahead so far. I’d take either of them ahead of Farrell at 12 - I can’t see what it is Tom Shanklin sees in him. Particularly in terms of defensive organisation.

Yeah, 13 is a worry if Davies gets a knock. Joseph is a lovely runner, but any defensive weaknesses in NZ are a serious problem. Wouldn’t entirely surprise me if we see North at 13 at some point (although only because of an injury).

I think there’s a fighting chance that we’ll see Webb/Biggar on the pitch together at some point during the Test series - and it would be kind of fun seeing an u20s pairing coming through as Test Lions…

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