Lions Tour

[antdad]

I don't really know what to think...seems he's been slated everywhere for dropping BoD but for me BoD no longer has the power in that channel offensively or even defensively as I thought the Aussies targeted him with their larger runners in the last test. With Warburton out Faletau brings more mobility and ball carrying impact to the back row but I won't be surprised if there's no more than a pen between them.

Maybe the Lions should have taken that pen instead of freekick early in second test, cripes they won't be doing that again.

 

[The Mackem Shaver]

I don't really know what to think...seems he's been slated everywhere for dropping BoD but for me BoD no longer has the power in that channel offensively or even defensively as I thought the Aussies targeted him with their larger runners in the last test. With Warburton out Faletau brings more mobility and ball carrying impact to the back row but I won't be surprised if there's no more than a pen between them.

Maybe the Lions should have taken that pen instead of freekick early in second test, cripes they won't be doing that again.

You're right we did okay without BOD :icon_razz:.

 

[antdad]

Well I didn't expect that, Corbs made all the difference.

 

[pugh-the-special-one]

Well It's so nice to give those Aussies a good bashing, the only critics now saying Gatland picked to many Welsh players are the Australians, some people are born with a winning stamp on them at birth I've always thought that way about Gatland no matter what team he coaches they always win the big one, like Wasp, Wales, the British & Irish Lions, and no doubt when he eventually leaves for the All Blacks job after the next world cup with Wales I'm sure he will also keep them in their number one spot. PS one thing I'm so pleased about is the legacy he leaves behind with Wales he's really as shown the larger and I must say very knowledgeable Welsh rugby public including myself you don't have to play with flair to win games, we have lost a little of that in our game in Wales but we have also gained a big forward game which we never had before he turned up.

 

[Bechet]

..... we have also gained a big forward game which we never had before he turned up.

Never is too long a time, surely. I seem to remember Welsh domination up front when your forwards worked in the pits.

 

[pugh-the-special-one]

..... we have also gained a big forward game which we never had before he turned up.

Never is too long a time, surely. I seem to remember Welsh domination up front when your forwards worked in the pits.

You are right there Carl, when heavy industry dominated Wales such as steel works and mining, we certainly seemed to produce more worthy international tight five forwards, but we have finally started over the last 8 or 9 years to produce them in numbers once more for whatever reason? I'm not to sure.

 

[The Mackem Shaver]

Well It's so nice to give those Aussies a good bashing, the only critics now saying Gatland picked to many Welsh players are the Australians, some people are born with a winning stamp on them at birth I've always thought that way about Gatland no matter what team he coaches they always win the big one, like Wasp, Wales, the British & Irish Lions, and no doubt when he eventually leaves for the All Blacks job after the next world cup with Wales I'm sure he will also keep them in their number one spot. PS one thing I'm so pleased about is the legacy he leaves behind with Wales he's really as shown the larger and I must say very knowledgeable Welsh rugby public including myself you don't have to play with flair to win games, we have lost a little of that in our game in Wales but we have also gained a big forward game which we never had before he turned up.

That's something we just know in England (not sure if that's good or bad). Today supported the cliche that you've got to earn the right to play by doing the hard work up front first. The Australian back line looked excellent but just didn't get enough ball to punish us and went for the corner when they should have taken points then we scored tries once we got into good positions.

The current Wales team seem to have the balance about right. I think England have the potential to match them and hope we manage to get there. The next Lions' tour should be interesting with the Welsh and English players having more experience and hopefully some younger Irish and Scottish players pushing them.

 

[Bechet]

Today supported the cliche that you've got to earn the right to play by doing the hard work up front first.

I've never thought of that as a cliche, just a fact of life! Nine years in a row, the tactic has taken Tigers to the English Premiership Final. And who coached the Lions pack? One of the Leicester ABC Club - Mr. Rowntree himself!

Oh! the old chestnut: the forwards determine who wins the game and the backs by how much.

 

[jds]

For what it's worth I think Gatland has blown it. We have been unlucky with injuries - O'Connell and Warburton especially. By dropping BoD I far we have no leaders. The experience of George Smith will be vital, I feel, to the Aussies.

I was unsure of BoD prior to the tour, but I really feel it is an error to drop him now. Part of me thinks that Gatland really wanted to say "I'm the first coach to drop Brian O'Driscoll". I hope I am proven wrong. I just think we need to bring something more to the table that power and Leigh Halfpenny's boot.

Glad to see Corbisiero back. I rate him. Just goes about his business very well, very professionally. The bench could be important, there is some impact there.

We shall see. One things for sure. It'll be a humdinger and there will be claret spilt.

Jon

What do I know? Bugger all (although I did pick out Corbisiero) based on those my comments last week!

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Today supported the cliche that you've got to earn the right to play by doing the hard work up front first.

I've never thought of that as a cliche, just a fact of life! Nine years in a row, the tactic has taken Tigers to the English Premiership Final. And who coached the Lions pack? One of the Leicester ABC Club - Mr. Rowntree himself!

Oh! the old chestnut: the forwards determine who wins the game and the backs by how much.

It's true. All the mercurial Welsh backs of the 70's - JJ, Gerald Davies, Phil Bennett, Barry John, Gareth Edwards. John Dawes et al, always mention the work done by the less glamorous pack of that era - The Pontypool Front Row, Delme Thomas, Alan Martin, Terry Cobner, Merv the Swerve etc. However talented it's impossible to win if you don't have any ball...

Jon

 

[daz]

I missed the game as i was in oban for a few days to feed the the midge, very little to no phone reception where i was camping and wifi was pretty poor too. I did however manage to park up outside a caravan site and use their wifi for streaming the tennis
Very good score by the lions, i have it recorded so will watch it in the next couple of days.

Personally i think it was right to drop bod, he was a very good player in his prime, in fact one of the best. But he is no longer in his prime, and although he has the experience and knowledge he just doesnt have the pace and power he did a couple of years ago. But then again i wish i had half his skill when i was playing, the guy has forgotten more than i will ever know!

And to comment on the forwards?
Yeah they do win the ball with all the hard and ugly stuff. Put a whole team on the pitch filled with backs and i very much doubt they would win against a team comprising only of forwards. I was unlucky enough to play in the forwards once or twice, give me the wing anytime! All i ever had to do was sprint as fast as i could and throw the occasional dummy or sidestep, go the. Ground and place the ball back to our pack and then get up and have a breather.