Thread: The Lions Are Coming

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

UK rugby

Britain and Ireland pie boy.

Originally Posted by chassamui

When they come up against a side that is comfortable with each other and not scratch ...............

That could be as early as this coming Wednesday. Or maybe it won't be. Who knows, it's the schizophrenic Blues.

Actually it's going to be interesting to see what team Umaga selects.

It will lay down a marker for more than just this game and set a bit of a template for all the Super sides going forward. Hansen's hand prints will be all over it.

Incidentally...

I know all the Lions games are being shown on Setanta but for any one who doesn't have that option (and for all RU and RL outside of that) I can't recommend RugbyPass enough (https://www.rugbypass.com/).

It's a subscription HD streaming service at around $15 per month and has all the SH and NH rugby as well as other stuff (e.g. Asian Cup) and the NRL. One subscription covers multiple screens devices so you can watch on PC, TV, laptop or phones/tablets.

It's fully legit and licensed - I was a it suss of it at first because of my crappy IntraGoogles connection but other than the odd bit of pixelation at the start that clears up pretty quickly I've not had any issues with it other than one short outage at their end (as opposed to my connection being down).

At least one member of the Gatland family was happy:

Bryn Gatland - I'll remember Lions game for rest of my life - NZ Herald

Forewarned is forearmed, hopefully. Wednesdays game will be interesting, but the first big test will be Crusaders on Saturday. Form side.

Is Hansen allowing his All Blacks to play in these Super Rugby fixtures?

Originally Posted by chassamui

Is Hansen allowing his All Blacks to play in these Super Rugby fixtures?

Yep. Although it remains to be seen who will actually play.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the likes of Kaino, Milner-Scudder, Cruden, Tamanivalu and Lienert-Brown in the mix for their respective teams, but the likes of Barrett sitting it out.

Balance of exposure/game time vs. risk of injury I expect.

How is Milner-Scudder's form? Not watched him for while now but he looked incredibly promising in his early showings. In a scary way for the Lions.

He's only just back from injury, I think he played about 20-30min the other day.

I only saw a highlights package of that particular game but one of those highlights was him making three defenders look like complete mugs.

He thrives on the smallest of spaces to produce stunning finishes. Pace and guile, wonderful to watch unless you are a Lions fan.

Gatlands selections and current playing style mean the Lions haven't a hope in hell in the tests, he is too one dimensional and while his tactics worked for a while with Wales and brought some success, teams have now figured out how to nullify his rather boring playing style. Wrong coach with some glaring omissions from the squad and some people who don't deserve to be there, I hope the super rugby sides beat them and I have a feeling at least one will probably more. Hope Hogg and Seymour have a good tour though.

Laidlaw should not even be on the tour. Way out of his depth at this level. Hogg should get another chance, but he blew this one.

I really don't understand the sort of 'provincial' parochialism where you'd rather see your team fail than succeed to spite someone over some perceived slight. Even at the height of the Mitchell/Deans Canterbury All Blacks the public wanted them to succeed.

It's anathema to rugby in my opinion, belongs more in chavball.

I tend to agree a team thrown together for a tour no matter the national side would struggle to beat a week in, week out team such as the Crusaders or the Hurricanes. And I would include the AB's obviously without the players from the teams mentioned above.

I also thought the Lion's pack looked extremely strong at scrum time but there was no cohesion in attack.

Hansen's job is not an easy one and in his defence.

Originally Posted by chassamui

Laidlaw should not even be on the tour. Way out of his depth at this level. Hogg should get another chance, but he blew this one.

Agreed about Laidlaw, doubt he will even be first choice for Scotland next year, too slow and one dimensional with no invention, but you do know what you will get from him and what he does he does well and he's consistent. Hogg was trying to do too much when he got the ball in the first game trying to force things as he knows Gatland will pick 1/2p at full back unless he does something sensational everytime he gets the ball.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

I really don't understand the sort of 'provincial' parochialism where you'd rather see your team fail than succeed to spite someone over some perceived slight. Even at the height of the Mitchell/Deans Canterbury All Blacks the public wanted them to succeed.

It's anathema to rugby in my opinion, belongs more in chavball.

Because the Lions is supposed to be about 4 Nations and when one is consistently ignored it no longer becomes your team, was bad enough last time with only 3 Scots in the squad and only Gray coming on a sub in the final test as the only Scottish representation. But this time it is an absolute joke, should have been at least 7 or 8 Jocks in the original squad going by 6N and club form over the season. The most glaring omission being Johnny Gray.

Should've, could've, would've... isn't.

Anyway like I say I don't understand it. Doubt you'll find any Kiwis hoping the All Blacks fail because there are only X players picked from province Y.

Apples and Oranges.

Yeah but no.

Anyway if you want to cut your nose off to spite your face be my guest. I'll be supporting the All Blacks even though they only have one BOP player.

And I will continue to support the Scotland national team whoever is picked and from whatever club but I have a feeling you don't really understand the Lions ethos so as I said apples and oranges.

Yeah, you're wishing ill for the team/coach and it's me who doesn't understand the Lions ethos...

Your obsession with going round in circles is rather tedious even after having things explained to you, Gatland has destroyed the ethos of the Lions by basically excluding one nation from this and the previous tour, I have no allegiance to the Lions under current management and would like nothing more than to see them soundly beaten thus ensuring Gatland will never be near a Lions team again.

Ok... so Gatland didn't pick enough Jocks for your personal liking, you'll stomp your feet, throw a wobbly, pout, take your ball and go home while most everyone else enjoys one of the most unique sporting events in the world.

Got it.

Oh well I suppose you can still watch the chavball eh.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Ok... so Gatland didn't pick enough Jocks for your personal liking, you'll stomp your feet, throw a wobbly, pout, take your ball and go home.

Got it.

Oh well I suppose you can still support a chavball team eh.

I don't particularly like and very rarely watch chavball, I was brought up with rugby union as in it is what we played at school, no chavball at private schools and I have been going to Murrayfield since the late 70s as a knee high kid watching the then 5 nations.

Do you find it hard to understand that someone wouldn't get behind a team that in no way represents them, not one Jock started a test on the last tour with only Richie Gray coming on as a late sub in the final test if I remember, the Lions is just a commercial exercise these days, who would really miss the tours once every 4 years anyway, but due to my love of rugby I will watch the games hoping NZ put on a great display and crush the English, Irish and Welsh Lions.

Come to think of it, there were no BOP players in the All Blacks squad for the last Lions tour to NZ! Damnit, I hope they lose this time!

And I agree: let's take something that is unique to rugby and in sports and bin it because it has all become a bit too commercialized and tawdry. That's what a real fan would do. Fuck it, let's go the whole hog and get rid of any/all tours, who needs 'em. That way you can be assured that the rugby you watch has the requisite number of Jocks for your liking.