All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1
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@Marty said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Good article from the42.ie below. Beats the hell out of anything the MSM prepare here.
Analysis: What will the first Test between the Lions and All Blacks look like?
Murray Kinsella takes a look at the key areas in today’s clash at Eden Park.
Always enjoy analysis from the42.ie but here, apart from grudging acknowledgement that Mike Cron is a good scrum technician, they seem to have fallen down the "All Blacks set piece is a weakness" rabbit hole. I reckon the AB eight will be angry, will front in a big way tonight and it will be an absolutely brutal confrontation for the first 30 mins.
Maybe. He's pretty balanced, and the NH do tend to optimise for set piece battles. By comparison,, we prefer our tight 5 a bit lighter and more mobile.
Expect something like the 2005 1st test. Epic confrontation up front all day ... can't wait.
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@Marty Only slight apprehensions I have about the set piece are (i) that the Lions outsmarted the Crusaders scrum in Christchurch and it's the same front row for the ABs. On the other side of the coin, the Crusaders - when they got it right (or perhaps some undetected cheating) demolished the Lions scrum at least once; and (ii) that Codie Taylor's throwing is on-song (he's usually pretty solid). Otherwise, if the published stats are right, the ABs are going to have a significant height advantage at the lineout - with Retallick, Whitelock and Kaino all significantly taller than their opposites. In general, if we avoid scrum penalties, I don't see us getting worse than parity in the set piece.
Overall, I think the key is how our back three deal with the high ball - of which they will get plenty. There's no reason to think that Ben Smith will be other than excellent and that Dagg will be very good. I'm expecting Rieko to stand up when it comes to catching, not sure he's got the same kicking game as the other two so will need help there.
I think the ABs have enough nous and firepower in the backs to overcome the rush defence and I think we have the forwards to give us the quality of ball to stop us being pinned in our own half. I'm a bit concerned that Read, Crotty and Kaino are a bit underdone and might generate a few uncharacteristic errors.
I can't see us not scoring several tries, so a big challenge for the Lions is finding a way to match that. They haven't really found their way over the tryline with great regularity and variation.
Tend to think that if we wake up on Sunday to analyse a defeat, we'll be looking not far from Beauden having had a poor night with the boot and "too many underdone players" - maybe some reckless play giving away cards.
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@Chris-B. said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Marty Only slight apprehensions I have about the set piece are (i) that the Lions outsmarted the Crusaders scrum in Christchurch and it's the same front row for the ABs. On the other side of the coin, the Crusaders - when they got it right (or perhaps some undetected cheating) demolished the Lions scrum at least once; and (ii) that Codie Taylor's throwing is on-song (he's usually pretty solid). Otherwise, if the published stats are right, the ABs are going to have a significant height advantage at the lineout - with Retallick, Whitelock and Kaino all significantly taller than their opposites. In general, if we avoid scrum penalties, I don't see us getting worse than parity in the set piece.
Yeah agree. For me the Crusaders lineout issues were confounded by only having one and a half targets (with all respect to Romero), making it easier for the Lions to attack and putting extra pressure on to Taylor. Read coming back in is such a bonus . And with the scrums I'm confident/possibly deluded that the front row will be better for having had a good look at their opponents.
Paul Cully sums things up pretty well up ...
The British and Irish Lions are about to enter Mordor
Forget the backs the first Test will be brutal and there will be blood.
Not sure about the Mordor analogy though, means Steve Hansen is Sauron?
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@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Marty said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Good article from the42.ie below. Beats the hell out of anything the MSM prepare here.
Analysis: What will the first Test between the Lions and All Blacks look like?
Murray Kinsella takes a look at the key areas in today’s clash at Eden Park.
Always enjoy analysis from the42.ie but here, apart from grudging acknowledgement that Mike Cron is a good scrum technician, they seem to have fallen down the "All Blacks set piece is a weakness" rabbit hole. I reckon the AB eight will be angry, will front in a big way tonight and it will be an absolutely brutal confrontation for the first 30 mins.
Maybe. He's pretty balanced, and the NH do tend to optimise for set piece battles. By comparison,, we prefer our tight 5 a bit lighter and more mobile.
Expect something like the 2005 1st test. Epic confrontation up front all day ... can't wait.
I know that they're/he's considered a god in some circles, and he/they do write interesting analysis of play, but of the articles I've read involving the ABs I don't find them hugely balanced. If you're going to talk about blocking, don't call a Lion wiley when he benefits from it, and if you're bringing up key issues of the games so far you shouldn't overlook flat (offside defensive lines).
Also, blocking is set to become the BoD clean out of this series, if a Lion trips over while a cm away from an defender it will be further evidence that there is a deliberate ploy (only by NZ) to block players off the ball.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Marty said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Good article from the42.ie below. Beats the hell out of anything the MSM prepare here.
Analysis: What will the first Test between the Lions and All Blacks look like?
Murray Kinsella takes a look at the key areas in today’s clash at Eden Park.
Always enjoy analysis from the42.ie but here, apart from grudging acknowledgement that Mike Cron is a good scrum technician, they seem to have fallen down the "All Blacks set piece is a weakness" rabbit hole. I reckon the AB eight will be angry, will front in a big way tonight and it will be an absolutely brutal confrontation for the first 30 mins.
Maybe. He's pretty balanced, and the NH do tend to optimise for set piece battles. By comparison,, we prefer our tight 5 a bit lighter and more mobile.
Expect something like the 2005 1st test. Epic confrontation up front all day ... can't wait.
.... I don't find them hugely balanced.
Let's b ehonest, everyone else who puts up video analysis is so far from the centre they live with the marxists. He's biased, but not horribly (GAGR I'm looking at you)
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ABs by 20.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Nepia said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Marty said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Good article from the42.ie below. Beats the hell out of anything the MSM prepare here.
Analysis: What will the first Test between the Lions and All Blacks look like?
Murray Kinsella takes a look at the key areas in today’s clash at Eden Park.
Always enjoy analysis from the42.ie but here, apart from grudging acknowledgement that Mike Cron is a good scrum technician, they seem to have fallen down the "All Blacks set piece is a weakness" rabbit hole. I reckon the AB eight will be angry, will front in a big way tonight and it will be an absolutely brutal confrontation for the first 30 mins.
Maybe. He's pretty balanced, and the NH do tend to optimise for set piece battles. By comparison,, we prefer our tight 5 a bit lighter and more mobile.
Expect something like the 2005 1st test. Epic confrontation up front all day ... can't wait.
.... I don't find them hugely balanced.
Let's b ehonest, everyone else who puts up video analysis is so far from the centre they live with the marxists. He's biased, but not horribly (GAGR I'm looking at you)
Hahahaha, yep, there's good stuff in there and definitely not create a video only looking at one teams' indiscretions!
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Having said that if we lose I know who I'll blame ...
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If the Lions lose the first test what can they change?
Itoje into the pack, maybe a different type of loosie on the bench (Tipuric, Stander), bring Sexton in and push Farrell out to 12, bring North onto the wing.
And NZ?
Hope Coles is magically right, otherwise hard to improve the pack on paper (could bring Squire onto the bench), TJP to start, ALB into the XV, Polynesian power wingers.
If the Lions can't win this game with Plan A, I don't see them having a winning Plan B TBH.
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@Donsteppa I've even dragged the old AB jersey out for the day. First time since October 23 2011
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kinda reminds me of the saturday build up to a Bledisloe game from 15 years ago ,
When you weren't quite sure what would happen , remember those days ?
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@Donsteppa said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
First time in ages I've been pacing around impatient for a 7.30pm rugby game to kickoff.
Yup, food cooked, wine poured.. and still more over an hour till kickoff! Grrr, sitting around watching the amateurs wearing Blue or Gold go at it before the real rugby kicks off... bring it on!!
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funny interview with Mrs Ioane today with Veitch ,
She met a lions supporter who was sleeping in his van outside ponsonby rugby club ,
Took him home for a feed , made him a bed on a matress on the lounge room floor , told him to make himself at home ,
Sons come home an hour later ( both still live at home and share the same bedroom since they were kids ) introduces her sons Reiko and Akira
Guy had no idea , could not believe it
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