All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1
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@Pot-Hale said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@SimonAdd_2 said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Well done New Zealand, fantastic display of up-the guts rugby. Direct through the middle with some lovely smuggling of the ball to support runners to keep the momentum going. The Lions made so many tackles and never got the chance to get their line speed going.
For the men in red, they created some good chances but just failed to take them. The worrying thing is that I'm not sure where they can go selection-wise; most of the contentious calls were probably the correct ones, and most of the subs, particularly in the backs, weakened the side in the second half rather than providing impact.
For next week I'd probably keep the back line as it was, maybe add North to the bench in place of Halfpenny. The tight five needs to improve - I'd swap AWJ for Itoje. I'd also be really tempted to start Sinkler: Furlong looked like a force of nature back in November but he's been subdued on this tour. Sinkler by contrast seems to make metres with every carry, and more surprisingly the scrum has looked rock solid with him anchoring it. Give the boy a shot.
The back row went well although Faletau was a bit quiet compared to previous performances. O'Mahony looked injured coming off - if that's the case you'd assume it's Warburton into the starting XV and Stander to the bench, which might again add some more pop in the second half.
Leaving aside injury-forced replacements, I can see Gatland saying let's roll the dice again and hope for a different outcome.
You're spot on about Furlong. He's fatigued at this stage and looks it. Sinckler and Cole for the next test. I'd also include Best on the bench as he's a lot better in the loose. AW Jones has had his shot. Lawes and Henderson need to come into the mix. If POM is injured, then yeah, Warburton and Stander.
Murray and Webb as you were.
Sexton is not a bench impact player - he either starts or else bring in Biggar and drop Sexton. I'm not sold on Farrell at 10, however. I'm not sold on Te'o and Davies either as a combo. Joseph needs a start to see if his speed and strike rate can improve our attack.
Back three as you were.
Pretty much agree PH. Farrell didn't have his best game but then gain I don't think things were improved with Sexton at 10. I can't see past Teo at 12 at the moment as Gatland has nailed his big hunter at 12 colours to the mast - Sexton and Farrell hasn't gelled and to be honest hasn't been given the chance. Whilst I would like to see Joseph at 13, I thought Davies had a bloody good game, so difficult to drop.
Moving away from selection, i tell what did have me spitting blood at the time. We had a penalty and Sexton put us right on the 5 metre line and.... we change hooker. FFS George was pretty much 100%. not the time to bring on a replacement. Grrr.
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Whilst the Lions' first try was awesome I think Ioane's first was a thing of absolute beauty. Rugby at it's finest.
Forwards smash a scrum. Get great forward momentum. Backs beautifully work the space and put the winger in at the corner.
Classic rugby.
Maybe it's a forward thing.
That was wet dream territory. Smash the scrum, walk it until they infringe, but use the penalty advantage to work an excellent try to the debutant who at that stage had barely touched the ball. Rather than the 3 points.
Only downside being no penalty awarded means the yellow card mental trigger inside refs head for persistent infringing is not ticked over .....,,
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@SammyC said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Went to the game, great atmosphere
Apart from several piston wristed gibbons in front of us who were "there to watch the game and didn't want to listen to us shouting behind them"
Fucking hell, watch it on tv at home if you don't like it dickheads. Supporting your team is why you go to things like this
Seriously? Dicks.
What age?
Utter dickheads, 30-40ish... in the cheap seats too, what the hell were they thinking it was going to be like
I'm reading terry mcleans book about the 1977 lions tour at the moment. Sounds like kiwi crowds back then were ruthless as hell. Definitely a whole lot worse than me and my mates were last night
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@Catogrande have to think the call is made already and the change has to be made, but otherwise common sense says you dont send your hooker on with first touch of the ball is a throw to the lineout.
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@Catogrande said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@booboo said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Tim said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
What will the NH press complain about?
Pumpkin soup?
Sounds like a Southland night in.
Not enough incest
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Catogrande have to think the call is made already and the change has to be made, but otherwise common sense says you dont send your hooker on with first touch of the ball is a throw to the lineout.
Really? He's a pro.
He can only come on at a stoppage, which is pretty much either a scrum or a lineout. -
@Rapido pro or not, coming on in that situation, chasing the game like they were, sure you probably been throwing the ball on the sideline, but not to an active lineout...I'd make the change at another point.
But I guess once the cal has gone out, and the next stoppage is for the lineout I dont know that you can change ask to hold the change until the next non-lineout stoppage...
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
you lose your 15 and your 13 at the same time it's massive, as they are two of your biggest organisers. Add in it also results in a change at 10
If it had happened to the Lions, all us Lions fans would be pointing to it for a reason for not winning.
The first 10 minutes / second 10 minutes seemed to sum up the game.
First 10 minutes:
Lions get a chance for a winger to score in first couple of minutes but don't.
Lions have a lot of possession/territory but no points.Second 10 minutes:
Great NZ phases/pressure; NZ get a 5m penalty, but don't go for 3, don't kick for corner, don't scrum it - instead Barrett calls for a quick tap and ball gets to Taylor who picks the ball off his toes.
Most NH 10s would not would gamble a 5m pen to create the chance.
Most NH hookers would be happy just not to knock-on - let alone score.Furthermore, the somewhat delusional NH perspective is that a very good Lions try is celebrated up here as an achievement in itself, but the SH reality is to focus on bossing the game and taking control of the series.
Well done to the ABs
Megweya
PS: As an Irish fan I feel the need to go to YouTube to watch the Chicago video, because I can't see similar success coming on the next 2 Saturdays.
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I have a major quibble with not taking the 3 when we were 23-8 up.
It was a gimme. I can understand if the penalty was out on the tramlines, percentages tip it more to going for the corner. But that penalty was very adjacent.
I have a bouquet though for whoever stopped TJP taking a quick tap at 20-8 (I think). Basically tackled him when running up to the mark. Don't know if it was a Lion or one of his team mates, but well done that man. Of course he may have withheld himself once on the mark but I like that the choice was removed from him.
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@Rapido at 23-8 up I wasnt that worried, they were still 3 scores behind, another 3 menat it was def 3 tries instead of possibly 2 and a penalty.
Cant say I was surprised with the option either
Like you, I was a bit concerned at 20-8 when it looked like TJ was about to go...
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@booboo Yes so lovely to see you too, couldn't post and thought I was banned (honestly, I thought one of you humourless thin-skinned North Island micropeni who try to dish it out but don't like it up them mods had got in a huff over something), cleared cookies and have just managed to get back on.
"Meer hint"? Dickhead was being a dickhead. @Wreck-Diver how's your head this morning?
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Prob been said a million times , but was rapt in our forwards ,
All the Nh press seemed to think Pre match that they held an advantage there , and you start to think , maybe they are onto something.
But in hindsight , our win loss record over the last 4 years is unbelievably good , you don't achieve that with a shit pack, I think sometimes our brilliant attacking play leads to others overlooking how good our forwards actually are .
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
@Rapido at 23-8 up I wasnt that worried, they were still 3 scores behind, another 3 menat it was def 3 tries instead of possibly 2 and a penalty.
Cant say I was surprised with the option either
Like you, I was a bit concerned at 20-8 when it looked like TJ was about to go...
The fawning by the UK media over New Zealand is worse than the NZ media.
Where's the complaints when you need them?
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
Prob been said a million times , but was rapt in our forwards ,
All the Nh press seemed to think Pre match that they held an advantage there , and you start to think , maybe they are onto something.
But in hindsight , our win loss record over the last 4 years is unbelievably good , you don't achieve that with a shit pack, I think sometimes our brilliant attacking play leads to others overlooking how good our forwards actually are .
It's a misconception them up north have held and espoused for years. Long may they continue to delude themselves.
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@Pot-Hale said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
The fawning by the UK media over New Zealand is worse than the NZ media.
Where's the complaints when you need them?
That will come once the hangovers have cleared, the frame-by-frame video analysis can been completed and many, many examples of super slo-mo cheatiness and brutality can be filtered into rugby forums the world over.
I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly join the Beaudy Barrett fan club. Twelve months ago he was an outrageous talent who was sometimes too tentative in his game control and could be limited in his attacking options.
Now he's an outrageous talent who seems to be able run a game regardless of the circumstances and has a mental resilience to match.
I'm a huge fan of Aaron Cruden, and he did little wrong last night, but I was left wondering what might have been if Barret had played the whole match at 10.
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@Rapido said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:
I have a major quibble with not taking the 3 when we were 23-8 up.
It was a gimme. I can understand if the penalty was out on the tramlines, percentages tip it more to going for the corner. But that penalty was very adjacent.
I have a bouquet though for whoever stopped TJP taking a quick tap at 20-8 (I think). Basically tackled him when running up to the mark. Don't know if it was a Lion or one of his team mates, but well done that man. Of course he may have withheld himself once on the mark but I like that the choice was removed from him.
Yep, that was a stupid decision. 3 points and you get the ball back. Kick for the corner and trust a spluttering lineout.
Stuff
