B&I Lions 2017
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@Nepia said in B&I Lions 2017:
I think they'll definitely go for an actual lock ... playing loosies at lock took a reputation dent last year.
I think the only reason they went with 2 loosies on the bench last year was the lack of an impact lock. Pat T fit & firing he gets it, if not then they'll go 2 loosies. Tho' I'd prefer neither of the loosies to be Squire or Dixon. In the WC we played 2 lossies but one was Vito who actually added something off the bench. And we got lucky with locking injuries.
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Only room for (at most) 2 of Cane, Savea and Todd. Who will miss out?
Only room for Cane starting & then a bun fight for the pine rider, with Ardie probably winning it because of impact, but Todd starting if Cane gets crocked. Lets not start the year the same way we did last year with the farcical idea Cane is not one of the first 4 or 5 names written on the teamsheet. He's head & shoulders above every other 7 in NZ
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One thing will be certain and that is that barring an injury crisis this Lions visit will not be one for blooding anyone new to the setup. We have enough quality depth in every position not to have to look at bolters from Super Rugby.
The hard part will be 'who to leave out' although I expect there will also be an extended training camp somewhere along the way for everyone that misses the cut to get the gameplan just in case they are needed.
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@Crucial Henry made quite a few changes across the 3 tests in 2005, some of that was rotation in certain positions (TH prop, halfback and fullback) and then the mass changes in the 3rd test. I don't expect Hansen to do that but attrition will mean injuries occur in both squads.
I am hoping that Hansen will release some players back to the Maori, Chiefs and Canes if they aren't in the likely AB 23 for tests 1 and 2. Speaking of which, a number of players will be elligible for both the Chiefs and Maori but probably won't be able to play in both games as they are only 3 days apart. One or both of those teams could be severely weakened. We should be trying to put the strongest teams on the field in each game.
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@Bovidae said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial Henry made quite a few changes across the 3 tests in 2005, some of that was rotation in certain positions (TH prop, halfback and fullback) and then the mass changes in the 3rd test. I don't expect Hansen to do that but attrition will mean injuries occur in both squads.
I am hoping that Hansen will release some players back to the Maori, Chiefs and Canes if they aren't in the likely AB 23 for tests 1 and 2. Speaking of which, a number of players will be elligible for both the Chiefs and Maori but probably won't be able to play in both games as they are only 3 days apart. One or both of those teams could be severely weakened. We should be trying to put the strongest teams on the field in each game.
Not saying there won't be changes, just that I don't expect any new players to be introduced from outside of the squads recently used and returning injuries
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@Bovidae said in B&I Lions 2017:
I am hoping that Hansen will release some players back to the Maori, Chiefs and Canes if they aren't in the likely AB 23 for tests 1 and 2. Speaking of which, a number of players will be elligible for both the Chiefs and Maori but probably won't be able to play in both games as they are only 3 days apart. One or both of those teams could be severely weakened. We should be trying to put the strongest teams on the field in each game.
Won't happen, but I'd actually like him to be even more ballsy and release anyone not in the starting XV - and perhaps even a few of them. Sure, there's a handful of players who are head and shoulders above the next best who perhaps shouldn't be risked - the likes of Coles, Retallick and Beauden - but, we've got lots of options e.g. in the midfield and the wings where it wouldn't be the end of the world if someone happened to get injured. The Lions are going to have to risk their players and the tour will be much better if we do a bit too.
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@Bovidae said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial Henry made quite a few changes across the 3 tests in 2005, some of that was rotation in certain positions (TH prop, halfback and fullback) and then the mass changes in the 3rd test. I don't expect Hansen to do that but attrition will mean injuries occur in both squads.
I am hoping that Hansen will release some players back to the Maori, Chiefs and Canes if they aren't in the likely AB 23 for tests 1 and 2. Speaking of which, a number of players will be elligible for both the Chiefs and Maori but probably won't be able to play in both games as they are only 3 days apart. One or both of those teams could be severely weakened. We should be trying to put the strongest teams on the field in each game.
Didn't they already say they weren't going to?
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I'm bandwagon jumping/knee-jerking early and calling for an ALB/Ioane midfield. Defend that you fuckers.
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@mariner4life said in B&I Lions 2017:
I'm bandwagon jumping/knee-jerking early and calling for an ALB/Ioane midfield. Defend that you fuckers.
SBW / Crotty
(Actually I like the idea of ALB/Ioane)
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I don't know what it is but I have a weird inside icky feeling when I think of SBW making the AB's ahead of anyone else
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@mariner4life said in B&I Lions 2017:
I'm bandwagon jumping/knee-jerking early and calling for an ALB/Ioane midfield. Defend that you fuckers.
I'd be more c oncerned the other way, as ALB & Ioane both went "have we met? who were you taking again? & Savea goes "Crotty or Conrad usually tells me where to stand"" as the Lions run straight through our midfield.
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The midfield will be an interesting one ,
too early for me to pick , I guess we dont know how SBW is going to come back yet,
Would SBW ALB work ?
Would not surprise me to see hardly anybody picking Crotty , but he ends up in there , unfashionable , meat and potatoes type , but is pretty dependable
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@gollum for someone so bombastic, you don't have much of a sense of adventure do you?
I'm bored with winning all the time, i want to be excited! It's a "cut myself to feel something" kinda thing
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@mariner4life said in B&I Lions 2017:
@gollum for someone so bombastic, you don't have much of a sense of adventure do you?
I'm bored with winning all the time, i want to be excited! It's a "cut myself to feel something" kinda thing
Totally agree.
Which is why we should copy the selection policy of 2005. In the first test we went for the conservative options in MacDonald, Howlett and Marshall. And after being too clinical and too efficient in the first test, we then made a raft of unforced changes in the backline. Mils, Gear and Kelleher started the 2nd test, with Nonu on the bench. Completely changing the dynamic and not giving the Lions any chance whatsoever to settle into their opponents.
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@mariner4life we could do a backline of fullbacks....
10 DMac
12 Jordie Barrett (stretch I know...)
11 NMS
13 Ben Smith
14 Dagg
15 BB -
@taniwharugby some would say you have Dagg and DMac in their wrong spots...
