The Silver Fern

@sparky said in WR U20 Championship 2025:

It finished 69-22 to New Zealand Under 29s so they advance to the Semi Finals.

Talk about a mismatch.

I don't think anyone is upset with that lineup. If we click this weekend then they will look like a second string opposition.

@sparky said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

Only seen highlights but the Marcus Smith try looked like it was off a forward pass.

I thought so too at the ground, but given some odd refereeing decisions around "held up" I thought it evened the ledger somewhat for the Lions.

Nathan Cleary showing he's a grossly overrated donkey.

A cold Wednesday night in a shithole stadium in a shithole town. The things I do to provide you with a report from the ground.

Lions predictable winners. But made to work hard for it against a gutsy effort from a bunch of no-names and a couple of debutants.

JGP was very, very average. In comparison to Mitchell he looks decidedly third rate. As does Bundee Aki. On form Farrell would have to have an aneurysm to select them for the first Test. Lowe not much better - does he know he can dive at the line?

Chessum went well. Curry was invisible from the stands.

Ryan Lonergan should be a Wallaby. How Schmidt prefers Nic White beggars belief.

@Kiwiwomble said in "Lima Sopoaga":

i'll always look back on his debut, in south africa and to play so well, its literally what we talk about being one of the ultimate tests, feel he'll always be a "what if"

I remember reading/ hearing that Hansen wasn't particularly impressed because he didn't play to the coached strategy.

@handa457 said in "Lima Sopoaga":

@antipodean I always felt he saw which way the wind was blowing. With DMac and Beaudy in the All Blacks at best there was one slot for another first five and the rise of Mounga meant that there wasn't any guarantee it would be Lima. Can't fault him for heading abroad

Agreed. No real prospect so he may as well make money where he can.

@MN5 said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

@MN5 said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

At a Lions Lunch with Ieyan Evans, Joe Schmidt, Ronana O'Gara and a bunch of Brumbies. Hope to remember and share anything memorable and or insightful.

Will probably be too pissed.

Judging by some of the spelling you already are.

Have fun !

Turns out I got worse.

God bless.

Any good yarns ? Maybe you decided a repeat of the Duncan McRae/Ronan O’Gara incident from 2001 was in order ?

I don't recall many in sufficient detail, but what I did find interesting is Joe spoke about the importance of finding grass with their kicks. So that leads me to believe their kicking strategy won't be putting much emphasis on contestables. Perhaps he doesn't believe that the Wallabies will compete well in that space?

@MiketheSnow said in Springboks v Barbarians:

Much maligned

Would have made every other country’s Test team during his career

Good on you boy, enjoy your century

We could not have more disparate opinions on Willie le Roux.

@His-Bobness said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

That’s a mortal blow to the Wallabies and you have to feel for them. I’m not sure Donaldson offers much as a replacement.

I think they're better off for the injury.

@MN5 said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

@antipodean said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

At a Lions Lunch with Ieyan Evans, Joe Schmidt, Ronana O'Gara and a bunch of Brumbies. Hope to remember and share anything memorable and or insightful.

Will probably be too pissed.

Judging by some of the spelling you already are.

Have fun !

Turns out I got worse.

At a Lions Lunch with Ieyan Evans, Joe Schmidt, Ronana O'Gara and a bunch of Brumbies. Hope to remember and share anything memorable and or insightful.

Will probably be too pissed.

On available evidence I'm thrilled the Tigers aren't paying Galvin a million a year.

@NTA said in Springboks v Barbarians:

When did we start calling these "Friendlies" ?

Everytime the NH lost.

@brodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@antipodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@brodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@antipodean

Well Tavatavanawai did win more turnovers than Kirifi this SRP season but then again the Highlanders were probably defending more than the Canes

I get the point you're making, but I'd rather select the person whose job it is to play openside than a winger/ centre trying to do that role.

Breakdown turnovers won out wide are actually more likely to result in a try if the team is good at counter-attacking because the defence is usually has more misalignment.

Let's accept that statement as true for argument's sake, and the underlying premise that "out wide" means backs, you've just taken out a back to attack with.

It also means that it has to be a clear turnover, not a penalised offence.

But if all of that is true, then it obviously means you should select a backline of turnover specialists...

@brodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@antipodean

Well Tavatavanawai did win more turnovers than Kirifi this SRP season but then again the Highlanders were probably defending more than the Canes

I get the point you're making, but I'd rather select the person whose job it is to play openside than a winger/ centre trying to do that role.

@Nepia said in Movie review thread...:

@antipodean said in Movie review thread...:

I can only think of two good movies he's been in:

1. Heat
2. Reservoir Dogs

You don't like Donnie Brasco and the rest of his Tarantino films?

His career is essentially a few high profile movies in the early 1990s, a bunch of QT, and lots of DTV.

IIRC he was also in Sin City.

Turns out I forgot he was in the following movies I also liked:

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
Donnie Brasco
Mulholland Falls
The Hateful Eight

That being said, he doesn't come to mind when I think of those movies.

The braking by Piastri was double the braking pressure applied by Russell at the previous incident and a massive departure from that Piastri did the previous laps.

In the conditions it was a matter of skill that prevented Max ramming up the arse of Oscar.

The penalty was deserved.

@Mr-Fish said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

@antipodean said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

@Catogrande said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

@antipodean said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

@Catogrande said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:

@sparky

If that is the dress rehearsal for the test squad, the big news is Marcus being picked over Finn Smith.

I'd say the big news is he's picking out of form Irish players in comparison to the alternatives.

Not sure who you mean really. Furlong perhaps? Maybe but it would be nip and tuck between him and Stuart, with no-one else really putting their hand up. The centres have both played pretty well and have not been seen in tandem yet and you wouldn't want the two Scots boys backing up so soon. The replacements seem fine to me with the possible exception of Hansen.

The context being this is the probable Test squad.

Still don't exactly know who you mean? Aki, Ringrose, Lowe and Gibson-Park certainly aren't out of form. Furlong maybe? But again, Will Stuart isn't far ahead of him. The bench players are bench players and are all fairly on par with other bench options.

In comparison with the other squad members. The best centres on display this far weren't Irish. Gibson-Park is probably the best Irish player in the last few years, so I expect he'll start, but the form of Mitchell set the benchmark IMO.

I'd still pick Lowe.