Lions squad

[ArneSlot4PM]

The one part of Prices game on Saturday that disappointed me, was the way he applied so little pressure on to FDK......I think Murray will be a lot more in his face and hopefully rush him more.

Pretty happy with the changes tbh

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Great result

 

[Rosco]

Today was all about Conor Murray. The Lions only played rugby when he went off but by then it was too late.

If you're going to play Murray and a dull box kicking game you need to play a back three who are great in the air. We played the three worst back three players under a high ball and not surprisingly it didn't work.

 

[Grjt2]

I was really unimpressed with Murray, but am very aware that I’m not a fan of his anyway despite his attributes.

There was a sense of us getting pushed around early on, but it turned in to getting full on bullied.

“But he never takes his eyes off the ball” is not an excuse for that tackle in the first half, and yellow seemed incredibly lenient.

 

[Red Bird]

That was just so poor from the Lions, and blaming the referee (he was fine) is just deflecting from an ordinary tactical setup with an under-utilised back three and a stodgy midfield. The bench was unimaginative— Daly and Farrell when you are losing 🙁. If the truth be told, the Boks have dominated 3 of the 4 halves so far.

Let’s see if Gatland will wake up.

 

[Rosco]

Gatland is to blame, but because in times gone past the Lions tours were really difficult affairs he gets way too much credit.

Once upon a time when Ireland, Wales and Scotland played against the Southern Hemisphere sides it was a case of how much they'd be beaten by. Now three of the four teams are a match for Southern Hemisphere sides on their own. Selecting the best of them should lead to victory.

Some of Gatlands favourites are simply past their best - AWJ and Murray in particular. Ken Owens being on the tour is laughable, never mind on the bench.

 

[Red Bird]

That's what makes it so frustrating. The pool of genuinely world class players from which to choose in much bigger now but he's made some truly awful choices.

On a related matter how diabolical was that Cape Town pitch? Not test rugby quality at all.

 

[Rosco]

Yeah it was cut up to shit and filled with sand.

But the amount of errors were amazing.

 

[Judge Jules]

The Boks weren't that good either, but they didn't have to be. As soon as that Lions replacement front row came on I knew it was Goodnight Vienna.

 

[ArneSlot4PM]

I'll be very surprised if we don't see a number of changes for the third test.

Hogg has to be dropped!

If FDK and their flanker are ruled out, that will improve our chances.

 

[Judge Jules]

That little cnut should have been yellow carded at the very least for his body check on Murray, but yes, if he's out it'll help.

 

[Rosco]

 

[Grjt2]

Gatland panicking

 

[Grjt2]

Ken Owens must be pulling some Sean Fitzpatrick level shit in training…or have given Gatland a reach around

 

[Rosco]

British and Irish Lions: 15 Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales), 14 Josh Adams (Cardiff, Wales), 13 Robbie Henshaw (Leinster, Ireland), 12 Bundee Aki (Connacht, Ireland), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester Warriors, Scotland), 10 Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales), 9 Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland); 1 Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales), 2 Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales), 3 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster, Ireland), 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, England), 5 Alun Wyn Jones (capt) (Ospreys, Wales), 6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England), 7 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England), 8 Jack Conan (Leinster, Ireland).

Williams and Adams should have been playing all along, but it does look like he's panicking.

 

[Rosco]

Beard on the bench is smart though, I've never seen any fuck up as many mauls as him. He gets his arms everywhere

 

[ArneSlot4PM]

The backline looks a lot better. Very surprised Gatland didn't shake up the backrow!

Hopefully 9 and 10 actually try and pass it this week!

 

[Red Bird]

Interesting squad. He had to make changes to both personnel and tactics. It looks as if, to begin with anyway, he's just freshened the legs rather than change the style of play. That said, at least there is some imaginative stuff off the bench rather than Farrell for Biggar or Harris.

 

[Grjt2]

I don’t understand the Farrell hate. I’d pick him ahead of Biggar every day of the week…and I quite like Biggar.

 

[Red Bird]

I don’t understand the Farrell hate. I’d pick him ahead of Biggar every day of the week…and I quite like Biggar.

Each to his own, I guess. I don't think he's even the best English fly-half nor inside centre.

 

[Grjt2]

There have certainly been questions for England about whether he can get his back line moving and maximise their potential, but look at this Lions 3/4 line… it’s attritional, and not exactly designed to take the ball flat and be cute

 

[Rosco]

I don’t understand the Farrell hate. I’d pick him ahead of Biggar every day of the week…and I quite like Biggar.

Me too.

Russell is the most talented but also the most unreliable of the bunch.

Its not like Gatland wanted to play rugby anyway so I don't see why you don't put Farrell in the team. Maybe at 12, there's no great 13 in the squad but Henshaw can play there.

Bundee Aki might be the most limited back to ever set foot on the field for the Lions in a test match.

 

[Grjt2]

Exactly that. You can be a Farrell fan, or not, but if you’re playing Gatlands version of kick and chase, knock down drag out, aggro confrontational rugby, he looks like he should be a shoo in

 

[Red Bird]

Me too.

Russell is the most talented but also the most unreliable of the bunch.

Its not like Gatland wanted to play rugby anyway so I don't see why you don't put Farrell in the team. Maybe at 12, there's no great 13 in the squad but Henshaw can play there.

Bundee Aki might be the most limited back to ever set foot on the field for the Lions in a test match.

That is a fair point.

 

[Rosco]

That is a fair point.

Out of interest what English players would you have picked ahead of Farrell ?

 

[Judge Jules]

Exactly that. You can be a Farrell fan, or not, but if you’re playing Gatlands version of kick and chase, knock down drag out, aggro confrontational rugby, he looks like he should be a shoo in

Gold star for spelling "shoo in" properly.

I would have had Farrell at 10 all along (a) in a Gatland side, as you say, and (b) against the sheer physical challenge of a Springbok side on their own patch. Dropping him from the squad altogether smacks of panic as you and others have said - ditto Watson. Perhaps Gatland wanted this last Lions hurrah to be his launching-pad for a return home to go after the Blacks job - could it be that that's what he's really panicking about?

 

[Red Bird]

Out of interest what English players would you have picked ahead of Farrell ?

At fly half? Ford, Smith and maybe Joe Marchant. Centre? Slade and Devoto.

Farrell isn't that bad which is why I flinch at the word "hate"-- it's just in each of the positions he's played recently (and it's only recently), I just think these players are better. Not as versatile, mind.

 

[Judge Jules]

Agree about Farrell at centre, where he's never seemed to me to be at his best. Gun to my head, I'd probably also agree that currently George Ford is the best English no.10 overall with Smith coming up on the rails. Defensively, though, Ford would have been a passenger on this tour and the Lions couldn't have carried that.

 

[Grjt2]

Agree about Farrell at centre, where he's never seemed to me to be at his best. Gun to my head, I'd probably also agree that currently George Ford is the best English no.10 overall with Smith coming up on the rails. Defensively, though, Ford would have been a passenger on this tour and the Lions couldn't have carried that.

Exactly this. But as a combative 10 blocking the channel, and rock solid in the kicking game (both dishing out and receiving) he’s probably the best about

 

[Red Bird]

I have just seen the Springboks line-up and we must expect a different approach from them. While de Klerk is hugely effective box kicker and great defender (he sees kicks in behind before they even happen), Reinach is more of a line-break back. I'd not expect the same volume aerial bombardment as in the second test. Mostert is the joker in the pack there as I don't think he has P-S du Toit's ability and agility in the loose.