Scrumming the Lions off the park at the mo!
Rugby 2017 Discussion
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Pen for the Highlanders they sneak it by one with 8 to go 23:22
Will Farrell regret the easy* miss (*by his standards) after coming on
A small regional team beating the best of the UK and Ireland.
Its a bit like the English National football team -- more world famous than world class.
Its a bit like the English National football team -- more world famous than world class.
Farrell 
I know, I know, he's a good kicker etc usually but that's another one for the collection of important missed kicks this season. Wonder if he should have let Laidlaw take it.
I know, I know, he's a good kicker etc usually but that's another one for the collection of important missed kicks this season. Wonder if he should have let Laidlaw take it.
It's like saying Manchester United are a small regional team!
You'll see more of the best of the UK and Ireland Saturday and then all of them (that aren't injured) next Saturday.
Obviously not a rugby fan!
Entertaining game!
It was relatively simple really (by his standards) they mentioned the ball … have they changed it with him in mind or is the SH ball different anyway? Seems strange that the equipment is not global standard for international sport???Farrell
I know, I know, he's a good kicker etc usually but that's another one for the collection of important missed kicks this season. Wonder if he should have let Laidlaw take it.
Rugby union and football arent entirely comparable.
Its annoying to constantly see this comparisons.
Probably a SH ball, this article talks about how often it changes
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rug...history-of-the-world-cup-match-ball-1.2344466
Still a bad miss though, he's surely been practicing with this ball for weeks now.
HIgherlanders are the Manchester United of rugby? Saracens maybe but a team from Dunedin where a player makes like 30k a year?
Thanks for that! Nice to see Paul Grayson still has an influence
EDIT: Fixed!
Great game and well done to the Highlanders. The last penalty being moved back an extra two yards back proved crucial. Three tries from the Lions is a positive. On a different note, all roads lead to South Africa playing New Zealand in the final of the World U20 Championship.
Any young talent to look out for from either side?
Poor performance from the Lions and the gap between the test and midweek sides looks ever bigger.
Front row were outplayed with only Sinckler coming out with many positives. Marler and Best looked off the pace and the 3 replacements had the exact opposite of the impact expected.
Lawes and Henderson were our two best forwards and were more effectual than our entire backrow. Was a shame to see Lawes go off because he was having a stormer. Never thought I'd be saying this beforehand, but he's been the form lock on tour so far.
Alun Wyn Jones had a shocker when he came on. 3 stupid penalties you wouldn't expect to see from a young fella, let alone a leader of his esteem, all at crucial times when we'd worked ourselves into a strong position.
Stander finished well but had a very poor first hour. He doesn't look 100% to me and he was bullied at the collisions at times today.
Warburton was anonymous until his try. I don't think he made a single effective contribution in the first half. Needs to be much, much better if he's going to captain and lead a test side.
Haskell tried hard but just doesn't have the physicality or technique to impact games at this level anymore.
Webb mixed the brilliant with the chaotic as w
He will do. Guaranteed impact off the bench in the tests after Laidlaw failed to impress again.
Biggar was excellent I thought. Attached the line bravely and played with intelligence and courage throughout. Another outside shot having a cracking tour and forcing his way into test reckoning.
Henshaw was ok but nothing more. Tackled well and looked for plenty of work but didn't do enough with the ball he saw. Needs to improve at moving the ball from contact and making use of runners on his shoulder.
Joseph was stood up by Fekitoa a couple of times but always managed to get back at him and was easily the Lions most important attacker. Really feel he needs to start the tests as the only player we have capable of making that outside break.
Nowell and Seymour worked hard but (try aside) were bullied in the air and at the contact by their opposite numbers. Payne was very, very poor. His handling skills and kicking in particular were awful even if he did make two or three crucial tackles. Daly looked lively when he came on - I'd like to see more of him at 15.
All in all it wasn't a great performance from the Lions. Some good individual showings but when your front row and back row are that we'll beaten, you're not going to win rugby games in NZ.
Front row were outplayed with only Sinckler coming out with many positives. Marler and Best looked off the pace and the 3 replacements had the exact opposite of the impact expected.
Lawes and Henderson were our two best forwards and were more effectual than our entire backrow. Was a shame to see Lawes go off because he was having a stormer. Never thought I'd be saying this beforehand, but he's been the form lock on tour so far.
Alun Wyn Jones had a shocker when he came on. 3 stupid penalties you wouldn't expect to see from a young fella, let alone a leader of his esteem, all at crucial times when we'd worked ourselves into a strong position.
Stander finished well but had a very poor first hour. He doesn't look 100% to me and he was bullied at the collisions at times today.
Warburton was anonymous until his try. I don't think he made a single effective contribution in the first half. Needs to be much, much better if he's going to captain and lead a test side.
Haskell tried hard but just doesn't have the physicality or technique to impact games at this level anymore.
Webb mixed the brilliant with the chaotic as w
He will do. Guaranteed impact off the bench in the tests after Laidlaw failed to impress again.
Biggar was excellent I thought. Attached the line bravely and played with intelligence and courage throughout. Another outside shot having a cracking tour and forcing his way into test reckoning.
Henshaw was ok but nothing more. Tackled well and looked for plenty of work but didn't do enough with the ball he saw. Needs to improve at moving the ball from contact and making use of runners on his shoulder.
Joseph was stood up by Fekitoa a couple of times but always managed to get back at him and was easily the Lions most important attacker. Really feel he needs to start the tests as the only player we have capable of making that outside break.
Nowell and Seymour worked hard but (try aside) were bullied in the air and at the contact by their opposite numbers. Payne was very, very poor. His handling skills and kicking in particular were awful even if he did make two or three crucial tackles. Daly looked lively when he came on - I'd like to see more of him at 15.
All in all it wasn't a great performance from the Lions. Some good individual showings but when your front row and back row are that we'll beaten, you're not going to win rugby games in NZ.
I haven't watched the U20 All Blacks team during this tournament, so i can't pass much judgement on them but their results have been excellent to this point.
I must confess i don't recognise many players from the junior Boks squad from Super Rugby. I'm also not great remembering names of players after only watching them for a couple of games. However, Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch is playing for the junior Boks and he's had a good tournament to this point.
Seen the junior Boks play twice and the fought hard for a 23-23 draw vs France and annihilated Argentina last Thursday putting 70 on the Pumas. They'll play an England side that hung in there but wasn't massively impressive in beating Australia 20-19 last week.
To be honest, Australia choked in the last few minutes of that game, conceding a needless penalty for a dangerous tackle and failing to take a drop goal attempt when they were in position to do so on two occasions. Frustrating doesn't cut it.
Didn't do the French much good when the match got underway but there was a fair old stare off after the haka. @Stack Would you regard what the French did as disrespectful?
No, I thought good on them and I think the NZ players did as well. No mention here of anyone finding it disrespectful. I like seeing opposition teams stand up to it. Its a challenge and needs to be treated as one. Disrespectful to me would be turning their backs or talking among each other etc.
WTF a response is never INappropriate … and don't confuse an AB win with "it didn't work" they'll normally win anyway!
My two personal favourite responses are below. the Dougy Howlett's 4 man Munster reply was ground-breaking but man would I have loved to be in the park for that Tonga response?!:
EDIT That "IN" I missed out originally makes a big difference! Sorry for anyone who got the original; and I'll take all the shit that's coming my way!
Don't get me wrong, I love it when the haka is challenged by the opposition or when the home crowd tries to drown it out. I was just after a Kiwi perspective on France's response to the junior All Blacks haka last night which @Stack gave.
Owen Farrell has been ruled out of Saturday's tour match vs the Maori All Blacks due to a muscle strain. It's now a race against time for him to be fit for the series opener at Eden Park.
Lions team v Maori All Blacks:
L Halfpenny (Wales); A Watson (England), J Davies (Wales), B Te'o (England), G North (Wales); J Sexton, C Murray (both Ireland); M Vunipola, J George (both England), T Furlong (Ireland), M Itoje, G Kruis (both England), P O'Mahony (capt, Ireland), S O'Brien (Ireland), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: K Owens (Wales), J McGrath (Ireland), K Sinckler (England), I Henderson (Ireland), S Warburton (Wales), G Laidlaw (Scotland), D Biggar (Wales), E Daly (England).
Hope Farrell makes it, as much as I want my own countryman in. They need him as an option even if his kicking has been dodgy.
L Halfpenny (Wales); A Watson (England), J Davies (Wales), B Te'o (England), G North (Wales); J Sexton, C Murray (both Ireland); M Vunipola, J George (both England), T Furlong (Ireland), M Itoje, G Kruis (both England), P O'Mahony (capt, Ireland), S O'Brien (Ireland), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: K Owens (Wales), J McGrath (Ireland), K Sinckler (England), I Henderson (Ireland), S Warburton (Wales), G Laidlaw (Scotland), D Biggar (Wales), E Daly (England).
Hope Farrell makes it, as much as I want my own countryman in. They need him as an option even if his kicking has been dodgy.
The All Blacks will take on Samoa at Eden Park on Friday night.
Both sides 15:1
New Zealand: Ben Smith (captain), Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody
Reserves: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Vaea Fifita, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Jordie Barrett
Samoa: Ah See Tuala, Albert Nikoro, Kieron Fonotia, Alapati Leiua, Tim Nanai-Williams, Tusi Pisi, Kahn Fotuali’i, Faifili Levave, Jack Lam, Piula Faasalele, Faatiga Lemalu, Chris Vui, Census Johnston, Maatulimanu Leiatua, Viliamu Afatia
Reserves: Seilala Lam, Nephi Leatigaga, Paul Alo-Emile, Taiasina Tuifua, Alafoti Faosiliva, Auvasa Falealii, D’Angelo Leuila, Ken Pisi
I hope all three Barrett brothers get on the field at the same time.
Both sides 15:1
New Zealand: Ben Smith (captain), Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody
Reserves: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Vaea Fifita, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Jordie Barrett
Samoa: Ah See Tuala, Albert Nikoro, Kieron Fonotia, Alapati Leiua, Tim Nanai-Williams, Tusi Pisi, Kahn Fotuali’i, Faifili Levave, Jack Lam, Piula Faasalele, Faatiga Lemalu, Chris Vui, Census Johnston, Maatulimanu Leiatua, Viliamu Afatia
Reserves: Seilala Lam, Nephi Leatigaga, Paul Alo-Emile, Taiasina Tuifua, Alafoti Faosiliva, Auvasa Falealii, D’Angelo Leuila, Ken Pisi
I hope all three Barrett brothers get on the field at the same time.
Problem was in 2011 when France were fined £2,500 for just advancing to the Haka . I remember there being outrage from that. I know some people hate the Haka like it gives NZ an advantage and others hate that it's place after the anthems even when NZ are away. I love the Haka and the placement of it doesn't bother me however I hate the fact it now has all these rules now. Your not even allowed to challenge it anymore, you've just to stand there and take it.
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Its funny how the Haka with the AB's has evolved, google how the Haka looked in the 50's and 60's for a laugh
It honestly does.
All Blacks incredible, thrashing Samoa 78-0.
Well according to telegraph Gatland is poised to call up four players for Lions from the Wales squad hooker Kristian Dacey, prop Thomas Francis, lock Cory Hill and scrum-half Gareth Davies.
There'll be a few "angry and confused" English players
No full-back. For protecting the squad, as the reason was, what's the point of calling up another scrum-half?There'll be a few "angry and confused" English players
I'm sure Donnacha Ryan and Joe Launchbury are both thinking "who the hell is Cory Hill". But yeah no Hogg replacement, as soon as I saw Telegraph report big number of Welsh players called up I thought Cuthburt with Williams moving to 15 but even Gatland can't be that daft, can he?
So this is confirmed now. Absolute joke and as a Welshman this is embarrassing. Cory Hill is not good enough for international rugby let alone a lions tour. Dacey is a decent player but a lion in NZ. Mental.
Game 5: Lions vs Maori All Blacks
Where's @Mitchell Nicholas ? I was sick yesterday and I slept through the first half, the one day I need the matchtracking...
I was sick yesterday and I slept through the first half, the one day I need the matchtracking...Penalty Try, reckon they're very lucky not to lose a second player to a yellow there.
These latest call ups are the last straw for me. I was already highly indifferent with this team but this Shitty manager picking his favourites just sours it *
* May change
* May change
Another try, forward dominance in poor conditions. This game looks done now.
Maoris are obstructing left, right and centre.
Can't comment too much on it because I didn't see the first half, but that was pretty good against a team with 7 ABs. Expect the NZ press love-in with Conor Murray to continue, he'll be a superstar by the end of this tour
Itoje future cap'n material!