Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!

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T00lsh3d said:
feck….

williams
Watson
Adams
henshaw
Aki
biggar
Murray
Falatau
Beirne
Curry
Henderson (assume awj not fit yet)
Itoje
Furlong
George
feck knows

This is what I expect, not necessarily what I’d go with. I could have it all wrong though. You?
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Part who I’d play, part who I think may play

Mad Liam
Watson
???
Farrell
Adams (though Van DM has looked ok when played)
Biggar
Murray
Faletau
Watson (possibly my POTT in 6Ns but has serious competition from Curry, very good today)
Beirne
AWJ (though starting as sub and seeing how first Test goes may mean not gambled)
Itoje
Furlong
Owens (though toss up with George)
Wyn Jones maybe after today

Think at least five backs certain but only three or four forwards.… good squad depth.

Few 50/50s but some of them, wonder if Garland leans towards the Welsh players he knows (like Ken Owens). Wish Tipuric was still there as a ball carrying impact sub ~ great against a tiring side and breaks first line.

Can‘t wait.
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
Was it him that did that step near the end and left a roaring Itoje on his arse?

Itoje, Curry, Wyn Jones did well. Beard slight surprise as to how well he did but
AWJ may come in depending on how training sessions go. Could also add in Hamish Watson, Biggar, Josh Adams, couple of others.

Guess the team for the next game will give a good indicator of the Test XV.

With a few upgrades, I think Lions have a great shot.
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Aye it was Kolbe.

I’m not that confident, SA looked good considering how little they’ve played since the World Cup. The Lions scored 10 of their points against 13 men.

Gatland may need to consider using dual playmakers for more creativity so Biggar at 10, Farrell at 12.
 
Zoo said:
Aye it was Kolbe.

I’m not that confident, SA looked good considering how little they’ve played since the World Cup. The Lions scored 10 of their points against 13 men.

Gatland may need to consider using dual playmakers for more creativity so Biggar at 10, Farrell at 12.
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Yeah, had both of them in my possible XV (post a couple up).

I'm always confident with the Lions, probably too much :) but for me, it's one of the greatest sporting spectacles and get carried away with it. Even though it's a mix of nationalities playing, it does have that patriotic "us v you" feel about it.

Really hoping to go on the next tour to Aus... always been on my bucket list.

Love de Klerk, loon but not sure about his tackle yesterday and even more disappointed in the officials saying no direct head contact... if they'd come to a yellow and used the glancing contact just before Navidi as justification, I'd disagree but could understand it.

Like I said, great player but I'd love to see him flattened. The little Duracell bunny would probably jump up and go for the next tackle he could, against a prop :)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportsjoe.ie/amp/rugby/faf-de-klerk-tackle-owen-farrell-232386
 
A loss won't be the worst thing for the Lions as they have been largely unchallenged against the provinces. SA 'A' were impressive until the yellow cards. Their discipline left plenty to be desired though. On attack, neither side wanted to show their cards and that's understandable.
 
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Jacques Nienaber proving again that he's the best defensive coach there has ever been.

That was a great prep match for the Lions and an early insight as to the ferocity of the test matches. They did alright considering it was far from a full strength XV but I don't think either side was showing their full hand in terms of backline play in particular.

The most important takeaway was that Peyper cannot be allowed to referee any of the real tests. He's completely and utterly incapable of remaining objective when reffing South African sides. It was like listening to two different men speaking out there, depending on which side had possession.
 
diarm said:
Jacques Nienaber proving again that he's the best defensive coach there has ever been.

That was a great prep match for the Lions and an early insight as to the ferocity of the test matches. They did alright considering it was far from a full strength XV but I don't think either side was showing their full hand in terms of backline play in particular.

The most important takeaway was that Peyper cannot be allowed to referee any of the real tests. He's completely and utterly incapable of remaining objective when reffing South African sides. It was like listening to two different men speaking out there, depending on which side had possession.
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All going well, Mathieu Reynal, Nic Berry (Australia) and Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) will referee the tests.
 
To those who can answer:
Why are the Springboks being referred to as South Africa A?
Been bored out my mind, so started looking for anything to watch and saw the highlights of yesterdays game. They say several springboks were called up into this team, but doesn't give why they are being called South Africa A?
 
Rugby Australia was very keen on the 20 minute red card being trialled globally and they'll feel that would have come in handy now that Marika Koriobete was sent off 4 minutes in against France for a high shot on French #8 Anthony Jelonch. An early sending off will be seen by some as an argument against replacing red carded players after 20 minutes.


 
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Xaviesta said:
Rugby Australia was very keen on the 20 minute red card being trialled globally and they'll feel that would have come in handy now that Marika Koriobete was sent off 4 minutes in against France for a high shot on French #8 Anthony Jelonch. An early sending off will be seen by some as an argument against replacing red carded players after 20 minutes.


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Some, like me. I don't really get it.

I think I've said here before that there are the odd egregious sending off (Connacht had two or three this year), but in general it's hard to argue that most red cards are not totally justified. if you don't want your team down to 14, don't be an idiot.

EDIT: Saying all that :D That one looks a bit harsh. Koroibete is a bit high but the French player is dipping.
 
unchanged_lineup said:
Some, like me. I don't really get it.

I think I've said here before that there are the odd egregious sending off (Connacht had two or three this year), but in general it's hard to argue that most red cards are not totally justified. if you don't want your team down to 14, don't be an idiot.

EDIT: Saying all that :D That one looks a bit harsh. Koroibete is a bit high but the French player is dipping.
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Yeah it’s harsh and a while ago I’d have had sympathy for the player. But feck me, he’s got a 30m run up….just tackle lower! That tackle could have been a foot lower and he’d still have nailed the player
 
unchanged_lineup said:
Some, like me. I don't really get it.

I think I've said here before that there are the odd egregious sending off (Connacht had two or three this year), but in general it's hard to argue that most red cards are not totally justified. if you don't want your team down to 14, don't be an idiot.

EDIT: Saying all that :D That one looks a bit harsh. Koroibete is a bit high but the French player is dipping.
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When they paused the footage at the point of contact, a red felt inevitable. Much of the Aussie outrage comes from a lack of understanding of mitigating factors - WR say there has to be a significant drop in the body height of the ball carrier whereas any drop in height from the ball carrier is seen as mitigation here.
 
20 all at half time in the series deciding test between Australia and France in Brisbane. Through two and half games in this series the score is 69 all.
 
Despite playing with 14 men for 75 minutes Australia have beaten France 33-30 to win the Bicentennial series 2-1 and secure a 9th straight win at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
 
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By the way, the Blue Bulls beat South Africa 'A' 17-14. The South Africa 'A' side was 14-0 up at the break so Jake White will be chuffed with the 2nd half comeback from his team.
 
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Dave Rennie and Scott Johnson have both been quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald talking about Koroibete's red card. I can't link the article but I can post a tweet that takes you to the article. The long and short of it is that Koroibete's red card will be appealed.

RA will challenge the referee's view that there were no mitigating factors. They will also present the case that there was clear separation between Koroibete’s shoulder and Jelonch’s head at the first point of contact.

Johnson and Rennie believe Jelonch was milking the incident and are very keen to ensure milking/play acting is discouraged. Johnson also reiterates his view that the 20 minute red card needs to be brought in. This is Australia's 4th red card since 2017 for what it's worth and according to RA the most contentious.



Finally, if Koroibete deserved a red card, RA are surely entitled to wonder why this was just a yellow card in the super rugby Trans Tasman final

 
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Xaviesta said:
Dave Rennie and Scott Johnson have both been quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald talking about Koroibete's red card. I can't link the article but I can post a tweet that takes you to the article. The long and short of it is that Koroibete's red card will be appealed.

RA will challenge the referee's view that there were no mitigating factors. They will also present the case that there was clear separation between Koroibete’s shoulder and Jelonch’s head at the first point of contact.

Johnson and Rennie believe Jelonch was milking the incident and are very keen to ensure milking/play acting is discouraged. Johnson also reiterates his view that the 20 minute red card needs to be brought in. This is Australia's 4th red card since 2017 for what it's worth and according to RA the most contentious.



Finally, if Koroibete deserved a red card, RA are surely entitled to wonder why this was just a yellow card in the super rugy Trans Tasman final

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Oof, bloody hell that's a bad tackle.
 
unchanged_lineup said:
Innnnnnteresting. Any link to the ruling?
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World Rugby agreed with RA's view that mitigating factors should have been taken into account by the referee. WR also ruled that Koroibete's initial contact with Jelonch was shoulder on shoulder and not shoulder direct to the head of the French captain.



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Handre Pollard will bring up 50 tests for the Boks this weekend. He'll be captain too if Kolisi doesn't play. Ox Nche gets first crack at replacing Tendai Mtawrira in a fair dinkum test. Kwagga Smith in for the injured Duane Vermuelen. The backline is the same that played in the World Cup Final. A 5-3 split on the bench for the Boks instead of the 6-2 split we saw at the World Cup. The two players with the surname 'Jantjies' are name sakes, not brothers.



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Quite surprised no Faletau or Josh Adams
 
JJ12 said:
Quite surprised no Faletau or Josh Adams
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That's an understatement? To not even make the bench is either an unknown injury issue or an amazingly brave (some would say stupid) decision by Gatland.

Hogg's obviously a good player but sometimes I think he makes the wrong decision/tries to do stuff by himself... can be dangerous for a Full Back.

VDM has played well, just thought Adams looked in form too. Maybe a bit more brute strength and Gatland going physical.

Daly??

Price has taken his chance I think. Was Murray's to lose and he did.

Beirne's unlucky as is Watson (thought he was amazing in 6Ns) but Iain Dowie's slightly better looking twin has been superb and can't say doesn't deserve place.

Gatland has got shedloads of experience so hopefully he knows what he's doing.

British and Irish Lions: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Ali Price; 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Liam Williams.
 
Tacking has been a talking point this week. Yours truly has contributed to that. How about this for a legal, crunching tackle in New Zealand's win over Fiji last Saturday.

 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
That's an understatement? To not even make the bench is either an unknown injury issue or an amazingly brave (some would say stupid) decision by Gatland.

Hogg's obviously a good player but sometimes I think he makes the wrong decision/tries to do stuff by himself... can be dangerous for a Full Back.

VDM has played well, just thought Adams looked in form too. Maybe a bit more brute strength and Gatland going physical.

Daly??

Price has taken his chance I think. Was Murray's to lose and he did.

Beirne's unlucky as is Watson (thought he was amazing in 6Ns) but Iain Dowie's slightly better looking twin has been superb and can't say doesn't deserve place.

Gatland has got shedloads of experience so hopefully he knows what he's doing.

British and Irish Lions: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Ali Price; 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Tadhg Beirne, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Liam Williams.
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Looking at the backs, you'd assume he's abandoned the plan to just crash it in off 12 and with Daly and Hogg we're going to try to outflank the SA rush defence. Which is great....but the back row doesn't compliment that at all. It needs a mobile back row if we're going to throw the ball around, Watson & Navidi would have been ideal.
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
I get the Covid thing but surprised no Plan B other than "we'll let a South African be the TMO"

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...south-africa-warren-gatland-marius-jonker-tmo
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Marius Jonker has been placed in a dreadful position. He's going to have to be scrupulously fair or slightly favour the Lions for this to be a non issue. Brendon Pickerill was supposed to be the TMO and he is the man who talked Ben O'Keffee into sending Marika Koroibete off last weekend.
 
Has Elliot Daly ever done anything of note at this level before? Always seems to disappoint when I watch him for England. Very surprised to see him in the team.
 
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