3rd test - Australia v British & Irish Lions

[ncurd]

and, Harry's right

Sorry you lost me.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Aki didnt do anything wrong for the 3rd try, he's the outside man outnumbered, his job is to make the attacker step in and have his inside man muller him...

The inside man had pushed up out of position and wasnt there, I think Porter ended up trying to cover Curry's position.

Always blame curry for everything I see.

 

[General Melchett]

Always blame curry for everything I see.

This is the problem when there's no Gatland to blame. Big void to fill.

 

[odw26]

That's exactly what I was pointing out no?

Not everything is written to contradict.

Struggle to see what Tuipuluto does differently

I don't think Tuipulotu gets beaten as easily on his inside, and has a better chance of reacting in that situation and making even an attempt at a tackle.

I just don't think that's the play to put Aki down to justify it. In fact, Tuipuluto is a pretty good player, no real need to put Aki down at all.

I think it's a play which highlights an area of Aki's game which could be exploited, and that wouldn't be as exploitable if Tuipulotu was playing. In terms of your latter point, it's not trying to put a player down for the sake of putting them down, it's highlighting a difference between two players who are competing for a starting position. From my perspective, it's a little frustrating the Aki V Tuipulotu discourse as I think it's been clear from the tour and the last year of rugby that Tui is the best current 12 from the four nations. If I'm being brutally honest, I don't think this discourse exists if their nationalities are swapped.

 

[McTallshort]

Our Father, who art in the second row,

Alun Wyn be thy name.

Thy ruck will come, thy scrum will be done,

In Cardiff, as it is in Llanelli.

Give us this day our daily pint,

And forgive us our high tackles,

As we forgive those who drop the ball five metres out and smell like Genge

And lead us not into retirement,

But deliver us from French referees.

For thine is the armband, the glare, and the thinning hair

Forever dominant in the loose…

AWJ-men

AWJ<Johnson

 

[dirty harry]

Always blame curry for everything I see.

Always?

When have I blamed him for everything? He's just not playing well, and after test 1 Aus identified him as the defencive weakness and made great ground down his channel.

With regards to this specific incident, Curry has pushed, covered a crash player, and still tried to shoot on the receiver out the back door, he doesn't make the tackle, and Aus go through the channel he should be to score, theres no controversy in this fact. You could have had Tuipolotu at 12, and Aus still score 100%, because the issue isnt 12.

Aki has actually done really well, he's facing a much more explosive athlete, and he knows if he's beaten on the outside its try time (see Keenan try, or Jones try). The only option Aki has is to fold hard toward the touchline and beat shut the space down.

Ronan O Gara called that Aki was isolated on the edge and there was danger outside him, in that scenario you push out, not try to mark 3 differing players running 3 differing lines 10m in front of your defencive line, and hang your edge man out to dry.

Curry originally comes out hard with Sheehan, but is caught out by the crash line. Once he sees the crash line he has 2 options, cover it (wrong option, that's what the attack wanted) or push off it knowing Sheehan would cover, push off it and target the receiver (risky option) or push on Aki's inside shoulder (best option).

Curry covers the crash, AND rushes on the receiver. He made 2 poor decisions in a row, and left Aki out to dry.

When elite attacking players receive the ball, they look at the defending players body angle, if they are square or turned in they are cooked. The space is out to in on their outside shoulder, if they are facing your outside shoulder the defender is in control... except Akis position is good, his inside defenders is 3m the wrong side of the ball carrier, and a prop is trying to cover him.

This is a tendency of Curry's play that has been poor, a few times in the first test he rushed the receiver but the ball beat him, if he was fully fit he shuts down those plays, and in this instance he was indecisively aggressive.

He did some good stuff, but as the first test, and every pre test game before it he just doesn't look himself.

Where is the disagreement, does anyone think Curry is 100%, last 55 mins and struggling with the pace?

 

[dirty harry]

Sorry you lost me.

Its not hard is it?

 

[dirty harry]

That's exactly what I was pointing out no? You've got the best athlete on the pitch against you in an isolated position, ROG actually called it about two passes out. You can stand him up and give the overlap or show him the inside and trust your team. Struggle to see what Tuipuluto does differently, Aki is an elite defender.

I'd start Tuipuluto if he's fit fwiw, I just don't think that's the play to put Aki down to justify it. In fact, Tuipuluto is a pretty good player, no real need to put Aki down at all.

Aki's hands are poor, and he doesn't look as explosive as he did a few years ago, but he is super dependable.

My best centre pairing is Tui Ringrose, Tuipolotu has the ball playing game Farrell likes as well as a carrying threat, and Ringrose is a smarter attacker and defender, but Aki and Jones have had the measure of the inexperienced Aus pairing in 2 tests, they are certainly not going to be a problem in the third, that's an area of strength for the lions.

 

[dirty harry]

Not everything is written to contradict.



I don't think Tuipulotu gets beaten as easily on his inside, and has a better chance of reacting in that situation and making even an attempt at a tackle.



I think it's a play which highlights an area of Aki's game which could be exploited, and that wouldn't be as exploitable if Tuipulotu was playing. In terms of your latter point, it's not trying to put a player down for the sake of putting them down, it's highlighting a difference between two players who are competing for a starting position. From my perspective, it's a little frustrating the Aki V Tuipulotu discourse as I think it's been clear from the tour and the last year of rugby that Tui is the best current 12 from the four nations. If I'm being brutally honest, I don't think this discourse exists if their nationalities are swapped.

Is anyone here making a case for Aki over Tui? I havmt seen it.

 

[odw26]

Is anyone here making a case for Aki over Tui? I havmt seen it.

TBF I think it's more the fact that there were reports saying that Aki was in line to start over Tui even before Tui's "injury" was made public that have annoyed me.

 

[dirty harry]

TBF I think it's more the fact that there were reports saying that Aki was in line to start over Tui even before Tui's "injury" was made public that have annoyed me.

I mean, that may well have been, Farrels selection have certainly been reputation based, and Aki could have received a Farrell bias, but that's true of a number of selections, and well he's 2-0 up so who am I to judge.

 

[odw26]

well he's 2-0 up so who am I to judge.

I guess that comes down to how to interpret this tour. If it's purely results based, then theoretically (should it end in a 3-0 sweep) it would go down in history as the best Lions team in the professional era as it's the first time we've won 3-0. I don't think that being 2-0 means decisions are automatically justified considering the strength of the opposition.

 

[General Melchett]

Aki and Jones have had the measure of the inexperienced Aus pairing in 2 tests, they are certainly not going to be a problem in the third, that's an area of strength for the lions.

Re. the first test, Tui and Jones played together for the first 60 and got the better of the Aussie centres but they did have a better platform provided by the Lions forwards who were monstrous in the first 50. In the last 20-30 the Lions were losing the battle up front (thanks to the Lions forward replacements being poor) and Aki and Jones did ok defensively but they and the other backs had very little platform.

 

[General Melchett]

I mean, that may well have been, Farrels selection have certainly been reputation based, and Aki could have received a Farrell bias, but that's true of a number of selections, and well he's 2-0 up so who am I to judge.

I'm willing to cut Farrell a bit of slack here. I think we'd all go with players we know and trust in tightish calls. Gatland was the same. The last HC to be truly unbiased was Geechs who hardly chose any Scots. When I order Thai food it's Green Thai chicken curry every time even though there are other great options on the menu. With Indian it's chicken jalfrezi. Safe and boring af I will admit.

This is why I keep banging the drum about one tour then change the HC. Let Schmidt or Galthie coach the next one in NZ and all the noise goes away. Enough of Schmidt's Irish players will be done by that 2029 for that much bias to creep in.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Always?

When have I blamed him for everything? He's just not playing well, and after test 1 Aus identified him as the defencive weakness and made great ground down his channel.

With regards to this specific incident, Curry has pushed, covered a crash player, and still tried to shoot on the receiver out the back door, he doesn't make the tackle, and Aus go through the channel he should be to score, theres no controversy in this fact. You could have had Tuipolotu at 12, and Aus still score 100%, because the issue isnt 12.

Aki has actually done really well, he's facing a much more explosive athlete, and he knows if he's beaten on the outside its try time (see Keenan try, or Jones try). The only option Aki has is to fold hard toward the touchline and beat shut the space down.

Ronan O Gara called that Aki was isolated on the edge and there was danger outside him, in that scenario you push out, not try to mark 3 differing players running 3 differing lines 10m in front of your defencive line, and hang your edge man out to dry.

Curry originally comes out hard with Sheehan, but is caught out by the crash line. Once he sees the crash line he has 2 options, cover it (wrong option, that's what the attack wanted) or push off it knowing Sheehan would cover, push off it and target the receiver (risky option) or push on Aki's inside shoulder (best option).

Curry covers the crash, AND rushes on the receiver. He made 2 poor decisions in a row, and left Aki out to dry.

When elite attacking players receive the ball, they look at the defending players body angle, if they are square or turned in they are cooked. The space is out to in on their outside shoulder, if they are facing your outside shoulder the defender is in control... except Akis position is good, his inside defenders is 3m the wrong side of the ball carrier, and a prop is trying to cover him.

This is a tendency of Curry's play that has been poor, a few times in the first test he rushed the receiver but the ball beat him, if he was fully fit he shuts down those plays, and in this instance he was indecisively aggressive.

He did some good stuff, but as the first test, and every pre test game before it he just doesn't look himself.

Where is the disagreement, does anyone think Curry is 100%, last 55 mins and struggling with the pace?

I mean you see what you want to see, not what's there on the pitch mate.

 

[Welsh Exile]

AWJ<Johnson

Who would you rather watch your 6?



Or

 

[McTallshort]

Who would you rather watch your 6?

View attachment 24201

Or

View attachment 24202

 

[Welsh Exile]

View attachment 24203

Look at those forearms. Pathetic. I bet he could barely lift it.

 

[McTallshort]

Look at those forearms. Pathetic. I bet he could barely lift it.

But he did lift it....

 

[Welsh Exile]

But he did lift it....

World cups are overated. I’d rather be the best 3rd tier rugby nation, thanks.