First Test: Australia vs. British and Irish Lions (22/06/13)

[McTallshort]

No point in putting all your eggs in the scrum basket because its a 50/50 call from the ref most times. Better to just secure your ball and do good things with it.

 

[squid]

Just watching a replay of the first lions test in 2001 on fox sports, with all this undercooked lions talk its interesting to note that we were down 29-3 then went on to win the series. the 2001 wallabies were a great wallabies side too. With this in mind I wont be too surprised if the wallabies get dusted tomorrow night. Just hope they can get their **** together by the end of the first test.
Wow the wallabies could really do with a player like Finegan, Kefu, Herbert or even Grey. Deans would crack a fat over grey.

 

[mstar]

I wish Lydiate take the ridiculous zebra cap off and choose a normal black/red etc. Makes him look really "chavvy"

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Lydiate seems like an odd bench option, but at the same time he's quite a reassuring presence to have from the bench. He's in complete contrast to Croft, and if the former isn't showing much return on investment, we'll know what to do. But imagine if Warbs is injured - Croft to 7!? Christ. To be fair, I'd imagine that the rest of the coaches, including Farrell and Rowntree must be at least paying lip-service to Gatland's preference for Lydiate - Gatland needs the coaches to be on the same page so I'd be surprised if Rowntree and Farrell weren't also in agreement about Lydiate.

Be interesting to see the team changes for the 2nd test - we normally see lots but that's because we usually lose the first lions test

 

[mstar]

We discussed this before, Gatlands obsession with lydiate is a little worrying.

 

[SelimNiai]

We discussed this before, Gatlands obsession with lydiate is a little worrying.

Why?

 

[psychic duck]

I wish Lydiate take the ridiculous zebra cap off and choose a normal black/red etc. Makes him look really "chavvy"

Have you got some sort of problem with Dan Lydiate?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bloody hell, you'd think Lydiate was the worst player in the world the way people are harping on. He's arguably the best 6 in the NH.

 

[mstar]

No his not, just like a pratt silly with that zebra cap, doesn't colour coordinate with the lions kit.

 

[Peat]

Bloody hell, you'd think Lydiate was the worst player in the world the way people are harping on. He's arguably the best 6 in the NH.

Yes, but he's not been selected as a blindside, he's been selected as a replacement back-row, a position in which generally the main requirements are a) Versatility b) The ability to make a big impact on a game when legs are tiring. Lydiate is neither of those things - he is debatably the worst replacement back-row in the squad when you put it in those terms, and certainly a long way behind O'Brien and Faletau. You do have to wonder what he's doing on the bench, and it does seem fair to suggest no other coach would have done it.

 

[mstar]

peat i couldn't put it better.

If warburton gets injured croft isn;t a fetcher nor is lydiate or heaslip wtf do we do then? Hooper murder us at the breakdown.

Thats why i too agree lydiate on the bench is another Gatland overrule over the coaches it seems. Hence why he insisted he play in majority of the games to give him game time so we all say "wow we can;t leave him out" SOB would of been the sensible choice.

 

[psychic duck]

peat i couldn't put it better.

If warburton gets injured croft isn;t a fetcher nor is lydiate or heaslip wtf do we do then? Hooper murder us at the breakdown.

Thats why i too agree lydiate on the bench is another Gatland overrule over the coaches it seems. Hence why he insisted he play in majority of the games to give him game time so we all say "wow we can;t leave him out" SOB would of been the sensible choice.

Then it would be no different to what England do nearly every match.

 

[mstar]

Then it would be no different to what England do nearly every match.

Robshaw played 7 for quins (and statiscally you can;t fault his number 7 ability as he has not done to badly)
Wood played 7 for saints at times.

When has lydiate played 7 for wales? or dragons?

when has Heaslip played 7 or 6?
or Croft played 7 or 8

at the highest LEVEL

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Yep - Robshaw's 7 stats are as good as most actual 7's in the NH, and better than most - he even learnt to be a bit of a link man and a very good ball carrier - can't fault that.

To be frank though, mstar, Hooper will probably beast us at the breakdown even WITH warburton on the field - Warbs has been an effective 7 in the six nations, but considerably less so when pittted against Southern hemipshere opposition. In terms of actual fetching work, Tipuric was our best option... and Gatland blew that one

One might argue that in the event of a Warburton injury, Paulie would be the best '7' left in the squad . Parling on at lock, Paul O'Connell to 7... jobs a good un'! What could go wrong!

 

[Johnny Boy]

]Robshaw played 7 for quins (and statiscally you can;t fault his number 7 ability as he has not done to badly)
Wood played 7 for saints at times.[/B]

When has lydiate played 7 for wales? or dragons?

when has Heaslip played 7 or 6?
or Croft played 7 or 8

at the highest LEVEL

Totally irrelavant with Robshaw and Wood as neither are with the Lions.

Scrum caps and non-tourists.......Pffftttt !!

 

[big ginger 8]

Rugby is not a one on one sport and I don't buy that you need your 7 to counteract the other teams 7.

 

[Peat]

Rugby is not a one on one sport and I don't buy that you need your 7 to counteract the other teams 7.

Testify.

What the rights or wrongs of England's set up - or virtually any other team - they practice what that set up in mind and act with that in mind and generally have subs who can continue the game plan as directed as like for like replacements, or alter it positively.

Lydiate does not have the skillset to replicate what Warburton does, or what Heaslip does, or what Croft does. His arrival will alter things. Without Warburton or Heaslip, the back row unit looks unbalanced. Their specialist skills are lost.

The more I talk about it, the less I like it.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Rugby is not a one on one sport and I don't buy that you need your 7 to counteract the other teams 7.

I agree you don't need one individual to do it, but I don't think anyone actually means to say that your seven need to directly deal with the other 7 at the breakdown.

It's just that if they have a notorious poacher then you are more than likely going to lose a percentage of your possession, if you play a poacher yourself, then you should get that percentage back.
If their 7 makes 5 turnovers in the match, then you would want to make 5 yourself to negate that, it doesn't really matter if those 5 are made by the same person or from 5 different players.
But if you don't match their number of TO's then they will have more counter attacking opportunities than you.

EDIT: Just realised that this isn't really relevant at all.

 

[mstar]

Totally irrelavant with Robshaw and Wood as neither are with the Lions.

Scrum caps and non-tourists.......Pffftttt !!

so whats your argument? im confused.

You said "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."

when i said nobody in the side is a recognized 7 other than Warburton, and i questioned Gatlands picking lydiate as he can only play 6. Croft can't play 7,8 heaslip never played 7.

So what is your argument????

 

[mstar]

Testify.

What the rights or wrongs of England's set up - or virtually any other team - they practice what that set up in mind and act with that in mind and generally have subs who can continue the game plan as directed as like for like replacements, or alter it positively.

Lydiate does not have the skillset to replicate what Warburton does, or what Heaslip does, or what Croft does. His arrival will alter things. Without Warburton or Heaslip, the back row unit looks unbalanced. Their specialist skills are lost.

The more I talk about it, the less I like it.

Peat another good post. I agree.