Lions to play Barbarians in Hong Kong in 2013

[TRF_Cymro]

he British and Irish Lions will break new ground in 2013 by playing a game in Hong Kong for the first time.

The Lions will stop off in Asia to face the Barbarians on their way to the three-Test tour of Australia.

Lions chief executive John Feehan said the fixture "would ensure the tour to Australia is even more special".

It has also been announced that ex-Scotland and Lions star Andy Irvine will be tour manager, succeeding Gerald Davies, who becomes Lions chairman.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9102421.stm​

 

[lynam1104]

Hmm breaks tradition a bit but a game i might just go and watch, it is just a money grabber though.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

A pointless outdated team playing a pointless friendly against an equally pointless outdated team for nothing more than money. Count me out.

 

[gingergenius]

A pointless outdated team playing a pointless friendly against an equally pointless outdated team for nothing more than money. Count me out.

1. how are the lions or the barbarians 'pointless and outdated'?

2. all barbarians games are pretty much friendlies

3. it's not the first time the Lions have played a game before going on tour - i remember they played Argentina in Cardiff in 2005.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

They should do it at the end or something,
It's going to force them into making test-team choices without seeing the players play yet,
I like watching the midweek games and guessing what the main sides will be like, this'll take the mystery out of it

 

[lynam1104]

They could treat it as another mid week game.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well the Lions will be down any players represented in that years Heineken Cup. The French Squad will I presume be playing NZ/Springboks so I'll ask won't that mean that players free for selection will be thin.

Also in an already long season do players really need the extra travel and game.

It's a money spinner that was made an essential part of negotiations to keep HSBC a sponsor for the 2013 tour

 

[lynam1104]

It's not really extra travel but i agree on all everything else.

 

[munstermuffin]

It is extra travel because with the game in hong kong I presume there will be an overload of PR work too.
I'm a fan of Lions tours but I hate to say it that it getting to commercialised and the tour is dying slowly

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

how are the lions or the barbarians 'pointless and outdated'?

a) They're a scratch team playing against one of the top 3 nations in the world. How are they supposed to compete after only a couple of weeks getting to know each other? Take last year for example- the Lions lost to South Africa twice yet Ireland, who make up 1/4 of the Lions managed to turn over the Boks. They did that because even though the Lions are better on paper, Ireland are a cohesive unit.

b) The tour is too long and half the players suffer a hangover the following season.

c) Why should I, an Irish man, give a flying **** about a team that's 75% made up of players from other nations that I've no affinity for (other than because the Sky hype machine tells me to)?

d) The Lions is now about increasing subscriptions to Sky Sports and boosting the coffers of the participating nations more than it is a sporting contest (as it was in the amateur era). I'd much rather watch an Ireland game to a Lions tour game or test. Sorry but I've more time for Ireland coached by Declan Kidney than I do for a bloated British and Irish All Stars selection. I suspect a Welshman prefers Wales, a Scotsman prefers Scotland and an Englishman prefers England too.

 

[Gavin]

Why not play the game in the UK or Ireland? That is of course where the Lions come from. Hong Kong really confuses me.

 

[lynam1104]

Well they would say it's an untapped market but really it's just that things in HK are very expensive so they make more money also the expat market are usually the investment banker type that = more corporate boxes = more money for the lions.

 

[Teh Mite]

a) They're a scratch team playing against one of the top 3 nations in the world. How are they supposed to compete after only a couple of weeks getting to know each other? Take last year for example- the Lions lost to South Africa twice yet Ireland, who make up 1/4 of the Lions managed to turn over the Boks. They did that because even though the Lions are better on paper, Ireland are a cohesive unit.

b) The tour is too long and half the players suffer a hangover the following season.

c) Why should I, an Irish man, give a flying **** about a team that's 75% made up of players from other nations that I've no affinity for (other than because the Sky hype machine tells me to)?

d) The Lions is now about increasing subscriptions to Sky Sports and boosting the coffers of the participating nations more than it is a sporting contest (as it was in the amateur era). I'd much rather watch an Ireland game to a Lions tour game or test. Sorry but I've more time for Ireland coached by Declan Kidney than I do for a bloated British and Irish All Stars selection. I suspect a Welshman prefers Wales, a Scotsman prefers Scotland and an Englishman prefers England too.

Out of interest, if the "cohesive unit" are always better then the scratch team, why did Ireland get beat by the BaaBaas?

 

[munstermuffin]

Bullitt to answer that is simply because alot of fellas in team that night were in squad for 1st time and they were all coming together for first time with some of them also been players that struggle to be in provinces squads.

Game is on in Hong Kong for HSBC benefit.

I 100% agree with Snoop on his comments and well the tour is purely a commercial event now.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I 100% agree with Snoop on his comments and well the tour is purely a commercial event now.

Try telling that to the players who earn their caps! Also a lot of ex-Lions and present Lions will also reject that statement to.

You may not be informed well but the IRB have ensured that touring sides now have enough time to get the good old fashioned tours in. The Lions has an 'apparent' window in place for when they tour Australia, so the question of them being tired or what have you not is not a buyable one. Home unions also can decide as well as the clubs when their Lions play again so again about them being tired or whatever is down to the club and union. At the end of the day money is ruling rugby so you cant argue against that.

 

[munstermuffin]

Cymro as I said in earlier post I'm a fan of Lions and well was lucky to travel to see Lions on tour. I agree it is an excellent achievement to go on a Lions tour.
But as you say money is the issue. Clubs pay their player to play with them not rest for Lions tour. I work in fitness area of rugby and stats show players are getting bigger stronger and more powerful than ever meaning impacts are bigger and risk of injury increased. Also players bodies are being worn down faster increasing risk of injury.

Just on a recent study done in UK, New Zealand and Ireland from grassroots up shoulder injuries have increased 950% since the '91 World Cup

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Out of interest, if the "cohesive unit" are always better then the scratch team, why did Ireland get beat by the BaaBaas?

I didn't say a scratch team will never beat a test team- the Lions beat an experimental SA team in the 3rd test as I'm sure you're aware.

The Ireland team that played the Barbarians in June:

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>15</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>FB</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Rob Kearney</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>14</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>W</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Johne Murphy</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>13</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>C</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Gavin Duffy</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>12</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>C</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Fergus McFadden</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>11</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>W</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Andrew Trimble</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>10</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>FH</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Ronan O'Gara</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>9</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>SH</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Peter Stringer</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>1</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>P</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Marcus Horan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>2</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>H</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Sean Cronin</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>3</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>P</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Tony Buckley</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>4</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>L</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Ed O'Donoghue</TD><TD width=8></TD><TD>
</TD><TD width=4></TD><TD>35</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>5</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>L</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Dan Tuohy</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>6</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>F</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>John Muldoon</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>7</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>F</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Niall Ronan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>8</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>N8</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Chris Henry</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD width=20> </TD><TD width=30> </TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; LINE-HEIGHT: 19px" class=liveTblTextGrn>Replacements</TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>16</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextgry>Jerry Flannery</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>17</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Tom Court</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>18</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Mick O'Driscoll</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>19</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Donncha O'Callaghan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>20</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Tomas O'Leary</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>21</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Tommy Bowe</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=liveTblRowWht><TD class=liveTblTextGrn>22</TD><TD class=liveTblColCtr>R</TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=liveLineupTextblk>Paddy Wallace</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Murphy, McFadden, O'Donoghue, Tuohy and Henry were uncapped and well down the international pecking order at that point. Duffy, Cronin, Muldoon and Ronan had about 10-15 caps between them. Murphy, McFadden, Stringer and Buckley weren't first choice with their club teams. Duffy is a full back who was shoe horned into outside centre. At the time of the game only Kearney and perhaps O'Gara were first choice internationals. Earls, O'Driscoll, Fitzgerald, D'arcy, Sexton, Reddan, Best, O'Connell, Cullen, Ferris, Heaslip and Wallace weren't even in the 22. That's hardly a cohesive unit.

 

[Teh Mite]

So none of them had ever played rugby before nor had any of them ever joined a team training session before?

Poor excuses.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

so the question of them being tired or what have you not is not a buyable one.

I diasgree. In the professional era France have won 5/6 Nations ***les in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010. In 1998, 2002 and 2010 they did the Grand Slam. Lions tours took place the previous summer in each case. Maybe it's a coincidence but there's certainly a pattern emerging.

If it weren't for the significant wedge of cash the IRFU get for participating in the Lions circus, I'd like to see Ireland pull out of the HSBC Adidas Sky Sports British and Irish Lions (TM) charade.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

So none of them had ever played rugby before nor had any of them ever joined a team training session before?

Yes, that's exactly what I said. Keep fishing, you might reel someone in.