Peter de Villiers won a series against the B&I Lions with SA in 2009. That does not mean he is a great coach or made good selections.
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Sorry Warren Thread
- Thread starter Rhondda Rudie
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If's and buts. Very difficult to say that had Aus won the first test, they would have won the series. The second test would have had a completely different complexion on it, and that could have produced a much better performance from the Lions.
It really is impossible to know what would have happened if Beale had slotted that last minute penalty.
What we can comment on is the fact that over a 3 test series, the Lions won 2 of the games, and produced by far the most dominant display in the final test, so thoroughly deserved the series win.
Maverick1987
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Look when a coach loses a series they take the lions share of the flak eg . Howley in Wales' last series in aus so when they win a series they should be able to take some credit even though warren actually put all the credit to the players . I was very sceptical about his selection choices and probably would be again . I think a lot of the issues came from crappy selection of the squad before the tour even started . But between the back room staff they made tough decisions and got the series win . End of story
lucky number 7
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Gatland's poor decision making cost us a 3-0 and almost cost us the series.
Just because things went our way for the first time in the tests this saturday doesn't mean his choices were correct , or even close to the best options for the fate of the lions. In selection and in his gameplan the man was foolish and at times idiotic.
No apology forthcoming here , he got very lucky.
Just because things went our way for the first time in the tests this saturday doesn't mean his choices were correct , or even close to the best options for the fate of the lions. In selection and in his gameplan the man was foolish and at times idiotic.
No apology forthcoming here , he got very lucky.
As I said I gave him credit for winning but my belief is a Lions team should always be good enough. And in my eyes he made a very hard job of something that should've been easy. Also he won yes but the Lions style and excitement in my eyes was killed for last test and as many media outlets have said it just wasn't as good as many thought a series win would be like
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And if they lost, it would have been the other way.
Surely others played a part in selection e.g. Rowntree, Irvine, Howley and Farrell. Not all down to Warren.
As for the close knit. From the pictures and videos I have seen they seem pretty close.
As others have mentioned, if the Lions lost would have been Gat's fault. Think he should share some credit for the victory. Gatland stuck his neck out, got it right and pulled off a series win. Job done.
As for the close knit. From the pictures and videos I have seen they seem pretty close.
As others have mentioned, if the Lions lost would have been Gat's fault. Think he should share some credit for the victory. Gatland stuck his neck out, got it right and pulled off a series win. Job done.
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At the end of the day a win is a win, I'm fairly sure every single person on that tour would say they wouldnt have minded if theyd won by 1 point if it meant they'd win the series.
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To be fair, criticism of Gatland is still justified. He was 1 missed penalty away from losing the series.
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One missed penalty from a sweep.
He was also one missed kick away from winning the series 3-0. Give the man a break. He won the series, the rest doesn't matter. (Can't remember who said it, but do you think anyone really cares NZ won the final of the WC by a point? They won, that's what matters.)
Or one loosehead prop injury.
Johnny Boy
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And IF the plane crashed there wouldn't have been a tour !!!
If's and buts.....getting tiresome now.
If's and buts.....getting tiresome now.
I agree with it but for some it had a bit of bittersweet moment. Sexton I think is 1 who came out and said it didn't feel as right not having BOD but yes situation certainly better than loosing but at same time it wasn't as best as could be
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So is the whole "Gatland is the best thing since sliced bread." The last game was a stormer but this series was very nearly lost after the first 2 games and I don't know anyone who genuinely believes the Lions deserved to win the first game. Hell Gatland himself said he's treat it as a loss because Australia missed far more kicks than is considered acceptable at this level of rugby. After those first 2 games, it was perfectly sensible to doubt Gatland was up to it.
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Many of the opinions in this thread strike me as results oriented thinking. If Gatland does indeed deserve praise for his third test selections (although I'm not sure who anyone can say that they it was definately the best 23), then doesn't this imply that he got it wrong in the first two tests?
Which in itself devalues the Lions if one player is deemed more important that the rest of the squad.
Was the '74 lions or '78 Lions tours somehow tarnished because it was made up of predominantly Welsh players?
Personally I'd love the Lions squad and matchday 23 made up of equal amounts of all four nations players, but professional sport doesn't work like that.
Gatland's biggest selection error was Mike Phillips, and even then a lot of people had named him in their test sides expecting bigger performances from him. Vunipola was possibly a mistake in the second test in hindsight as well, but he had an exceptional tour up until that point, so in many ways it was a justified selection.
Jbobo
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People are still continuing their empty arguments trying to hold onto any little negative about the tour that they can and justifying it by just saying 'you can't change my view, it is my opinion'.
Sure we can't change your views, but MOST people on here have been proven dramatically, and beautifully wrong. Especially considering the amount of people who said it was all down to whether we win or not. We won, emphatically in the end.
Lost complete respect for many posters in terms of their views of rugby in general throughout this tour.
Done with this forum. The arguments are just so drenched in irony and nitpicky b*****s.
Goodbye for good.
Sure we can't change your views, but MOST people on here have been proven dramatically, and beautifully wrong. Especially considering the amount of people who said it was all down to whether we win or not. We won, emphatically in the end.
Lost complete respect for many posters in terms of their views of rugby in general throughout this tour.
Done with this forum. The arguments are just so drenched in irony and nitpicky b*****s.
Goodbye for good.
psychic duck
International
That's the problem with you Irish. Far too sentimental. I would have picked BOD too personally, but no way was he entitled to selection based on being a legend (he hardly did much in the first 2 tests anyway). And also no way was the selection as important as made out and that it would have single handedly lost the game.
The Irish can't take the dropping of their established players. Kidney didn't have the guts to get rid of ROG after RWC 2011 when he should have moved on, and only 2 years later and an awful performance against Scotland did he come to his senses. Unbelievably there was still seen as a controversial dropping and caused a storm in the Irish media and some were upset at his "treatment" with his wife moaning he didn't get a nice send off.
At least Gatland has the guts to make big calls. He moved on from Stephen Jones post 2011 RWC, backed Warburton and ditched Martyn Williams, those are two of our best servants over the past decade. If this was Ireland they would have kept them until they decided to retire, or 2 years after it became obvious it was time to move on, and there would have still been an outrage when dropped. Gatland doesn't believe in players being entitled to places like the Irish.
You've already said goodbye, we don't need to hear it again.
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