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South Africa vs British & Irish Lions - Test 1

Liam Williams just hasn't played enough on tour really. Tbh he's lucky to be on the bench given that Watson can cover fullback. Would have had Adams in ahead of him on the bench at the very least.
 
dullonien said:
Liam Williams just hasn't played enough on tour really. Tbh he's lucky to be on the bench given that Watson can cover fullback. Would have had Adams in ahead of him on the bench at the very least.
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Hogg hasn't played much either.
That's a good shout about Adams on the bench who can also play FB not sure he has much minutes there at test level though
 
dullonien said:
Liam Williams just hasn't played enough on tour really. Tbh he's lucky to be on the bench given that Watson can cover fullback. Would have had Adams in ahead of him on the bench at the very least.
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Yep, with Watson and Daly starting, he had a free range of any of the back 4 players to put on the bench; in which case, I absolutely agree Adams should have had that shirt.

TRF_Olyy said:
With the exception of Itoje/AWJ, which is understandable why they've not played, it's a bit weird to go in to the test so...untested
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TBF though, I remember AWJ and Itoje being pretty awesome together in NZ - or is that just my faulty memory?
 
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MikeTheNative said:
You need to remember a lot of people only watch internationals so Hogg played better than Williams in the 6 nations then watched no club rugby after that where he ended up being behind Cuthbert, so assume he's in form. To be fair Liam Williams has been struggling for form as well.
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Let's call up Cuthbert! For his last few Wales games I thought he played pretty well. He was never as bad as people said. It became popular to hate him
 
Which Tyler said:
The Welsh Owen Farrell.
Was never as good as claimed earlier in his career; but never as bad later
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With the ball in hand he was a big threat but was an absolute revolving door in defence at test level. Perhaps lacked some of the basics skills needed as well.
I agree he wasn't as bad as people make out but like Farrell kept getting picked when out of form when he perhaps shouldn't have done.
 
retired9 said:
Pretty sure Price and Biggar have had game time together haven't they? First match rings a bell...

Hogg is being given the chance to step up, he is a good enough player that it is well within his ability to do so. If he doesn't then I fully expect Williams to be starting the next game (and so he should), if Hogg does perform then its upto Williams to fight his way back in.

Hogg may not be "as good" under the high balls but his counter attack is much more potent, with VDM and Watson lets see what happens.
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Murray and Biggar played most the match v Japan and Price did come off the bench late on but I don't think they have played together whilst touring in SA. I think Gatland's original plan was to play Murray and Biggar.
 
Gatland saying that the lions have "dented the boks' ego' will go down as one of the dumber and most pointless comments in recent lions history.

Slightly aside from that, ego is an interesting thing about the boks - they are a top side, but in general (and not this forum ) I have been aware of more confidence from the boks than I was aware of say from the 2017 tour of NZ. It makes me want a result from this tour even more.
 
The problem with the Boks I know in person is their logic is "we destroyed England who destroyed the All Blacks, ergo we're the best ever. No one can touch us"

It ignores rugby is a game of fine margins and the Boks very nearly didn't make the final in 2019...
 
Mrs. Peter Quinn said:
Gatland saying that the lions have "dented the boks' ego' will go down as one of the dumber and most pointless comments in recent lions history.

Slightly aside from that, ego is an interesting thing about the boks - they are a top side, but in general (and not this forum ) I have been aware of more confidence from the boks than I was aware of say from the 2017 tour of NZ. It makes me want a result from this tour even more.
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When did the Lions do that?
1997?
Some of these players weren't even alive then
 
Dean Cooperfield-West said:
The problem with the Boks I know in person is their logic is "we destroyed England who destroyed the All Blacks, ergo we're the best ever. No one can touch us"

It ignores rugby is a game of fine margins and the Boks very nearly didn't make the final in 2019...
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Do they actually try that logic? You're kidding me
 
Mrs. Peter Quinn said:
In context, he meant because the lions didn't get dominated by south Africa A in the way the latter thought they could.
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internet seriously GIF


"You're scared of us because you only comfortably beat us instead of completely demolishing us (we'll ignore that you've only played 1 game vs a tier 2 side in the last 2 years)"

Top mind games there, Gats
 
Mrs. Peter Quinn said:
Do they actually try that logic? You're kidding me
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I've never heard a Bok fan say that
I don't begrudge them thinking they're the top side in the world seeing as....well, they're ranked number 1 and are current RWC holders?
It's not the most outlandish claim I've ever heard
 
TRF_Olyy said:
I've never heard a Bok fan say that
I don't begrudge them thinking they're the top side in the world seeing as....well, they're ranked number 1 and are current RWC holders?
It's not the most outlandish claim I've ever heard
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I'm still reeling from that whole Malherbe > Furlong thing though.

Tbh, I think SA "arrogance" tends to be more a result of ignorance of NH rugby a lot of the time. It's the same in reverse oftentimes (I haven't watched SH club rugby in 5+ years and barely watch the RC) we just tend to assume we're worse in the North rather than the opposite. Hopefully it improves with the URC and the Eurafrica Cup.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
I've never heard a Bok fan say that
I don't begrudge them thinking they're the top side in the world seeing as....well, they're ranked number 1 and are current RWC holders?
It's not the most outlandish claim I've ever heard
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It's not no, but it also doesn't take a genius to work out it's a little more complicated. I respect them massively and they're clearly one of the best sides - but worth noting imo they haven't had to beat a southern hemisphere side in either of their last two world cup wins. it would have been very interesting had they faced NZ. New Zealand often best the Boks not by trying to win the armwrestle, but by playing their own game, whereas we are stupid and try to pummell them
 
All the Lions documentaries are on More 4 if anyone wants to get in the spirit of things. Just watching Keith Wood as the judge....
 

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