Test Match 3: All Blacks v British & Irish Lions (Auckland)

[Truth]

My big concern is where I am going to get my next proper fix of rugby. I'll have to tune back into Super Rugby, I reckon. Top rugby often played on front of empty stadiums if not involving NZ sides.

Any Tri Nations this year (what do they call that thing these days? Super Galactic Rugby Event or something). Not sure that is going to be all that close this year.

Super sux. I don't watch it much because it seems like the NZ teams are the best. It was better back in the day when Australia and South Africa had good teams.

 

[Nubiwan]

Yep Davies was awesome. A lot of English posters on here doubted him and preferred their own Joseph who was pretty quiet. I haven't seen these guys so Joseph probably is the man but yeah Davies was the best Lion for me. The winger with the small dreads went really well as well. Itoje was slightly overrated, he made no breaks, no big hits, he was just a ball winner, boring. Sinkler another solid player. SOB was good too. I could go on but those were my pick from the bunch.

Felatau, Williams and Davies all worthy of their tests selections. Cant really complain about the result, albeit a messy friggin game from start to finish. Got fed up watching knock ons and scrums. I'd have taken a drawn series 6 weeks ago, but now feel we need a 4th and decider. Still not convinced this Lions side has a win in them against 15 ABs. Disappointing draw for everyone, and the final decision was poor, in my opinion, if not what I felt was the best way to call those offside laws.

 

[General Melchett]

Credible series result for the Lions who did better today in terms of discipline and conceding penalties. Still think the ABs were well below par with too many costly handling errors that would have secured a comfortable win.

 

[Nubiwan]

Time for an Avatar I think....... Beauty!

 

[thegreat one]

who would be the man of the match and man of the series from both sides?

 

[Nubiwan]

who would be the man of the match and man of the series from both sides?

Farrell for his kicking....... Barrett for his kicking.

Sorry, could not resist.....

 

[Mike88]

From reading a few replies it seems to me that AB supporters are fabulously sportsmanlike as long as they are winning.

 

[Truth]

From reading a few replies it seems to me that AB supporters are fabulously sportsmanlike as long as they are winning.

Then we must be nearly always sportsmanlike cos we nearly always win lol.

 

[Truth]

who would be the man of the match and man of the series from both sides?

I would have picked Beauden Barrett had he got his kicks over. I think we would've won 3 zip had he got them over.

Beauden Barrett simply can not continue to kick for the ABs. He is the worst kicker Ive seen for the ABs.

 

[ncurd]

From reading a few replies it seems to me that AB supporters are fabulously sportsmanlike as long as they are winning.

As always don't let a few bad eggs spoil it for you. But sadly yes there is a significant amount that believe in NZ's god given right to win and regardless of how well they played they must be amazing (today had to be one of the worst NZ performances in years, last week you can put it down to 14 men not today I can't remember leaving so many points in the game). Therefore their opposition must not only be good (the Lions were poor today) but they must of been robbed either through referee decision, food poisoning or loads of other things.

Its easy to be gracious when your winning far harder when losing/drawing.

On today's performance either side would struggled against a top tier 1 performance.

 

[Nubiwan]

No they don't. If you have to rely on penalties, you're not a proper Rugby team.

Everyone knows this.

Under current laws, in a game where one side scores an unconverted try, and the other side, 2 penalty goals, then the kicking team wins 6-5. Every time.

At international level these days, having a wayward kicker is simply leaving points off the board, and as good as Barrett is as a player, his goal kicking is inferior.

Dan Carter would have won this series for NZ, in my humble opinion.

 

[Nubiwan]

Well I'm back off to bed or a kip. These 5 AM starts are a kicker. Thanks for all the fine reads boys and girls. Great tour, even if it ended with no one really happy. Good night.....

 

[ncurd]

At international level these days, having a wayward kicker is simply leaving points off the board, and as good as Barrett is as a player, his goal kicking is inferior.

Yeah I might say that we in NH put way too much emphasis on kicking stats at times but that's because our players relative to one another are equal enough. Barrett's kicking % this series was 72%. But equally more important he has the Ford problem of when he goes AWOL he goes really AWOL. 70% last week when his side couldn't score try's and 50% this week....your never going to win unless you blow a side away with 50% kicking. Again 70% isn't good enough if your opposing side is scoring try's.

 

[Truth]

As always don't let a few bad eggs spoil it for you. But sadly yes there is a significant amount that believe in NZ's god given right to win and regardless of how well they played they must be amazing (today had to be one of the worst NZ performances in years, last week you can put it down to 14 men not today I can't remember leaving so many points in the game). Therefore their opposition must not only be good (the Lions were poor today) but they must of been robbed either through referee decision, food poisoning or loads of other things.

Its easy to be gracious when your winning far harder when losing/drawing.

On today's performance either side would struggled against a top tier 1 performance.

Whatever mr 'Englands won two games in NZ before' lol. Crack up.

 

[ncurd]

Whatever mr 'Englands won two games in NZ before' lol. Crack up.

Make a point or shut up your clearly on wind up.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

What happened with that break at the end - Webb passed and Lawes knocked on?

Tell ya what, after seeing these English lads, if they get a 7 and 15 I reckon it's their RWC to lose.

Itoje or JD for player of the tour for me?

You certainly wouldn't want to mess with a guy who looked so ******* ****** after being MOTM in a series draw against one of the best all-black sides there has ever been.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

When was the last time the All Blacks didn't win in two consecutive games?

 

[Truth]

Make a point or shut up your clearly on wind up.

I made my point. You talk like you know but your just mr 'Englands won two games in NZ against NZ'.

 

[Truth]

When was the last time the All Blacks didn't win in two consecutive games?

2009 to South Africa. You have to scroll past some wins to find it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_rugby_union_Test_matches

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

2009 to South Africa. You have to scroll past some wins to find it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_rugby_union_Test_matches

That page says it was in 2011 to South Africa and then Australia. But thank you for the link.