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

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Yep I found Itoje boring. He was hyped up so much with words like 'pain, rampant' so I was expecting a Jonah Lomu. He wasn't 'pain, rampant' or even a Jonah Lomu. He didn't do any big hits or make any real breaks. He was lucky to have the ball pop in hands early in todays game and then all of a sudden commentators blew it up like it was his greatness lol. Ive seen better that have gone onto win RWCs such as John Eales. Maybe he wasn't able to perform like he does over there but if that was his best I just saw, then its not that great.

Ok so it's gradually emerging that you have an 11 year olds understanding of rugby. Comparing Itoje to Lomu is.....unbelievably stupid.

 

[Truth]

Ok so it's gradually emerging that you have an 11 year olds understanding of rugby. Comparing Itoje to Lomu is.....unbelievably stupid.

Hey hey calm down with the insults. Whats stupid is hyping up Itoje to be GREAT! and then we take your word for it and we don't see YOUR version of great.

Nah he's just average. Obviously you're a fan. You see when I describe someone the way Itoje was made out to be, your going to see greatness. John Eales, Victor Matfield etc he's got a fair way to go to be at their level.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Ok so it's gradually emerging that you have an 11 year olds understanding of rugby. Comparing Itoje to Lomu is.....unbelievably stupid.

Why he has a valid point, Itoje does get massivly overhyped.
Retallick as a player is massivley more impressive for me, Yes Itoje is younger but he does get hyped up as the GOAT player already. (I think he has huge potential though)

TBH Lawes has had a better tour than Itoje IMO.

 

[Pom in Exile]

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.

I thought Williams was pretty poor today.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Why he has a valid point, Itoje does get massivly overhyped.
Retallick as a player is massivley more impressive for me, Yes Itoje is younger but he does get hyped up as the GOAT player already.

TBH Lawes has had a better tour than Itoje IMO.

No, he really doesn't - I don't disagree that Itoje gets hyped, have zero problem with not getting on the hype train - but I do disagree with comparing a destructive WINGER in his prime in a different rugby era to a lock forward and criticising the latter for not "making any line breaks or big hits" Oh, and for being "boring"... Do you really think that's a valid criticism?

 

[Pom in Exile]

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.

The ABs were put under pressure...funny old thing pressure.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Itoje had a fantastic game, he was everywhere and he had to be because AWJ was nowhere.
Lawes looked good when he came on and he should have started.

So...
What a game.
Boat loads of controversy.
Some very interesting refereeing decisions.
Then a draw, which I don't think anybody had thought about and a situation where the players of both teams were left wondering, is it all over, so they started to shake hands etc.

 

[Truth]

No, he really doesn't - I don't disagree that Itoje gets hyped, Have zero problem with not getting on the hype train - but I do disagree with comparing a destructive WINGER in his prime in a different era to a lock forward and criticising the latter for not "making any line breaks or big hits". You think that's valid?

So hype someone up as great but at the same time say 'oh he's not that great...hes not Jonah great...actually he's not great'.

Jonah Lomu is great right? so when you say GREAT...you feel me?

Itojes average IMO.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

So hype someone up as great but at the same time say 'oh he's not that great...hes not Jonah great...actually he's not great'.

Jonah Lomu is great right? so when you say GREAT...you feel me?

Right so your understanding of the benchmarks of being a good player in this era is to compare them to Jonah Lomu, regardless of what position they play? For the record, I do not believe Itoje is a great by any means I just disagree with poorly thought out comparisons.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

No, he really doesn't - I don't disagree that Itoje gets hyped, I disagree with comparing a destructive winger to a lock forward and criticising the latter for not "making any line breaks or big hits". You think that's valid?

He was describing the hype being similar to the hype Lomu got (Which is true IMO) not the style of play and IMO for a lock to get that hype he needs to making those line breaks or big hits (Like retallick does) and he didn't IMO.

Itoje is a very good support player though and a hell of a workhorse, and when you factor in his age he has huge upside but he isn't in the Retallick tier of locks yet.

 

[Truth]

Right so your understanding of the benchmarks of being a good player in this era is to compare them to Jonah Lomu, regardless of what position they play? For the record, I do not believe Itoje is a great by any means I just disagree with poorly thought out comparisons.

Lomu is great like McCaw, Michael Jones, Wilkinson. Thats great. Itoje great? really? whats he achieved? greatness like a RWC? a match winning performance against the ABs?

Hmmm...

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

He was describing the hype being similar to the hype Lomu got (Which is true IMO) not the style of play and IMO for a lock to get that hype he needs to making those line breaks or big hits (Like retallick does) and he didn't IMO.

Itoje is a very good support player though and a hell of a workhorse, and when you factor in his age he has huge upside but he isn't in the Retallick tier of locks yet.

That's a very questionable interpretation of where he was coming from in talking about Itojes lack of line breaks and "boringness" but let's leave this one perhaps, not going to be any agreement here.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Itoje is a remarkable young player who has taken the bull by the horns for every opportunity that has come his way.
He is on the road to greatness, if he can hopefully stay fit and healthy.
Awesome engine and an uncanny abiity to be in the right place at the right time.
He could be MotM for today.
I wouldn't have a problem with that.

SOB went missing today.
So did AWJ.
Liam Williams was average but young Watson was excellent and Daly chipped in with some fine skill.
Conor Murray did everything he was asked to do but he wasn't as fresh as he was last week

This tour has been a great advertisement for the Lions as an entity to go forward into the future.

 

[Every Time Ref]

What was up with the Lions' defense today? The people I was with were screaming blue murder at Watson for getting too narrow, but I didn't think it was his fault, he was getting pulled in because the midfield were getting turned in

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Lomu is great like McCaw, Michael Jones, Wilkinson. Thats great. Itoje great? really? whats he achieved? greatness like a RWC? a match winning performance against the ABs?

Hmmm...

Greatness is proven over the whole career. You're comparing Itoje to great players who have finished their careers. A bit unfair to compare him to those players when Itoje is only at the start of his.

 

[The Jones Boy]

What was up with the Lions' defense today? The people I was with were screaming blue murder at Watson for getting too narrow, but I didn't think it was his fault, he was getting pulled in because the midfield were getting turned in

The AB's had 15 men on the park.
Two scored tries and at least two bombed sitters.

 

[munstermuffin]

The only thing I've gathered is my god how powerful Saracenc will be. Williams at 15 Farrell at 10 that front 5 and Billy V @ 8 it's mad

 

[Reiser99]

For me what sets Itoje apart is his athleticism. Some of the tackles he makes or catching the ball in the air is beyond most other players. He's not the finished article and hopefully McCall and Jones will keep him grounded. However if he keeps improving at the rate he is then bloody hell what a player he will be.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

The only thing I've gathered is my god how powerful Saracenc will be. Williams at 15 Farrell at 10 that front 5 and Billy V @ 8 it's mad

Vunipola
George
Koch
Kruis
Itoje
Rhodes
Burger
Vunipola
Wigglesworth
Farrell
Maitland
Barritt
Taylor
Earle
Williams

Tolofua
Barrington
Figallo
Skeleton
Fraser
Spencer
Lowoski
Goode

Not to bad.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Vunipola
George
Koch
Kruis
Itoje
Rhodes
Burger
Vunipola
Wigglesworth
Farrell
Maitland
Barritt
Taylor
Earle
Williams

Tolofua
Barrington
Figallo
Skeleton
Fraser
Spencer
Lowoski
Goode

Not to bad.

No way will Goode be dropped for Earle.