Third Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions (06/07/13)

[TRF_Olyy]

Only if that cap doesn't apply to England.

Well duh, we want to win tomorrow don't we?

 

[munstermuffin]

My issue isn't BOD being dropped as I think Tuilagi earned his game it simply fact it's too Welsh bias. If there was 10 Welsh and they deserved it then fair enough but they don't and 1 rule works reasoning why Welsh lads get in but that same reasoning isn't enough for other nations

 

[g6mcg]

10 Welsh players would be fine if they were clearly the best players in the squad, but they are not. There are a lot of close calls and in every one Gatland has picked his Welsh buddies.

That's what rankles most.

I'm not so sure it's him picking his buddies, as him picking the best team for his tactics. Which is hardly better, and I don't think I'm alone in wishing we had a Plan B, but this is probably the team most suited to Gatland's gameplan. I'd point to SOB over Tipuric as a good, non-Welsh, example of this, and perhaps Bowe over Cuthbert.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well duh, we want to win tomorrow don't we?

Not a big Ashton fan but he can say to a hell of a lot of Welsh he knows what it's like to beat Aus and probably more used to beating SH teams

 

[Peat]

I'm not so sure it's him picking his buddies, as him picking the best team for his tactics. Which is hardly better, and I don't think I'm alone in wishing we had a Plan B, but this is probably the team most suited to Gatland's gameplan. I'd point to SOB over Tipuric as a good, non-Welsh, example of this, and perhaps Bowe over Cuthbert.

A good point, and one I am clinging to as my morsel of comfort. Although ironically I'd have thought Tipuric generally the better player for Gatland's game plan...

 

[Rhondda Rudie]

Well duh, we want to win tomorrow don't we?

Chris "tackles like it's touch rugby" Ashton.What a lot of use he would have been.:lol:

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Chris "tackles like it's touch rugby" Ashton.What a lot of use he would have been.:lol:

Chris "more wins vs aus in one season than wales got in 4" Ashton

For the record I was only taking the Michael, I don't actually want him there.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

 

[munstermuffin]

I'm not so sure it's him picking his buddies, as him picking the best team for his tactics. Which is hardly better, and I don't think I'm alone in wishing we had a Plan B, but this is probably the team most suited to Gatland's gameplan. I'd point to SOB over Tipuric as a good, non-Welsh, example of this, and perhaps Bowe over Cuthbert.

While I understand what u say I think Tipuric confidence is shot and that why he only on bench. And Cuthbert was always being dropped when Bowe was fit

 

[Zed]

All of you who say the Lions will definitely lose on Sat, can you send me tonight's Lottery numbers seeing as you can obviously see into the future?

They won't definitely lose, but the team they have selected heavily restricts them. They now have severe limitations and can pretty much only employ one game plan, forward hits it up for two phases, Sexton kicks backs chase and hope for a turnover/mistake/penalty. They are relying on Australia playing badly and making mistakes. Sometimes that game plan can work, but more often than not, against decent opposition it fails.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

10 Welsh players would be fine if they were clearly the best players in the squad, but they are not. There are a lot of close calls and in every one Gatland has picked his Welsh buddies.

That's what rankles most.

Its this exactly...but it was the case from the very beginning, the squad announcement. I still can't get my head around why Lydiate toured ahead of Robshaw, who was the form back-rower all season and in the six nations. He wasn't even that bad in Cardiff by any means. The fact that lydiate has been the only surviving back-rower from the previous tests, despite being by no means the best performing, and certainly not the most versatile, just shows that Gatland is going with what he knows best, which is exactly what most people were afraid of when Gatland was chosen as coach. The decision to have him as coach was just about acceptable, but only really on the condition that he consistently went with form and wasn't overly influenced by what he preferred prior to the tour from coaching Wales.

 

[Rhondda Rudie]

I thought before the tour started that the test XV had never been less obvious.This debate shows that's still the case.

 

[mstar]

Gatland again showing his lack of tactical nouse, and gone with what he knows best.
The crash-bang-whallop of playing is so predicatable and tactics around it have been mastered by the aussies -which is reflected in their record against wales.


When will gatland learn? No playmaker in the middle of worthy note. Sure Jon Davies is good but he is no BOD. Where are the leaders who been their in a pressure cooker situation of a lions tour?
Big mistake not having him on the bench!!!


Just ridiculous, this is why i said (robbie deans called it perfectly) that gatlands side have one way of playing and he has no other game plan, he will use. He will pick his big welsh pack/centres and there will be no flair in the play.


Robbie deans must be VERY happy in training this week.


Sorry gats you blew the Lions tour. We should of never had him as a Lions coach.


As someone mentioned here, did BOD have a dissagreement with Gats on tactics? maybe suggesting we have to play with more ball in hand/pass and not the direct approach? Gats is a proud man probably didn;t like being question on tactics.


BOD has been the a world class centre for years, and he is a big time player. Form is temporary CLASS IS PERMANENT!!!!

 

[Zed]

Its this exactly...but it was the case from the very beginning, the squad announcement. I still can't get my head around why Lydiate toured ahead of Robshaw, who was the form back-rower all season and in the six nations. He wasn't even that bad in Cardiff by any means. The fact that lydiate has been the only surviving back-rower from the previous tests, despite being by no means the best performing, and certainly not the most versatile, just shows that Gatland is going with what he knows best, which is exactly what most people were afraid of when Gatland was chosen as coach. The decision to have him as coach was just about acceptable, but only really on the condition that he consistently went with form and wasn't overly influenced by what he preferred prior to the tour from coaching Wales.

Yeah and no Tuilagi. All the Australia rugby correspondents/commentators are scratching their heads at his omission. I don't get it.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The best thing about this test IM very humble O is the fact that we'll probably have 5 days after it and then the 'latest posts' section of the forum won't be clogged up by B&I Lions tour threads any more!!!! TBF I can understand the general interest but for someone looking in from the outside the rugby hasn't been vintage even if it sets up a tense decider.

 

[Crapspray]

Not bias, but a complete lack of imagination. Reverting to type. What's the definition of insanity again?

Criminal waste of Tuilagi. Firstly at inside center, (see England vs SA- nothing but bosh; and non of the offloading and running through outside shoulders) and then benching him for, at best, 20 minutes of rugby. He's got the highest strike rate of any of the centers and could have thrived in a creative back-line with BOD and Sexton. I guess we'll never know.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Not bias, but a complete lack of imagination. Reverting to type. What's the definition of insanity again?

Criminal waste of Tuilagi. Firstly at inside center, (see England vs SA- nothing but bosh; and non of the offloading and running through outside shoulders) and then benching him for, at best, 20 minutes of rugby. He's got the highest strike rate of any of the centers and could have thrived in a creative back-line with BOD and Sexton. I guess we'll never know.

Yep - he'll get 20 minutes or so once the game tightens up and becomes ever more tense, and all he'll be called upon for is a defensive shift.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

10 Welsh men? Disgraceful, we knew the tour would be dominated by the Welsh but not this many. Well Gatland you ****, Australia, and pretty much every single rugby fan with a brain knows your game plan.
I was so looking forward this tour to see an incredibly exciting NH backline, using Sexton, BOD, North, Tuilagi, Bowe etc. but no, we're just going to try and smash them down the 12 channel and recycle, which isn't going to work. Why not drop Sexton now, do we really need him?

Australia by 4 I think. Not because I'm annoyed (which i am) at the ****ing ridiculous amount of Welsh players, but because they'll have figured Gatland our like he wrote he down and a piece of paper. & We were second best in both tests.

 

[webbyinjapan]

Pretty happy with the selections in general. I didnt think BoD would be dropped but then Davies has been the inform outside centre. Youngs2 too,,,but I assume he (Gatland) wants a bit of grunt in the pack. The bench looks solid and there are a few players who will come on and actually make an impact. Given the results, performances and injuries so far, what other team could have been picked?

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads I on phone but can someone go on YouTube and get the video "Lions Centre Combination" by Murray Kinsella (A video analyst) and post it here its a very fair clip

 

[gravydays]

Hitler unhappy about O'Driscoll!

Apologies if already posted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Deg1bQt1rzQ#t=0s