Waratahs v British & Irish Lions

[Saintjay]

You can't deny Mitchell was crap in the first half, he certainly played better in the second half. Fin Smith made him look worse.

Didn't the Lions only score points when Mitchell and Fin Smith were on the pitch? Going by the BBC live reporting

 

[Rinkadink]

Catching up on thread, how has nobody mentioned the stadium announcer?

 

[AlRums]

Didn't the Lions only score points when Mitchell and Fin Smith were on the pitch? Going by the BBC live reporting

True, but Mitchell was incredibly slow and they bypassed Smith.

 

[TommiG88]

Catching up on thread, how has nobody mentioned the stadium announcer?

Tell me more…

 

[Grizwald]

Close to the test side on Wednesday? Still dont know what the best centre partnership has been. Assume Aki and Ringrose get a start on Wednesday and outside Russell and JGP. Berine hasn't been great at 6 and Chessum hasn't been looked there so looking like less of a hybrid lock/6 for the first test. Penalties aside I thought Earl was decent tonight, but probably need Connan at 8. Think the wings are nailed on now with Lowe and Freeman.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Jebus - how bad have sky been then?

Pretty awful. I missed the talksport commentators.

 

[Derpus]

Mitchell MOTM

AlRums on suicide watch

Clear bias but should’ve gone to Gamble (7).

 

[Jimbo]

VDM was tying up three defenders everytime

I think you miss my point, he had opportunities for the outside break, didn’t have the wheels to go around so had to go through, conversely Hansen seemed to have no space where DVM would have thrived in the closer quarters it wasn’t a criticism of either player just that their natural talents lent themselves better to receiving the ball in each others positions it seemed to be on quite a few occasions.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Lions player ratings v Waratahs: Jones and Tuipulotu shine, Keenan and Fin Smith struggle

Telegraph Sport looks at who stood out and who must do better after tourists win third match in Australia

www.telegraph.co.uk

Kennan - 4/10 - Damaged his chances
Hansen - 6/10 - Still behind Freeman
Jones - 8/10 - Ringrose might just be ahead still. Who is 12 might affect.
Tuipulotu- 8/10 - Him v Aki the hardest decision
Kinghorn - 7/10 - Frontrunner for 15
F Smith - 5/10 - Unlikely to start, faces battle for the bench.
Mitchell - 7/10 - Behind Gibson-Park but will be on the bench.
Schoeman - 8/10 - Behind Genge and Porter
Cowan-Dickie - 7/10 - Behind Sheehan and in competition with Kelleher for a bench spot.
Bealham - 7/10 - In with a chance in a wide open battle for tighthead.
Cummings - 8/10 - Longshot to start
Ryan - 5/10 - Far from starting
Beirne - 5/10 - Likely to be on the bench
van der Filer - 6/10 - Coukd start but not likely to.
Earl - 7/10 - Likely to be on the bench if it's 6/2.
Replacements - 8/10- Sheehan, Genge and McCarthy did well. Is M Smith going to be on the bench for the tests.

Creighton - 6/10
Kellaway - 7/10
Foketi - 6/10
Walton 7/10
Lancaster 8/10
Bowen 5/10
Wilson 6/10
Lambert 5/10
Dobbins 6/10
Tupou 5/10
Lee-Warner 5/10
Amatosero 6/10
Leota 6/10
Gamble 9/10
Sinclair 7/10
Replacements - 5/10

 

[McTallshort]

Missed the last 20 due to daughter horse riding but apart from Jones, Earl, Kinghorn and Cummings the starting 15 were pretty disjointed in the first half with Mitchell coming good in the second.

The subs made an impact but the Tahs played a good defensive game and made the Lions earn their points which at this point of the tour is a good thing.

Overall it's another step towards the tests and I bet we see Faz Jnr in the next game

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

A lot of pundits reckoned this wouldn’t be a vintage Lions team and its starting to look that way. Definitely a squad lacking a little stardust.

In fairness the tours are too short for new combinations to really gel. And they’ve still got a decent chance of winning the test series which is more reflection on Aus than anything else.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

 

[big ginger 8]

A lot of pundits reckoned this wouldn't be a vintage Lions team and its starting to look that way. Definitely a squad lacking a little stardust.

In fairness the tours are too short for new combinations to really gel. And they've still got a decent chance of winning the test series which is more reflection on Aus than anything else.

How many Lions teams are judged on their warm up games?

 

[Protalus rampart]

Daly’s injury in the match he wasn’t supposed to play looks even more unfortunate for him now. After today I reckon he’d have been a shoe in for the 15 jersey in the first test.

 

[big ginger 8]

'I spent a fair bit of time at Coppers! I loved Lansdowne' https://the42.ie/6754123

 

[McTallshort]

How many Lions teams are judged on their warm up games?

Absolutely true.

 

[IT157]

British and Irish Lions 2025: Talking points after win over the Waratahs

Making an issue of the wet pitch wasn't a good moment for Lions head coach Andy Farrell, but Saturday's match might have been a good night for his son Owen.

www.bbc.com

 

[McTallshort]

Didnt realise Mike Catt was Tahs attack coach

 

[petetherhooker]

Test 23

Genge
Sheehan
Furlong
Itoje
McCarthy
Chessum
JVDF
Conan
JGP
Russell
Lowe
Tuipolutu
Jones
Freeman
Kinghorn

Porter
LCD
Stuart
Beirne
Pollock
Mitchell
M Smith
Ringrose

Marcus and Pollock get in as x factor players, Curry desperately unlucky, class player but hasn't performed on tour.

 

[Rugby100]

Test 23

Genge
Sheehan
Furlong
Itoje
McCarthy
Chessum
JVDF
Conan
JGP
Russell
Lowe
Tuipolutu
Jones
Freeman
Kinghorn

Porter
LCD
Stuart
Beirne
Pollock
Mitchell
M Smith
Ringrose

Marcus and Pollock get in as x factor players, Curry desperately unlucky, class player but hasn't performed on tour.

There are two chances that Morgan isn't in the 23.....SLIM and NONE.......and slim just left town

There is NO WAY that Farrell has his 1st test as Lions head coach, a student of Lions history as he is, and not have all 4 nations represented.

The way he spoke so glowingly about Morgan after the reds games (and he hasn't really spoken about anyone like that in the lions) means Morgan starts.

He's the only loosie whose had a MOTM performance and is the last Welshman standing. Fighting for his Cymru nation. Also, the joy from the other Lions when he scored his try against the reds midweek was just magic and tells me he's popular with the Lions.

Gowaaan Jaccy boi !!

Dunno why people think Conon is a given, the Lions staff have all the stats, and they'll see, he's had 12 carries for 36m that's not setting the world alight

That's why I think they may go with a Pollock at 8 (especially if Pollock plays as well in midweek as he did against WF) I actually think the Lions blagged about Pollock's injury today, to save him for the weds Brumbie game in what many people are saying will be a close to the test side or Earl at 8, basically someone more dynamic. I reckon Earl and Pollock are equally good through contact and better at the breakdown than Conan

Lowe isn't slow, but he isn't fast either. People my shake their head, but I think VDM will get the nod over Lowe, VDM has that crazy "What's he gonna do mext?" about him, great in the open field and in broken play. The Lions don't really have anyone like him. He could be what George North was in the 2013 Lions tour.

Keenan was awful. The FB position was his to lose, and he's gone and done just done that. Kinghorn's shirt. Kinghorn played decent, didn't have much ball to be fair as Lions didn't really play to the wing in the 1st half but the switch to FB in the second half he was solid enough

I agree, Genge starts at LH. Plus the Lions need a loud silverback and Genge is just that. Maro is quieter, not chest thumper (And I hope he doesn't try to be coz it wont suit him) and that's fine coz you also need that too. Players who won't shout your face off but just say one or two pointers

I agree with your other picks. As to the game today ? Dunno why Mitchell got MOTM, he only had a good 15 minutes.