Warm Up Match 2: Blues v British & Irish Lions (Auckland)

[Leonormous Boozer]

Tips, Healy, Owens, Lawes, Itoje, CJ were good.

Daly, Henshaw, Webb ok.

The rest awful. Nowell, Williams, Biggar and Sexton were just straight up shite!

Sexton had a good game, passing and kicking on point.

 

[Stumpy]

I honestly think Saracens would stand more of a chance than the Lions on this tour

 

[The Jones Boy]

I thought Nowell was good on defence. But he had a difficult first half
He saved a try.
Henshaw played well in my book.
Sexton has been average, Farrell has got to be nailed on for the 10 shirt.

 

[smartcooky]

Matt Duffie would have to be the most courageous player in the Blues. He's my MOTM

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Tips, Healy, Owens, Lawes, Itoje, CJ were good.

Daly, Henshaw, Webb ok.

The rest awful. Nowell, Williams, Biggar and Sexton were just straight up shite!

Healy?

 

[Penne Rara]

yay the Blues won it! Nail-biting ending there

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I honestly think Saracens would stand more of a chance than the Lions on this tour

Obviously they have been a team for a hell of a lot longer.

 

[The Jones Boy]

I honestly think Saracens would stand more of a chance than the Lions on this tour

Settle down.
It takes time to get into the groove and this is the Boneyard mate, teams don't go to the Garden and get away without being tested.
The Lions need more games and they are working toward a final goal of winning 2 out of three tests.
Thats all they have to do.
Even winning one test will be commendable in the boneyard.

Saracens are full of Japies, we'd crush them on principle.

 

[MarkyH]

Healy?

McGrath obvs

Front row was good tbh, and in the 2nd half, apart from Best

 

[MojoPin]

What a horror show. Rory Best and Joe Marler threw that game away at the end but it was pretty dire throughout. Farrell looking more and more like our only option at 10.

 

[amz]

As it looks now, it might be 2005 again. SBW destroyed the Lions, what a player!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I like the blues top but that sponser in the middle ruins it.

 

[smartcooky]

The Lions seem utterly clueless in the backs. They seem to have no real idea how to create line breaks and scoring chances...

I don't think the Blues were ever in danger of conceding a try other than with a line out drive or a rumble through the forwards.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'd be surprised if Farrell can do much more, the problem in the backs doesn't lie with the players. Watching the Scarlets' centres and Welsh centres this season can attest to that!

 

[Maverick1987]

What a horror show. Rory Best and Joe Marler threw that game away at the end but it was pretty dire throughout. Farrell looking more and more like our only option at 10.

Bit harsh on Marler imo . He made a big impact when he came on

 

[GoTheNaki]

Extremely happy for the Blues. Good on them. Now on to the undefeated Crusaders....... Lol.

Honestly, its Farrell any day of the week now.

Gatland Jr, Perofeta(20 year old rookie, played half a super rugby game this season), and West, have all had bigger impacts than their opposite numbers for the Lions..

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

What a horror show. Rory Best and Joe Marler threw that game away at the end but it was pretty dire throughout. Farrell looking more and more like our only option at 10.

Joe Marler was excellent in his cameo as far as I can see, also I really don't think he was held for that to be a penalty.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I can't see that Lions selection scoring more than 17 points. I'm not convinced by half backs, centres or fullback, with none of them showing particular form in recent months.

Utterly, utterly predictable consequence of a shockingly poor starting XV selection taken from a bizarrely skewed overall squad ignoring the 6N backs that do the most, with the least good ball. Gatland will be giving us all a giggle north of the border for weeks to come as he lies in the bed he made. And then shat in!

The Blues pulling out a close win was however, not predictable. Congrats to NZ. Your worst team just pumped the supposed cream of the northern hemisphere (Scots, French and Carlo Canna excluded). I wonder if the Blues can use the belief gained from this to spur them on domestically. Here's hoping.

Gatland will never be AB coach now. I hope for his sake he shows a bit more composure in interviews from now on.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bit harsh on Marler imo . He made a big impact when he came on

I don't think he was held for that last penalty, either.
Sexton was an improvement on Biggar but he had a mixed bag. Really loved putting in the high bombs - might work at club level where everyone works off the same level but in a mish mash side he just gave back possession every time.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I honestly think Saracens would stand more of a chance than the Lions on this tour

Probably so. I mean, the Blues are the bottom NZ SR side and I'd go as far as saying the Lions, Sharks and maybe even the Stormers and Brumbies are better teams.

In saying that I also believe the Lions (Golden Lions from SA) would be a better test for visiting France than the Bokke will and that's due to them being a well gelled match fit side rather than something cobbled together to see 'how she goes' and that is exactly what any B&I Lions side will always struggle with simply because of the 'invitational' nature of the team.

The Blues have also been in some sort of form recently don't let their few SR losses distract and it took an amazing try and two costly late B&I Lions errors to take them all the way.