Warm Up Match 3: Crusaders v British & Irish Lions (Christchurch)

[Leonormous Boozer]

Whilst watching again just a couple of pointless observations...

1) Why is Sweet Caroline a thing? Does it really have to be a thing? Please make it stop.
2) The lions front row combined made 30 tackles compared to 21 from the back-row. Great handling all game from them too; think those guys deserve more acknowledgement
3) In terms of criticising the lions backline I think it was a big disappointment to lose Davies because Farrell is absolutely not a 13. Considering we were adapting to that dynamic I don't think we did badly with ball in hand.
4) Alun-Wyn had a really strong game, even though I was less aware of him first time round.
5) The more I see of O'Mahony the more I want him in the match 15 for the first test, 100%. Right now, I think we've already worked out our 4 backrowers for the first test; Faletau, Warburton, POM and SOB.
6) Williams hasn't got going yet but he's very talented and needs more time. He made a few mistakes in the game but was given some really shitty passes which could have put him over the line if done properly.

having said that, just saw again the disallowed try which came from Williams' terrrrrrrrible attempted kick. If he executes properly I'm pretty sure Watson has the gas.

Did Farrell really play at 13? Him and Sexton seemed to be playing 1st and 2nd receivers interchangeably and he was definitely defending the 12 channel when he missed that tackle leading to a break. From memory three tries were butchered by bad passes from Davies, Farrell and Te'o and it could be argued that Williams should have passed to Watson instead of chipping as well as CJ's knock on. Individual errors aren't a huge worry but you'd like a few tries in each game from now on to form a habit.

 

[Nubiwan]

The new Haka's were specifically composed for the Lions tour and yes, we have haka practice. At highschool we would learn our own speific school haka at 3rd form and the whole school would perform it at school assemblies and during interschools when matches were played too. It was also performed when we had guests or if someone of significance passed away.

The ones I have seen schools doing on Youtube are pretty rousing affairs.

One thing I would point out, is that you can say what you like about the Haka being some sort of a welcome, but the 25 odd NZ players on the park are not saying "Hi there lions, welcome to NZ - have a cuppa" it more like "we're the best and we plan to kick the **** out of you lot, and leave you in bits an pieces"

 

[Nubiwan]

The new Haka's were specifically composed for the Lions tour and yes, we have haka practice. At highschool we would learn our own speific school haka at 3rd form and the whole school would perform it at school assemblies and during interschools when matches were played too. It was also performed when we had guests or if someone of significance passed away.

The ones I have seen schools doing on Youtube are pretty rousing affairs.

One thing I would point out, is that you can say what you like about the Haka being some sort of a welcome, but the 25 odd NZ players on the park are not saying "Hi there lions, welcome to NZ - have a cuppa" it more like "we're the best and we plan to kick the **** out of you lot, and leave you in bits an pieces". Suggesting otherwise is plain silly....

Was that not in the early 2000s? Like 2001 or 2003?
If I recall, McCaw tackled the madman, what a legend.

LOL - no one escaped McCaw.

 

[The Jones Boy]

It would be nice to see Daly have a long run at a game, he ws on fire in the 6 Nations.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Decision making near the opposition line needs to improve. On 68 minutes we had to score the try and Farrell goes for the long one. Just put it through the hands!

 

[Ridzenieks]

Strong and effective from those guys in red. Wonderful at the line of confrontation, and look useful with the up and under. Crusaders lucky that some of those episodes on their goal line were inches short.
But 1) at least four possessions at the scrimmage were reffed the wrong way - a substantial equaliser if the game was played to the rules of rugby. Why are the journos not picking up the point that in three matches the local scrums are beating up the Brits? 2) like it or not, this is one of the weaker back rows in NZ. 3) BIL don't have the backs to trouble ABs. You can maybe keep the NZ team to two tries - maybe once - but then you have to score three.

 

[Logorrhea]

LOL - no one escaped McCaw.

 

[Jockstap]

Pre ankle injury Healy was such a monster, sad.

 

[nik]

They did, they cranked up the intensity and often the young Crusader back line wasn't ready for what was coming. Gatland seemed to be ahead of the Cantabs coaching staff. They neither expected that rush defence and when it came they didn't have a plan B.

Too much self belief is a dangerous thing. The Cantabs looked like they thought that if Auckland can beat the Lions then they will walk it.
Not the case.
They really missed Read tonight. If he was on board there would have been a lot more interest in the posts than the line. Relieving pressure on the scoreboard helps a lot for greasing the wheels of ball handling efficiency. The poor game management really hurt the Cantabs.
The score wasn't indicative of the control the Lions exhibited at times.



They sure did and it was an eye opener that some of the Kiwi's on here didn't cope well with.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I always back Canterbury against other foreign teams but against the Lions they did look cocky and they got their block knocked off and rightly so.
You don't treat top drawer opposition with that kind of flippant inattention to conserving possession and not taking the three points when they are on offer.
Cantab management made a massive error.
I hope that munter doesn't get a look in at AB level until he wises up a lot.
Gatland nailed him.
Lions pressure and the nature of the occasion got to them. It was a great message to send rippling out into the many smaller pools in NZ rugby, and don't worry, it will be wildfire in the far reaches of the remote areas of NZ. The Lions have roared and NZ will close ranks now
Take the Lions seriously or be prepared for an upset. These blokes are not muppets and we will need to be on our mettle.
Ireland and England have been the 2nd and 3rd best teams in world rugby for the last 12 months and they have plenty of their best players in this line up.
I am under no illusion, Hansen will be watching the Lions like a Hawk and making his plans carefully with maximum intensity in mind. Thats why he's in the top job. He knows a tour like this is the biggest thing until the next RWC. The Lions must be respected and we will need to showcase our best players in the best light, ready for the variety of weapons that the Lions will continure to unleash as they settle into the tour after just 3 games.
Some of the younger Kiwi posters on here need to be aware of that and learn to hold their tongues (or fingers) and think and breathe a little more before responding with comments that are beneath us and essentially purile.
The Lions were better tonight.
Acknowledge it and ignore Valley Commando.
There will be a time for him to eat the fossilised remnants of the once profitable coal mines of his forbears when the tests come around.



The AB's can live off scraps and score from anywhere. Hansen and co. will know whats coming and have a team and plan to counter it.
It still won't be easy.
I expect the tests to be much closer than most of my younger Kiwi compatriots on here. This is a quality Lions squad.
The victory today and the quite 'commanding' nature of it will give the whole Lions outfit a feeling of pride, confidence and contentment about a difficult hurdle that has been carefully negotiated.
Gatland knew the Lions would be up against it from the word go here in NZ and he has done the right thing by almost emptying the British Isles of it's best players and taking all of them on tour.
They will soak up injuries and keep coming and it's up to us to man up and take them on.
When we cop defeats we need to take it on the chin and not throw toys from the pram like infants.
Respect your ooponent and a lot more lasting residual joy will come from the encounter and the ones to follow.

You hit the nail The Jones Boy. It will be interesting to see how ABs counter that defense. When Sam Warburton said earlier in the tour they can be the ABs if they score 20 points at that time i thought 20 points was not enough. But now i think it might be possible. They will have to force ABs into a lot errora though.

Crusaders and their super rugby campaign point of view this loss is the best way to bring them down back to earth (if they were flying sky high). No shame in losing to the Lions. But a loss is good for their campaign without actually losing a conpetition match.

 

[smartcooky]

Having given it a little thought, smatcooky's points are interesting, and could be crucial in the test series.
1) If the ABs have an advantage at scrum time, then that is important insofar as making the Lions backline step back to stay onside, assuming the scrum is going backwards a little.
2) That will then make the rush D less effective, as they'll be on the back foot, with the ABs having a bit of extra space and time.

Therefore, the refereeing of the scrums, and the offside line, could be important.

I still think that it won't make much odds, as the AB coaches will be expecting it, and the gameplan is far too limited to stop them. First test is the biggest worry. As usual. Could be tight. I just see more game breakers in the black team than the other lot.

Well last night, we saw referee neuter the dominant scrum. Basically, his incompetent refereeing of the scrum took away THE key factor that has made the Crusaders so good this season. On four occasions, the Crusaders utterly demolished the Lions scrum, and on each occasion, Blind Freddy saw nothing. At the very least, when a scrum is taken apart like that, the beaten scrum participants are no longer binding, which is a penalty offense.

Thank Christ we don't have this numtpy for any of the tests. Jaco Peyper, Jerome Garces and Roman Poite all reward dominant scrums, and all manage the breakdown and offside line well.

 

[Ground We Won]

The illegal wheeling call on the stroke of HT did it for me. He wasn't even on the correct side of the scrum to even see what happened. Just took a stupid guess and it made him look incompetent.

 

[The Jones Boy]

It sure didn't help Canterbury but it still didn't 'lose' the game for the Crusaders, the Lions were the better side and imagine if they had some finishing ability on the end of the last pass, it could have been a cricket score.
However at the top level with the AB's it will be different again.
The tempo was quick against the Crusaders but it goes up another notch at test level.

 

[smartcooky]

It sure didn't help Canterbury but it still didn't 'lose' the game for the Crusaders,

No-one is claiming that it did.

What I am saying is that the incompetent refereeing spoiled the game as a spectacle. I'm really glad I wasn't one of the punters who wasted 80 minutes and $140.00 to watch that dross.

 

[The Jones Boy]

I don't think the Lions fans feel the same way SC...

 

[Truth]

Mo'unga looked shook from not having been named to the ABs or Maori.

Mo'unga is of Tongan descent. It's said that he's part Samoan as well but I do know he's Tongan.

 

[smartcooky]

I don't think the Lions fans feel the same way SC...

I'm not a Lions fan, so I don't give a fat rat's arse how they feel.

 

[McTallshort]

Kiwis blaming a ref for losing a game? Whatever next

 

[Groundhog]

Up the Munster Mongrel

 

[Kiwiwomble]

In the end referee desicisions or not, the lions shut down the saders with line speed made the most of what they were given and showed the saders are dependent on that forward pack to spark anything

A great team can win despite the ref and from the back foot

Well done lions, you played "to the whistle" if you know what I mean

I might feel different if I was a cantaberian of course

 

[smartcooky]

Kiwis blaming a ref for losing a game? Whatever next

Typical of you Tallshort.

Absolutely NO-ONE here is claiming that. You just made it up