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

[dullonien]

Rory Best is usually Ireland's captain.

As for the reason Gatland chooses Welsh captains for the Lions I'd have thought that was obvious?

To be fair, there's not an abundance of candidates from England, Ireland or Scotland on this tour.

Best has plenty of experience, but most agree that he's right down in the pecking order atm. Stander possibly, but he's not got a ton of captaincy experience. Murray would make a good captain choice imo, but Gatland has always picked forwards and I wouldn't expect him to buck that trend now.

As for England, they've got precious little captaincy options available atm, hence Heartley still being their first choice hooker despite not being the best hooker in England.

Laidlaw has plenty of experience, but he's pretty sh*t really!

In comparison the 3 captains Gatland has selected thus far, Warburton, Owens and AWJ all have tons of experience either at international or regional level. Warbs was the obvious tour captain, and the most experienced captain on tour. AWJ has captained ospreys with distinction for a number of years now, and people shouldn't let that incident with Biggar in the 6 nations to change their mind. He's a great leader, and will have learn't from that. His form is rightly being questioned, but imo he'll come good today. Owens may not have much, if any international captaincy experience, but has captained Scarlets very well for a couple of years now.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Why are we putting no men into the ruck? It's a man at most at each one. Pretty poor really.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I swear to god NZ are 1000x better than the BIL at turnovers its embrassinng.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Don't know why people hate on the haka's they are great.



I mean FFS it a lions tour a once every 12 years thing for them so comparing it to super rugby is moronic IMO.

Haha, say what you really think. Did they do the Haka for the Sunwolves or Jaguares for their first ever visits to NZ? That's longer than once every 12 years. Did they hang!

Anyway, I think this will be a one score game, but the Lions will lose if Teo doesn't have a good game. It sounds from the comments above that he might not have the distribution skills of some of the other options at 12 (e.g. Farrell himself).

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Different players, same blunt attack that can't string three passes together!

 

[TommiG88]

Not committing enough to the ruck.

Davies butchered a try scoring chance.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Haha, say what you really think. Did they do the Haka for the Sunwolves or Jaguares for their first ever visits to NZ? Did they hang!

you mean the team that plays in NZ every year?

Or are you seriously comparing what is for many players in NZ a once in a career thing to super rugby comp that plays every year?

 

[GoTheNaki]

How was that a maul??? Another ref that doesnt know the rules?

 

[Reiser99]

Vunipola and Faletau make the tackle to get the maul, AWJ just flops on top at the end, but gets the mention...yeah he did loads.

 

[Bluemoon]

There area a few more loops past the initial forwards, trying to bring the backs into the game, which is better than last Wednesday, but it's still a laborious attack. I'm more annoyed that forwards are taking the ball up without support and leaving themselves isolated. We also are putting less men into the ruck to give more option in attack, but it's leaving the attacker isolated for the defence to try get over the ruck.

 

[Skylinerd1]

what kind of call was that. March 20 meters up field with half the lions team on your back and its a turnover. LOL cant make this **** up.

 

[TommiG88]

Everyone has just smeared themselves in lube.

 

[GoTheNaki]

They werent past that line........???

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Murray is a huge improvement.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Murray and Farrell has to be our test match half back pairing.

Taylor's set piece is showing to be pretty poor. Dane Coles could be more of a loss than I thought.

 

[Groundhog]

what kind of call was that. March 20 meters up field with half the lions team on your back and its a turnover. LOL cant make this **** up.

How was that a maul??? Another ref that doesnt know the rules?

Doesn't matter where they marched. If it's a maul and the ball isn't available it's a turnover. And it was a maul for more than long enough.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Farrell immediately showing to be far better than Sexton and Biggar

Yes, because we can draw firm and irreversible conclusions after five minutes!

More importantly, has Faletau changed his name again!? He wasn't listed as Talupe.

 

[dullonien]

Great kicking by Murray so far.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

notice how when new zealanders go for cross-field kicks they get it on the money...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Can really see this being the 3/4ers Gatland picks.