Warm Up Match 4: Highlanders v British & Irish Lions (Dunedin)

[valley commando]

Best, Sink, Lawes, Henderson, Warbs and Henshaw are the only ones who did themselves any favours. I'd start none of them either.

Agreed Henderson played okay, but Biggar and Webb were the only decent backs for us and I reckon they will both make the test bench.

 

[valley commando]

Well this tour isn't quite going as planned is it.

Laidlaw is so out of his depth its comical. Wyn Jones poor, Nowell having a mare and Haskell up to his old tricks.

On a sidenote the ref was atrocious second half.

AWJ was far from poor and will be in the matchday squad

 

[valley commando]

Well this tour isn't quite going as planned is it.

Laidlaw is so out of his depth its comical. Wyn Jones poor, Nowell having a mare and Haskell up to his old tricks.

On a sidenote the ref was atrocious second half.

AWJ was far from poor and will be in the matchday squad

 

[valley commando]

Way better than pepe the frog in the last match.

The ref needs educating (just like you do) on how to scrummage legally.

 

[valley commando]

Well the kiwis all love him, so...

so..... he must be shite.

 

[valley commando]

Much prefer JJ to Davies, Payne or Te'o or Henshaw at 13. His try was a case in point, not just his pace, but he actually holds the ball in two hands when he runs with it. Just can't see Gatland picking him there for the tests.

I thought JJ was distinctly average today, he can't defend and is way below the quality of Fox or Henshaw

 

[MikeTheNative]

I thought AWJ was poor, gave away way too many penalties for a man of his experience and was often knocked back in contact for going in too high. After the much better performance form Henderson today I would rather start all the other 2nd rows other him.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I know I need to move on but I genuinely believe that Launchbury would've put in better performances than any of the other locks have so far.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Positives:
JJ and Henshaw - showed a glimpse of the level they should be at
Sinckler - the more I see him the more I'm impressed
Henderson - much better and more what I expected from him
Webb - showed some real threat around the breakdown and looked sharp, needs to sort out his kicking which has been poor
Marler - unspectacular but solid

Negatives:
Back three - I thought they all played a bit poorly today and can do a lot better, credit to Seymour for his try though it was great play
Haskell - never been a fan, looks well off the pace
Lawes Injury - was in my team to start for the 1st test along side Kruis, looked quite shaken.
Dan Cole - I feel like there was nobody else, doesn't seem to offer much apart from being a penalty pinata for the opposition
Laidlaw - I know he will not play in the test but surely Care was the better option?
Warburton's form - Had a very good 6 nations but has struggled with injury since then and seems well off the pace compared to his best

Neutral:
Stander: After 60 minutes I would have said he had a poor game but really stepped it up in the after that. There still seems something not right about him a and currently wouldn't be my starting 8 or 6. Somebody had him done as MOTM and I found that very odd after watching the game myself.

 

[Gavin]

Where's he going?
Didn't he not turn up to Treviso, stayed playing in NZ instead?

That is the last I heard about him. He signed for Treviso but didn't turn up because he couldn't handle playing in the northern hemisphere.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

AWJ was far from poor and will be in the matchday squad

Only if all the kings horses and all the kings men can't glue Courtney Lawes' head back together again

 

[ncurd]

Only if all the kings horses and all the kings men can't glue Courtney Lawes' head back together again

Yes and even then on the bench to Kutoje!

 

[Reiser99]

Watched the game late again...bloody work days.

Anyway my issue when it comes to selection is people focusing on 1 or 2 good moments and ignoring the rest. Warburton took his try well, but was pretty anonymous in the rest of the game. Does one try make up for the poor competition at the break down...not for me personally. It's great he can score one, but that's not his main job, the breakdown is and it was far better on Saturday.
Overall for the Lions, the only players I thought who really stood out were Sinckler and Henderson. Webb and Biggar were quite good, but still prone to silly mistakes. Lawes was his usual self, but poor tackling means he might now be out. As for the rest I don't think any of them helped their chances massively when compared with Saturday.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yes and even then on the bench to Kutoje!

On current (and i do mean current) form I'd go for Klawes with one of the others on the bench (flip a three sided coin for the bench spot).
I'm hoping maro has a big game vs Maori though, because on top form I think he's the best of the bunch.
It sounds biased but I'm hoping for all English locks in the tests (Though if Henderson gets consistency, and/or AWJ hits top form they're world class so not exactly gutted to have one of them in).

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

On current (and i do mean current) form I'd go for Klawes with one of the others on the bench (flip a three sided coin for the bench spot).
I'm hoping maro has a big game vs Maori though, because on top form I think he's the best of the bunch.
It sounds biased but I'm hoping for all English locks in the tests (Though if Henderson gets consistency, and/or AWJ hits top form they're world class so not exactly gutted to have one of them in).

On form it should be all English locks really.

 

[Ground We Won]

Haskell came out years ago to the Highlanders and offered nothing. I was really surprised he was in the Lions.

 

[Maverick1987]

Farrell has played 1/2 penny into the test starting line up with his poor percentage rate, Farrell is either picked at 10 or not in the 23, I think he'll be playing 10 and I can see Biggar on the bench with Sexton missing out.

Farrell missing out of the 23 ...... oh my Jesus

I'd be tempted to put Halfpenny on the wing for kicking duties because he's the best kicker in the squad but I wouldn't compromise the whole squad for it . Watson has proven himself to be a far superior full back .....

 

[Chief Pete]

Personally once Billy was ruled out, I'd have used that to draft in Launchbury or one of the Gray's, using Henderson & Lawes to have a go in the 6 shirt which sadly Haskell is soiling at the moment, brilliant on the England tour of Aus, average before and after, Gareth Davies for Laidlaw and I'd use the Hogg injury to draft in Ford or Russell to bring an extra dimension to the mid week side especially if your going to play 2 10's in the same side at the weekend.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Haskell came out years ago to the Highlanders and offered nothing. I was really surprised he was in the Lions.

TBF before his injury he was playing really well. man of the series in the Aus summer tour for me.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Personally once Billy was ruled out, I'd have used that to draft in Launchbury or one of the Gray's, using Henderson & Lawes to have a go in the 6 shirt which sadly Haskell is soiling at the moment, brilliant on the England tour of Aus, average before and after, Gareth Davies for Laidlaw and I'd use the Hogg injury to draft in Ford or Russell to bring an extra dimension to the mid week side especially if your going to play 2 10's in the same side at the weekend.

Did seem a bit weird to bring Haskell out when you've got Henderson with a lot of experience at 6 and Itoje just won the Six Nations playing there.
#Justice4Launch