Warm Up Match 5: Maori All Blacks v British & Irish Lions (Rotorua)

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Faz is out due to injury, Bigger on the bench.

 

[Penne Rara]

Owen Farrell apparently out because of injury

Edit: too slow

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Faz is out due to injury, Bigger on the bench.

Any news on the injury??? How serious etc?

 

[TopTen2003]

Picks fast wingers, picks centres who can't pass

But, if Te'o and Davies can make breaks hopefully our wingers will see the ball. Still see Henshaw and JJ as a much better partnership. Still, quite happy with the team, esp the forwards

Agreed- we don't have that all round style of 12 at the moment. I'm okay with those two assuming they can make gains in contact because if we can give our forwards a chance to retain possession and build phases we have the ability to limit NZ in possession. Also if we get NZ moving backwards opportunities will begin to appear out wide whereas if you can't get any momentum in the first place, you just end up fizzing the ball aimlessly from side to side with no gains and no purpose.

Clean and quick ball needed too before the wingers and centres get any opportunities, which again is why it's important to make yards in our midfield for the likes of O Brien and Faleteau

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Any news on the injury??? How serious etc?

Grade 1 quadriceps strain. So long as treatment is successful, then should be ok for 1st test.

 

[Groundhog]

PO'M captain. Now we're sucking diesel.

 

[MikeTheNative]

PO'M captain. Now we're sucking diesel.

Is that meant to be a good thing? Better team from the Lions but I'm still not sure on the Teo/Davies centre partnership hopefully they get a bit longer than 20 minutes to see how they go. I would have liked to see Williams get a chance to prove how good he can be but Watson isn't exactly a poor replacement. I'm now getting more and more worried that Halfpenny will be starting the 1st test.

 

[Groundhog]

Is O'Mahony captaining a good thing? Yiss

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Whether I like it or not, with only a couple of exceptions, that's looking like a test team in all but name.

Be interesting to see how the scrums go. We've got 4 out of the Saracens front 5 that got mullered in both Premiership and European finals. Set piece is one area where we ought to have a small advantage over the ABs. Would hate to see us throw that away.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Is O'Mahony captaining a good thing? Yiss

No, I meant the sucking diesel comment.

 

[tighthead97]

They played at Spotty Dogs together, partied together... Dont be surprised.. It was a rumour on Veitchy sport, yeah yeah, not the best source. But anyone who knows the two realises that could be quite possible.

I was chatting to Waisake after the game on Tuesday and I asked him about the Chiefs move and his reply was "Nothing has been signed yet". Worrying signs there, especially with Osborne off too.

 

[Groundhog]

Now we're sucking Jean Deysel

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Is that meant to be a good thing? Better team from the Lions but I'm still not sure on the Teo/Davies centre partnership hopefully they get a bit longer than 20 minutes to see how they go. I would have liked to see Williams get a chance to prove how good he can be but Watson isn't exactly a poor replacement. I'm now getting more and more worried that Halfpenny will be starting the 1st test.

Why be worried about the inevitable?

I don't mind 1/2p starting though, in a squad with 1 back three player playing good rugby pick your solid players, Leigh won't make mistakes.

Centres are my only problem area, won't beat NZ with those two, I'd have picked McGarth ahead of Mako too. Feel bad for Henshaw though, Furlong, SOB, Sexton, Te'o, McGrath and Lowe will all get to talk about how there's no bigger thrill in rugby to walking out to adoring fans in the RDS while Foggy Dew plays and how they feel like Conor McGregor while Henshaw is stuck in the stand with Payne discussing how Ken Owens looks like he should be working in a chip shop rather than playing for the Lions!

 

[bazwaz]

According to Hansen, Gatland will be sending for reinforcements...anyone want to put in their order/ speculate on a replacement for Hogg...?
Denny Solomona would be a dangerous addition to the backline IMHO - 90 seconds on the field last weekend and he won the game for England...

 

[MikeTheNative]

According to Hansen, Gatland will be sending for reinforcements...anyone want to put in their order/ speculate on a replacement for Hogg...?
Denny Solomona would be a dangerous addition to the backline IMHO - 90 seconds on the field last weekend and he won the game for England...

Did you not see the two tries that he helped Argentina get before that? He missed two tackles in the same phase for one try.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

When POM was named captain you could hear the Munster men fapping from England...

 

[Chief Pete]

According to Hansen, Gatland will be sending for reinforcements...anyone want to put in their order/ speculate on a replacement for Hogg...?
Denny Solomona would be a dangerous addition to the backline IMHO - 90 seconds on the field last weekend and he won the game for England...

I'd take Jonny May as a replacement for Hogg, and as for reinforcements hopefully another fly half Ford or Russell either will do..

 

[valley commando]

Is that meant to be a good thing? Better team from the Lions but I'm still not sure on the Teo/Davies centre partnership hopefully they get a bit longer than 20 minutes to see how they go. I would have liked to see Williams get a chance to prove how good he can be but Watson isn't exactly a poor replacement. I'm now getting more and more worried that Halfpenny will be starting the 1st test.

He will be

 

[valley commando]

I'd take Jonny May as a replacement for Hogg, and as for reinforcements hopefully another fly half Ford or Russell either will do..

Russell is packing his bags as we speak

 

[Bada-Bing!]

According to Hansen, Gatland will be sending for reinforcements...anyone want to put in their order/ speculate on a replacement for Hogg...?
Denny Solomona would be a dangerous addition to the backline IMHO - 90 seconds on the field last weekend and he won the game for England...

Since when does Gatland consult with Hansen over sending reinforcements for the Lions?