Lions v Taranaki latest

[joeSoap]

31-7 at the moment. Tries in second half by Corry, Horgan and Murphy have made it respectable. John Hayes substituted after 51 mins, and has worn his last jersey of the tour surely. Poor Marcus Horan... :mad: O'Callaghan Horgan, Hickie, and Murphy doing well.

[joeSoap]

Murphy in for his second...36-7. :D

[joeSoap]

36-14 result. Disappointing first half. Taranaki just died for the last half hour, and the Lions fitness and strength eased them home. This was mostly impressive for a second string. A few of them will be pushing for inclusion as a result.

[gustavo]

can any of these midweek lads play their way into the weekend team or is it more or less set in stone?
surely murphy has a chance now?
i know little about rugby sorry!

[Macy]

Poor Marcus Horan... :mad:
Why, since the season has ended has Horan learnt how to scrummage?

[Rebal Boy]

Its good to hear that they won. They need to win every game before they play the ALL-BLACKS IMO cause they will need to be very confident in themselves if they are going to win the series. Its going to be really hard for them.

[joeSoap]

Why, since the season has ended has Horan learnt how to scrummage?
Ask Phil Vickery, supposedly one of the games better scrummagers, or any other prop he has playerd against in the past few years, and they'll tell you whether or not he can scrummage. If you've ever played in the front row, you'll be aware that the majority of scrummaging problems are primarily caused by your hooker and tight head....and please don't tell me that he didn't warrant inclusion on this tour ahead of Hayes and one or two others like Matt Stevens.His all round game offers way way more than any other Northern Hemisphere prop at the moment.

Then again...you do come from Longford...the home of european rugby so I should really respect that.. :D ;)

[Macy]

I played all across the front row at various times, mainly prop but did play a year ahead as hooker for a season...

Hayes ahead of Horan, apart from the obvious oh knowledgeable one... You need proper props (?) in the front row, not props that think they're flankers... :D

[Aberdonian Stu]

Again I have to say that Horan's scrummaging is a bloody weakness and we do need proper props when taking on the Kiwis.

[joeSoap]

Hayes ahead of Horan, apart from the obvious oh knowledgeable one... You need proper props (?) in the front row, not props that think they're flankers... :D

The old days of the 'proper prop' are long gone. You need mobility and skill these days, and Marcus brings more of that to the table than anyone.

Great props of old like Phil Orr, Gerry McLoughlin, Nick Popplewell would really struggle to play today because of the lack of this mobility and dexterity.

[Clifford]

can any of these midweek lads play their way into the weekend team or is it more or less set in stone?
surely murphy has a chance now?
i know little about rugby sorry!

The midweek lads have a great chance of inclusion if their performances are up to scratch. I'd say O Callaghan is doing himself no harm and must be close. Murphy is flying, but I think Lewsy is going to hang on to 15, he's playing out of his skin also. Hodgson will be ahead of ROG now, just depends on Wilko's fitness. Why has the Welsh 10 not played yet.

[joeSoap]

I played all across the front row at various times, mainly prop but did play a year ahead as hooker for a season...

At long last....a fellow front rower who can hold a decent rugby debate... :D

I'll even forgive your indiscretions about Marcus, and playing as hooker for a while :D

[Dodge]

Agree with Macy. Hayes is good rop, and excellent at lifting at the line out. Horan's good around the pitch but simply can't do the basics...

[joeSoap]

Why has the Welsh 10 not played yet.Because he's just arrived, as his club in France only released him lately due to their season running till July. Gareth Thomas (Toulouse) hasn't been released by them yet cos they're still in contention. Still...they do pay his wages I suppose.

[joeSoap]

I think the test xv will be;

Lewsey: Murphy, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Shanklin: Wilkinson, Peel: Jenkins, Thompson, Stevens: O'Connell, Kay:Corry (6) Hill (8) Williams (7).

[swinfordfc]

i think hayes is finish in the tour - hasn't play well at all. o'gara gone too great with ball in hand but his defence is very poor miss too many tackles and his kicking needs to improve from the last game.
murphy is pushing hard, horgan size might help him yet in the tour and o'callaghan has a good chance too
roll on saturday :D

[swinfordfc]

Corry 8, Williams 7 and Hill 6,
D'arcy or Henson 12 for first test!

[joeSoap]

Corry 8, Williams 7 and Hill 6,
D'arcy or Henson 12 for first test!
I'd play Hill 8 and Corry 6 as I think Hill is a better ball player and equally as strong. That will defo be the combo for the test.

Henson would be a no-no for me in the tests...Darcy maybe but I reckon they'll go for an impact player beside God, so I'll take Horgan in his current form. I'd like to see Lewsey at centre with O'Driscoll, with Murphy full back with Horgan and Shanklin on the wings, but its not going to happen. :(

[Macy]

I think the "modern day" front row play is over stated, mainly by people from Limerick it has to be said. :D

You still need the platform that the scrummage can give you, and you can't get that platform without old style front rowers. Unfortunately for Horan, that still means fat bastárds like myself that don't get mashed at scrum time.

[swinfordfc]

jop soap can see where your coming from with impact player beside god but then your putting all your peas in one basket!!!! nz just have to watch god in the centre then while if you have henson there, you dont know what they do so both have to be watch, yes murphy would be good full back and horgan out on the wing with shacklin big strong men -we need that but they good in attack as well

[Macy]

The midweek lads have a great chance of inclusion if their performances are up to scratch.
There's a theory, and a history, that you're better off being a starter in the midweek 15, than a sub for the weekend 15. You're match sharp should there be an injury...

[swinfordfc]

bulloch, byrne or the man who throw the ball straight? :o

[joeSoap]

I think the "modern day" front row play is over stated, mainly by people from Limerick it has to be said. :D .Well....I'm shocked at that statement :eek: :D


You still need the platform that the scrummage can give you, and you can't get that platform without old style front rowers. Unfortunately for Horan, that still means fat bastárds like myself that don't get mashed at scrum time.Yes Macy, but its a lot to do with technique more than brute force, as surely you well know.. ;)

[joeSoap]

bulloch, byrne or the man who throw the ball straight? :o
Thompson for his sheer power, and generally awesome work around the park will get him the nod. However if his throwing fails him, as it invariably does, I'd say the mullet will sub.

[Aberdonian Stu]

It's a tough call. In open play you have to say Thompson but his throwing is so bad that the Mullet has a good chance of getting the nod although I reckon Woodward will back Thompson.

[pete]

I don't watch the Lions but is the saturday team looking like the Test team now?

Has Henson played yet?

[joeSoap]

I don't watch the Lions but is the saturday team looking like the Test team now?

Has Henson played yet?

Henson played against Bay of Plenty and to be honest , looked quite poor...definitely not test standard.
The Saturday team has quite a few test defo's like Lewsey, O'Driscoll, Hill, Williams, O'Connell, Thompson and White. The rest are very much in the running, but will need to stamp their authority on this game as its being touted as the unofficial '4th' test.The Maoris have a very strong side out, as mentioned in another thread here (http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=26097)

[Macy]

Thompson will get the nod, as the All Blacks perceived to be weak upfront - have my doubts, think it's all relative to their reputation. Think the Lions will try and batter them up front in the first test - and the pack for this game suggests that.