Printable View
British & Irish Lions:
Jason Robinson; Josh Lewsey, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Jonny Wilkinson, Gareth Thomas; Stephen Jones, Dwayne Peel; Gethin Jenkins, Shane Byrne, Julian White, Paul O'Connell, Ben Kay, Richard Hill, Neil Back, Martin Corry (vice-captain).
Replacements:
Steve Thompson, Graham Rowntree, Danny Grewcock, Ryan Jones, Matt Dawson, Will Greenwood, Shane Horgan.
Don't think going to find many agreeing with that lineout.
:rolleyes:
The odds on a 3-0 test series defeat is getting tempting.
That is a poor team in my opinion (even though that's not worth much!). Robinson shouldn't be at full back. Wilkinson if not fancied at out half shouldn't be accomodated. Hard to disagree with the pack with the exception of Ryan Jones perhaps.
This team (incl) subs looks very old.
My reasons why we'll lose badly on Saturday....Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
Robinson: poor season with Sale...one poor game on tour so far. Pathetic selection.
Lewsey: One indifferent game out of three means he gets moved from his best position to justify Robinsons selection...confusing.
Wilkinson: Not a centre...never will be...shoulder won't stand up to the amount of hits hes gonna have to give and receive.Enough said.
Jones: Sadly not up to this level.
Picking Lewsey at wing instead of full back makes no sense to me. Both he and Thomas are more reliable at 15 than Robinson. The only way I can see Wilko working at 12 is if he plays a Mike Catt type of role.
Woodward obviously intends to win with penalties and/or drop goals.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu
Bizarre moving Lewsey to wing which i believe he hasn't played on tour & probably rarely plays at all. Clearly problems with original centre selections for squad if moving out half to that position - can't see how Woodward can claim hes planned this one.
Woodward clearly running scared of the English media - having to pick Wilkinson in some role. I'd be surprised if he lasts the half, unless he's planning on hiding for anything other than kicks, as in the World Cup Final....
Be surpised if the bookies are still taking money for 3-0 at this stage... :rolleyes:
They are actually :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Paddypower has NZ to win the series 3-0 at 6/5 :eek:
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Couldn't agree more, Woodwards got his head up his arse.
Not sure that 6/5 for 3-0 is a good bet. When (not if!) Lions get hammered in first test, Woodward will have to make wholesale changes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
IMHO a better value bet is Blacks to win first test by 16-20 points at 13/2.
I went for the All Blacks by 16-20 also. Hate to have to do it, but feel the Lions traditions and team spirit has been diluted by SCW and his attempts to have a last hurrah with his aging troops. I'm disgusted by some of the selections.
Handicap is at -9 for the All Blacks.
Test Matches are always close. No chance at 16-20 point win.
You were saying! :rolleyes: :D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by pete
Oops indeed, no chance. Oh well, I take no comfort in being quids in as a result of SCW's folly in picking a shocking team. Gutted for Drico and POC will have learned that it's a big step up to the World stage from the HEC. Lessons to be learned all round and Jones, Henson and even Donnacha have to start next weekend, or else it will be an even bigger defeat.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Bad to awful!!!!
Henson, jones, eastery to start next day byrne can't play either throwing shocking leave peel 9, wilkinson at 10, darcy 12, henson 13, thomas 14, horgan 11 and lewsy 15
jones,eastery and corry 6,7 and 8
O'Driscoll out of the rest of the tour. Can't see the Lions getting anything out of the tour tbh.
Wel done. What odds you get on this?Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Lions were shocking & lucky to only lose by 18 points. IMO the rain saved them from 30+ point trashing.
No excuses. Byrne bottled it. He must have thought was playing for Leinster.
O'Connell a bit dodgy but no worse than those around him.
Forwards as a unit were hopeless.
Jones & Wilkinson looked confused - who was to take kicks, positioning.
Robinson as expected was woeful - worse selection Woodward made as had other options.
2nd All Blacks try was stunning. They killed the Lions at the breakdown as All Blacks had quick ball & Lions ball was very slow.
Looked like O'Driscoll was taken out but don't think would have made big difference.
Overall Lion s had no ambition & once Plan A to kick the corners & try to steal lineouts failed had no other options.
Couldn't figutre out what Woodward was doing when seemed Horgan was on left wing with Thomas moved to right.
:rolleyes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Blacks took foot off gas when it was evdent Lions had no response. Can see at least 10 changes from starting line-up for next week, with only Lewsey, Peel, Jenkins, O'Connell and possible Golden Boll**s Wilkinson staying in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Superhoops
o'driscoll out
Nasty for O'Driscoll. :mad: :mad:
Brian O'D felling very sorry for himself. Was men & boys out there.
1/4 for All Blacks test white wash.
11/4 for Lions to even win 1 test now.
20/1 for Lions to win next 2 tests. :eek:
they could be 100/1 and ya still wouldnt have a chance :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
I couldnt give a rats anymore Woodward dug his own grave and i hope The Lions get HAMMERED and Woodward gets all the abuse possible.
Think O'Connell played alright actually 9apart from the line out obviously) They showed at least 5/6 clips of Lions' line outs where people were screaming looking for the call so it wasn't all down to Byrne (and Thompson is the worst thrower in the world)
Expect Henson and Murphy to be drafted in at the very least.
Im sure he was resting Henson thats why he had Will Greenwood on the bench surely? :mad:
I bet you'd have been cheering had the Lions won. A fair-weather "supporter" then, Jorge? :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by jorge
:ball: PP
I don't believe its in Woodwards ego to make huge changes.
15. Lewsey
14. Horgan/Williiams
13. Horgan/Greenwood/D'Arcy
12. Henson
11. Thomas (c)
10. Wilkinson
9. Peel
8. Corry
7. Williams
6. Jones
5. O'Connell
4. O'Callaghan (has big chance)
3. White
2. Byrne (might stick with him for irish 2nd row combo)
1. Jenkins
Horgan will get in, Williams is way too small to be playing against the All Blacks, look what they did to Robinson :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
My thoughts precisely PP. I hate this preying on easy targets that people take part in, propelled by the gutter press we have in this part of the world. Also note the cases of the English Football team and Tim Henman.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy
13-2 for me also Pete. Good value, pure fluke it came in, but I wanted some avenue to vent frustration at SCW.
I think a valid point here regarding the shocking selection policy is that if he was intending such a strange selection then the last 2 Saturday games before the test should have seen that line up play together. Element of surprise is worthless if the actually team have never played together. So much for his over meticulous preparation.
Shambles, only hope the players can restore some pride for themselves by revolting against the idiot.
I wasnt bothered who would win although i would be cheering on the Lions had they picked a team on form not on what the manager knows.I knew this would happen from day one.Dont believe me if you dont want to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy
And you are a better judge of the player's form than the man who's been travelling the UK and Ireland to watch them for the last 12 months, who's spent all day every day with them for the past month or so, and a man who won the Rugby World Cup with a not disimiliar group of players two years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by jorge
:rolleyes:
Ask anyone if Wilkinson,Back,Hill,Greenwood and a couple of others if they deserved to be on the test team.Do you even like rugby?
Theres are theese things called television and Sky where you can see Lions matches.You dont have to be there you know.
C'mon Jorge, you can't choose like that. I've had to put up with Brian Kerr despite the fact that I'm a better qualified coach (well, given me UEFA preliminary badge I think so anyway :o ) and that I think he's inept. It doesn't stop me following Ireland though. :) In honesty, and given what you've said above, what reaction do you expect? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by jorge
:ball: PP
Tbh i've never had that thing for the Lions every one else seems to have,i've always thought it was dominated by the english team too much and rightly so as they are the bigger country therefor produce better players.
It must be hard to be Scottish when the Lions are playing :D
I don't know how any irish person could wear a Lions jersey. As you say team is always dominated by english players.Quote:
Originally Posted by jorge
After seeing the team that SCW picked for the first test, you have to wonder what role, if any, BOD as captain, Eddie O'Sullivan and the other coaches have in team selection.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
I am assuming they have no say as I find it hard to believe that if they had a voice in picking the team they would not have come up with the team that took the field. If they did then they are as mad as Woodward.
I don't know how any irish (lowercase very appropriate here even if probably unintentional) person could follow the Lions unless they consider themselves British. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Yeah, it's not like Irelands hasn't produced some great Lions players in the past, infact some of the defining moments of the Lions... :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by lopez
I do, however, think that the romance of the Lions has been reduced in the professional era.
Woodwards fooked up not by picking too many English players, but by picking the wrong English players. Too many has beens from the World Cup winning team and not enough on current form...
You can say that again! Brendan Mullin - son of an Irish diplomat no less - singing God Save The German before a test in Australia in 1989 is just one of them. :D :D :D :rolleyes: A favourite fanzine of mine at that time (Kilkenny's Every Man's a Football Artist) noted: 'Brendan, we never expected you to sit down in protest. But you didn't have to sing the bloody thing either.'Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
People can believe the hype, the (recent) name change to the British & IRISH Lions, but this is little more than one of those queer leftovers of British rule. If this was truly international, there'd be French players included. Stand a better chance of beating the opposition aswell.
The 70's tours will always be legendary, especially South Africa lead by Willie John McBride.
It is a left over of British Rule, however, it's an all ireland international team so it has to be expected to some extent. Just as an all ireland football team would no doubt be included in any resurrected "home" international tournament.
Looks like Woodward going to change at least 1/3 of the team for next week now.
Fromm irish perspective looks like Byrne will miss out but Easterby & Horgan could start.