1st test - Australia v British & Irish Lions

[Vieux Talonneur]

Depends on if you see it as " It's Not the winning it's the taking part.

I think I'm with Farrell in that Winning is everything.

I usually am but this is a bit like the Baa-Baas kicking for goal. To me anyway.

Lions tours used to be as much about the experience as anything else, touring the country for their own enjoyment and being ambassadors, coaching in impoverished areas etc and having a fair bit of fun along the way. Now all we hear about is performance - there was a load of guff about all the controls around getting the right amount of sleep on the flight over etc and it all sounds pretty cocooned. There was a great piece the other day about Heyes getting up early to go exploring in Argentina by himself, soaking up the history. Good on him, I'll bet not too many Lions do much more than drink coffee and play golf.

IDK. I just tend to kick back against people taking themselves a bit too seriously and that feels like where the Lions are now. At the end of the day this is just an occasional invitational team. Still thousands of fans travelling thousands of miles in red shirts can't be wrong.

If result and performance really is all, then the Lions have probably had their day and might as well just field full strength Eng or Ire teams in different shirts - either of which would probably beat Aus (and the Lions) through familiarity.

Bah. I'm just in that kind of mood.

 

[HamJan]

Would be so funny if the Lions actually lose this game. He'd automatically be a worse lions coach than Gatland. Jeez.

Oh no he wouldn’t

 

[McTallshort]

Would be so funny if the Lions actually lose this game. He'd automatically be a worse lions coach than Gatland. Jeez.

No way. Those crap Welsh players flown in in 2017 gives Gats the worst coach award. He coached 3 series and only won one.

 

[odw26]

I think it's interesting people are now claiming there should be representation from all four nations in a Lions test squad. On the 2017 tour, no Scottish players were involved in any one of the three test matchday squads, yet there were no claims then that each nation should be included in a test squad. Now the shoe is on a different foot, all of a sudden there are questions being raised about equal representation.

A Lions tour should be about celebrating the best players the Isles can put forwards, and it would go against that ethos if players were left out of a test squad or even omitted from a tour in order to meet quotas.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

I think it's interesting people are now claiming there should be representation from all four nations in a Lions test squad. On the 2017 tour, no Scottish players were involved in any one of the three test matchday squads, yet there were no claims then that each nation should be included in a test squad. Now the shoe is on a different foot, all of a sudden there are questions being raised about equal representation.

A Lions tour should be about celebrating the best players the Isles can put forwards, and it would go against that ethos if players were left out of a test squad or even omitted from a tour in order to meet quotas.

In 2017 there most definitely were arguments about Scottish players not being included and how it defeats the point of the Lions, and risks ruining the whole things because there should be representation from all nations. There was also a stream a social media posts of Scottish fans editing the logo to remove the thistle and crest. I also recall several Scots turning on Laidlaw's inclusion as a token sympathy inclusion. I guess the difference here is Morgan is arguably the best performing 7. No Scot was in a similar position

Gosh all you Scots and Taffies are insane!

I'd also say when the difference in performance is so marginal, as it is here, erring on the side of inclusion is probably the best thing for the game as a whole

 

[odw26]

In 2017 there most definitely were arguments about Scottish players not being included and how it defeats the point of the Lions, and risks ruining the whole things because there should be representation from all nations. There was also a stream a social media posts of Scottish fans editing the logo to remove the thistle and crest. I also recall several Scots turning on Laidlaw's inclusion as a token sympathy inclusion. I guess the difference here is Morgan is arguably the best performing 7. No Scot was in a similar position

Gosh all you Scots and Taffies are insane!

I'd also say when the difference in performance is so marginal, as it is here, erring on the side of inclusion is probably the best thing for the game as a whole

Those issues which you have raised were not down to representation in the test match squads, but on the Lions tour as a whole as there were some Scots who were omitted from the tour in favour of either underperforming (at the time) Welsh players, or any perceived 50/50 call went in favour of the Welsh when it was felt others were more deserving of a place- Moriarty in favour of Watson, Biggar in favour of Russell, Jonny Gray not touring.

The fact you've highlighted Laidlaw's inclusion as a token gesture proves that point, and it also goes further to show why the form of inclusion that is being suggested is detrimental not only to the tour, but also to the players involved. It would be a case of "I'm here because I'm Scottish and they needed to fill a quota", rather than "I'm here because I've earnt my place as the top performer in my position".

 

[Saintjay]

I think it's interesting people are now claiming there should be representation from all four nations in a Lions test squad. On the 2017 tour, no Scottish players were involved in any one of the three test matchday squads, yet there were no claims then that each nation should be included in a test squad. Now the shoe is on a different foot, all of a sudden there are questions being raised about equal representation.

A Lions tour should be about celebrating the best players the Isles can put forwards, and it would go against that ethos if players were left out of a test squad or even omitted from a tour in order to meet quotas.

You could argue there's representation from at least 7 nations in this squad.

 

[odw26]

You could argue there's representation from at least 7 nations in this squad.

I know right, who would have thought you'd ever see a Filipino rugby player playing for the Lions

 

[Saintjay]

I know right, who would have thought you'd ever see a Filipino rugby player playing for the Lions

Well that's one more than the Welsh that's for sure.

 

[IT157]

Really happy they went with the Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu centre pairing.

 

[TopTen2003]

For anyone who enjoys the Living with the Lions docs, Sky have got a 3 part episode of the 2021 pandemic-hit tour of SA.

So far it’s been pretty good actually

 

[Rugby100]

Since 1899 Wales have had a player in every Lions test match.

The pain of the death of a loved one for me is a 10/10. To me, as a proud Cymru man, the pain of Morgan's omission is 8.5/10

And it's not even a biased national argument.

Facts are from CARRIES to METERS GAINED to ATTACKING RUCKS HIT to TACKLES to MISSED TACKLES to TURNOVERS to DEFENSIVE RUCKS HIT. Every stat (which the Lions staff knew about and looked at) showed Morgan to be playing much better than Curry...........like much better

So for them 2 ignore that ? And STILL omit Morgan in favour of Curry ? That's a sin.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I like Morgan but I'm at the stage where I don't want him to play a single test minute just to see how big the reactions get

 

[Ddanno]

I like Morgan but I'm at the stage where I don't want him to play a single test minute just to see how big the reactions get

MORE CAPS, BIGGER FONTS

 

[AlRums]

British and Irish Lions 2025: Scottish centres ready to roll

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend talks through the threats Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu pose in the British & Irish Lions' first Test in Australia.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[xenosys]

I should be showing the Aussies a lot more respect, but with the players they have missing, this should really be a 20 point win for the Lions. The only players on that Australian team that worry me are McReight and Sua'ali'i.

Rugby matches are never won on paper though, so I suspect it'll be closer to a 8-10 point win, but the Lions have no excuses here.

 

[Hmmmmmm]

Rugby matches are never won on paper though, so I suspect it'll be closer to a 8-10 point win, but the Lions have no excuses here.

If they lose I’m sure they’ll find something

 

[Derpus]

Pete Samu blocked from playing for the Pacifika team? The ****...

 

[Hmmmmmm]

Pete Samu blocked from playing for the Pacifika team? The ****...

Pathetic ain’t it

 

[Derpus]

I thought they wanted stronger squads...