British and Irish Lions Test decider

[Marnhullman]

Drawn Tests seldom happen but it would be better if there was a winner so:

Assuming there is an uneven number of Tests and if it's one all after the second Test then in the third Test if teams are level at the end of normal time there should be extra time and if teams are level at the end of extra time the side scoring most tries would win if both have the same number of tries the side with most drop kicks would win otherwise there would be a penalty kick elimination of five kicks each with different kickers at increasing distances from the goal posts if both teams are then level it would be sudden death penalty kick from 22m mark by a player that has not previously kicked!

 

[Bada-Bing!]

So it comes down to the 3rd test. Inevitable really. Hope it's not another sodding draw.

Changes for the Lions?

Wyn Jones and George to replace Mako and LCD who drop to the bench.

Not sure what Murray did right. He was slow getting to Rucks (at least two). But Price didn't really improve matters in the second - not really his fault as Lions were going backwards. A place for Davies?

Does he now go for Aki at 12 and Henshaw at 13?

Back 3 has to change. Hogg to drop out completely, along with Watson and Duhan. Replace by all Welsh back 3. LRZ, Williams and Adams.

Bench options. Apart from aforementioned - Sinks to remain, Henderson as lock replacement, Beirne 6 replacement only. Davies, Russell and Daly. Russell probably won't get in and Farrell likely stay again.

But it's just switching personnel for Gatland. Play his Gatlandball much much better and score a couple of tries.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Lions missed having a bench with energy.
Bernie and Watson can both up the tempo.

If Gatland is worried about the SA large pack late on then go with a 6:2 split not like he's using the backs anyway.
Henderson, Bernie and Watson bench for me. I would be tempted to start Watson at 7, Curry been very good though.

Price, Williams and Adams really should start.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

1 Wyn Jones
2 George
3 Furlong
4 Itoje
5 Henderson
6 Beirne
7 Curry
8 Conan
9 Price
10 Russell
11 Adams
12 Aki
13 Henshaw
14 LRZ
15 Williams

16 Kelleher
17 Vunipola
18 Sinckler
19 Beard
20 Lawes
21 Watson
22 Davies
23 Biggar

Tactics: don't kick the ball away and switch to a Russell-Biggar axis for the last 30 minutes if chasing. Untested but it's a big roll of the dice

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Given there is little between many if the player options fir the lions, the advantage if bringing in fresh players must be enough to make some changes, especially in the firwards.

so start faletau, beirne, watson, curry on bench even though he was the lions best. Awj goes to bench (because they wont drop him conpletely) and comes on as captain to replace the starting captain henderson.

in the backs they wont be as tired so it would make sense to stick with the current combos to give then time together (LOL! as if they are building combos by kicking it all the time). Bring in adams, williams, LRZ. Bring in marcus smith with russell on the bench, actually no start russell because hes less likely to pay attention to the game plan. Bring in aki for harris because if you arent going to bother playing rugby you might as well have some brute force.

i said it was a travesty that nyakane was selected at loosehead instead if his preferred position . Turns out hes da biss at loosehead too. Boks shoild start nyakane and koch (assuming nche is still injured, otherwise nche starts with nyakane, kirschoff and kock on th reserves). Is lood ready for a start?

 

[BenniMarco]

Given there is little between many if the player options fir the lions, the advantage if bringing in fresh players must be enough to make some changes, especially in the firwards.

so start faletau, beirne, watson, curry on bench even though he was the lions best. Awj goes to bench (because they wont drop him conpletely) and comes on as captain to replace the starting captain henderson.

in the backs they wont be as tired so it would make sense to stick with the current combos to give then time together (LOL! as if they are building combos by kicking it all the time). Bring in adams, williams, LRZ. Bring in marcus smith with russell on the bench, actually no start russell because hes less likely to pay attention to the game plan. Bring in aki for harris because if you arent going to bother playing rugby you might as well have some brute force.

i said it was a travesty that nyakane was selected at loosehead instead if his preferred position . Turns out hes da biss at loosehead too. Boks shoild start nyakane and koch (assuming nche is still injured, otherwise nche starts with nyakane, kirschoff and kock on th reserves). Is lood ready for a start?

Nah AWJ has to start or not be in there at all. You need proper impact from subs and it's too half assed to have him on the bench. Imo, needs to be out of the 23 but unlikely to happen

That bench was awful yesterday and I could see it happen when I saw how the game was going. The game had become too physical for the likes of Farrell and Daly not to look like awful replacements. Farrell at 12 would have been more interesting though.

Depends how much freshening up you need. If so there's a case for Faletau at 8 but don't see why on form he'd come in otherwise for a better Conan.

Not sure what LRZ brings by bringing him in. The game doesn't seem open enough for him, I wouldn't have him near the 23. Williams and Adams 100% come in and I'd keep Watson of the other 3 while VDM goes based on being the worst option and not offering versatility I'm position. Watson tends to bring class, I'd keep him in despite being not so good yesterday. He was still the best of the 3 for me.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

We just better tactics. Kicking the ball all day long won't win a game against the boks who have such a great aggressive defence. We've didn't seem to have any plan B last week so really need an improvement from his week. Not sure who I'd change out to be honest but changes need to happen.

 

[Reiser99]

These threads make me feel like I'm in an England thread. Is it the players or the tactics, or both? Kicking too much and not playing attacking rugby. Hell, all Gatland needs to do is select a few more players out of position and he'll actually be EJ.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

Where does the kicking even come from?

It's not Warrenball. Warrenball is crashball continuously. The kicking obsession was never used by Gatland's Wales. It's an invented game type that doesn't seem to be working

 

[retired9]

Where does the kicking even come from?

It's not Warrenball. Warrenball is crashball continuously. The kicking obsession was never used by Gatland's Wales. It's an invented game type that doesn't seem to be working

It's not really Toonies style either, who knows where it has appeared from.

Price/Russell/Biggar/Henshaw anyone?

 

[General Melchett]

It's not really Toonies style either, who knows where it has appeared from.

Price/Russell/Biggar/Henshaw anyone?

I suspect that Gatland has decided that Murray and Biggar are his 9/10 and the kicking is the only option because they can't do much else offensively. Murray box kicks and Biggar does a few up and unders and that's it.

 

[General Melchett]

Are the teams due to be confirmed tomorrow? We might get another Times leak tonight. I guess Sinkcler will still be named on the bench and would drop out if he gets banned after tomorrow's hearing assuming it's after 10am.

 

[WaterboySA]

I think the Lions kicking worked better than the Boks.....lots of times we could not take the ball cleanly, where as the Lions back 3 took more balls directly. I think the Sharks 15 should come in, and we need a new wing in Kolbe's place. Someone that can actually compete legally for high balls.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

The Boks have found their groove a bit after shaking off the rust. We know that more of the same is coming, so….

We need a pack that can cope with theirs and their bench - lose that battle and it's game over. De Jäger may play a bigger part and we might also see a cameo from Vermuelen. To be honest I'm just not sure that we have that kind of firepower. One option might be to load the pack with our biggest / best line out jumpers and try to attack them that way, but that's a gamble and would bring major trade offs elsewhere. We're already part way there with Lawes and AWJ couldn't be part of that.

Williams at FB will help to shore things up. I think Watson just had a bad day at the office while McVan der Merwe has been exposed and Adams is the obvious replacement.

You can make arguments for change in every single unit, possibly bar centre where we seem to have landed on the least bad option.

Our other big question is how we want to play. While we need to get as close to parity up front as possible, getting sucked in to an arm wrestle or a kick fest will probably only end up one way. I think we have to show a bit more ambition without being silly about it (I've read that Biggar only passed the ball 3 times on Sat). That means that Russell (or Smith) must at least be on the bench.

The selection meeting's going to be lively. Unfortunately though I think all the momentum's with the Boks.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It's not really Toonies style either, who knows where it has appeared from.

Price/Russell/Biggar/Henshaw anyone?

I can just imagine Eddie in the corner sniggering away thinking "nobody is going to get England players playing anything except how I want". Secretly he has been passing notes between the Lions coaches saying:

"Lions tactics:
1 - Get ball
2 - Kick ball
3 - ?????
4 - SCORE!"

 

[TobesHodges]

Will gatland have the big balls to unleash the weapon on Saturday.. I hope so.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Will gatland have the big balls to unleash the weapon on Saturday.. I hope so.

View attachment 11873

A cone?
I don't think they work as kicking tees outside of school personally.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

There will, inevitably, be changes to the 23 for this weekend but unless Gatland stands down and lets Townsend have full reign then it'll be the same performance (I think the Lions will lose regardless, but we might actually play some ball with Townsend in charge)

We can say the backs/attack play don't look like Townsends but Gatland is the head honcho and has surrounded himself with his lads - if Townsend says "Hey how about we run a backs move?" he's got Gatland lifers saying "No we should absolutely not do that"


Edit:




Daly and Harris both made 0m in the two tests, as well

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

There will, inevitably, be changes to the 23 for this weekend but unless Gatland stands down and lets Townsend have full reign then it'll be the same performance (I think the Lions will lose regardless, but we might actually play some ball with Townsend in charge)

We can say the backs/attack play don't look like Townsends but Gatland is the head honcho and has surrounded himself with his lads - if Townsend says "Hey how about we run a backs move?" he's got Gatland lifers saying "No we should absolutely not do that"


Edit:




Daly and Harris both made 0m in the two tests, as well

Whilst neither have exactly been good, to be fair to both they have been on the end of some very poor, slow passing with nobody fixing the defence and SA clearly aim to target the 13 channel with a hard hit as they receive the ball. The Lions keep walking right into it and expecting the 13 to somehow make ground when the entire SA defence has lined up with the primary intention of smashing them behind the gain line. Can't really think of a time in the tests where the 13 hasn't been hit the second they have caught the ball. Neither Daly nor Harris are exactly the players you want to take a hit and still make ground.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, I wasn't slagging them off or anything - just mad that a lions backline, supposedly the amalgamation of the best players from 40% of the top 10 sides in the world, can't engineer a half break for their outside centre in 160mins of rugby

It's a black mark against the coaching not the players