First Test: Australia vs. British and Irish Lions (22/06/13)

[psychic duck]

Robshaw played 7 for quins (and statiscally you can;t fault his number 7 ability as he has not done to badly)
Wood played 7 for saints at times.

When has lydiate played 7 for wales? or dragons?

when has Heaslip played 7 or 6?
or Croft played 7 or 8

at the highest LEVEL

Lydiate has actually started with the 7 jersey for Wales before. He was still a 6 in the 7 jersey though (like Robshaw or Kelly Brown), so it doesn't really prove anything. He won man of the match in the game in question by the way.

And for the record, I actually agree with Peat about having more versatile bench options. But disagree that having a quality player Lydiate is an absolute disaster.

And as BG8 says, rugby is not a one on one sport. The entire team especially in the loose forwards have a responsibility at the breakdown. Japan recently turned Wales over several times with the all the forwards from 5-8 all winning turnovers.

 

[Johnny Boy]

so whats your argument? im confused.

You said "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."

when i said nobody in the side is a recognized 7 other than Warburton, and i questioned Gatlands picking lydiate as he can only play 6. Croft can't play 7,8 heaslip never played 7.

So what is your argument????

I never said anything of the sort, I ain't got an argument !! You're going on about Wood and Robshaw and they ain't even with the Lion's and you seem to have a problem with Lydiate because he wears a zebra scrum cap.

 

[mstar]

I never said anything of the sort, I ain't got an argument !! You're going on about Wood and Robshaw and they ain't even with the Lion's and you seem to have a problem with Lydiate because he wears a zebra scrum cap.

because you said "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."
i was making the point they can actually play as 7. Lydiate/croft/heaslip cannot as peat said

 

[SuperEagle]

The team is the best available to the Lions. Gatland has obviously got a lot of faith in his "Plan A" because he's selected a bench to "see out" the game rather than to change it.

Will be a fascinating contrast of styles. I only hope that Warburton turns up and that JD doesn't have another "brainfreeze" match.

Lions to win by 10-15

 

[mstar]

thats why i am worried Gatland is putting so much faith in Warburton turning up and being competitive at the breakdown that we have no other cover if he has a poor game/dominated by hooper/has a injury. Thats what worrys me. He is putting all his eggs in one basket that warburton will do the business. There is no plan B.

 

[Saintjay]

If Aus get the ball with decent support. I think they will run at Cuthbert all day.

I'm working tomo morning so hope you guys have a good one and get a cracker of a game. I' ll predict Lions by 12 points.

 

[Jockstap]

Not to worry, if Warburton goes down O'Connell can go to 7 as, behind Tipuric, he's won the most turnover ball on tour(and he's only started two games).

As I's a numbers man, some really good stats here - http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/blog...tlands-test-selection-and-what-the-stats-say/

Tipuric really should be starting and we can see why Heaslip was picked ahead of Toby, also why O'Brien's probably not in the 23 as he's a penalty machine.

 

[SelimNiai]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_2BSA4I6ePs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>.

Swann's Welsh accent sounds very "haway the lads" like. Otherwise its very funny.

 

[psychic duck]

because you said "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."
i was making the point they can actually play as 7. Lydiate/croft/heaslip cannot as peat said

Robshaw is a 6 in a 7 shirt. The fact he has played there quite often doesn't change this. His skills are those of a 6, much like it was when Lydiate played 7 for Wales. Robshaw is not a "fetcher" in the same way as Dave Seymour just because he wears the jersey a few times.

England aren't the only sides to not play a genuine 7. Italy have played a number 8 in Barbieri there. Scotland are playing Dave Denton there this weekend, and have previously played a 6 in Kelly Brown there. France don't even have the same concept and just simply play two flankers.

 

[Johnny Boy]

because you said "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."
i was making the point they can actually play as 7. Lydiate/croft/heaslip cannot as peat said

Are you mentally challenged or what...............I didn't say "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."

Like I said Wood and Robshaw are not on the tour so what they can or cannot do is irrelavant !!"

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Are you mentally challenged or what...............I didn't say "it would be no different to what England do nearly every match."

Like I said Wood and Robshaw are not on the tour so what they can or cannot do is irrelavant !!"

You two have outdone yourself. Mstar was actually responding to what duck said but he thought it was you, for whatever reason, so has been directing his comments to you. You silly boysss

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_2BSA4I6ePs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>.

Swann's Welsh accent sounds very "haway the lads" like. Otherwise its very funny.

Very good

 

[big ginger 8]

Bit more of an Aussie perspective. Think the Brumbies game is being read into a bit much.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/preview-wallabies-v-british-irish-lions-first-test/

 

[McTallshort]

Of all the things people talk crap about in rugby, the backrow has to be the biggest, with the "fetcher" role being one of the most over used and pointless angles being mentioned.

A backrow is a simple thing: Biggest one is 8, most psychopathic one is normally 6 and the little pain in the arse plays 7. Everything else is a nonsense.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Oh look, Tallshort pretending that the Aussie style of openside doesn't exist again...

 

[dullonien]

Of all the things people talk crap about in rugby, the backrow has to be the biggest, with the "fetcher" role being one of the most over used and pointless angles being mentioned.

1. Defenses are on top in modern rugby.
2. Turnover ball is the best ball to attack from.
3. Having an out and out fetcher in your team increases the likelyhood of turnover ball.
4. The openside is the player best suited to fulfilling this role, because it fits in well with the rest of his duties.

Whilst this isn't the only option, it's one which fits modern rugby like a glove, and is a reason why the openside flanker has lately become one of the most important, and talked about positions in rugby.

 

[McTallshort]

Im not pretending anything, I just wish everyone would stop obsessing about it, its almost like the entire Aussie pack is going to stand at the half way line and say to the 7 "fetch boy" and the entire Lions pack are just going to stand there saying "oh no we havnt got one of those lets just hand the ball over!
oh wait Sam's playing 7,
are yes but hes off injured.
Well whos replaced him?
Dan's on,
OK Dan go and get the ball off that fetcher.
No way bud I only tackle wheres Tom?
on the wing where he normally is.
Well were buggered then
No its OK Coles nicked it.

 

[psychic duck]

1. Defenses are on top in modern rugby.
2. Turnover ball is the best ball to attack from.
3. Having an out and out fetcher in your team increases the likelyhood of turnover ball.
4. The openside is the player best suited to fulfilling this role, because it fits in well with the rest of his duties.

Whilst this isn't the only option, it's one which fits modern rugby like a glove, and is a reason why the openside flanker has lately become one of the most important, and talked about positions in rugby.

There's no right or wrong thing to do. It is about balance throughout the side. Wales did well with Martyn Williams at 7, but when he was out it was far more effective to play a good 6 there in Charvis or Dafydd Jones than an average 7 in Sowden-Taylor.

 

[dullonien]

There's no right or wrong thing to do. It is about balance throughout the side. Wales did well with Martyn Williams at 7, but when he was out it was far more effective to play a good 6 there in Charvis or Dafydd Jones than an average 7 in Sowden-Taylor.

Don't get me started on 'balance'. I'm sure everyone's bored of hearing me banging on about it by now.

 

[Amiga500]

We're completely f**ked tomorrow morning. I cannot for the life of me see how we are going to win this match now.

A wannabe winger at 6 that couldn't blow through a ruck if his life depended on it and an out-of-form 7 who never was the greatest runner/link player to begin with. A serious to the point of unfair amount of ruck work will have to be done by firstly Tom Youngs, then later Dan Cole later in the game. Cian Healy will be sorely missed tomorrow.

Then we've a 1-D tacklebag killer on the bench to make a negative impact (except around Aussie ankles). With Hooper likely to beat Warburton to the ground ball every time, Lydiates singule tackle-round-the-ankles trick will become utterly ineffective.

Tipuric and O'Brien should feel hard done by. Very hard done by.


[With all our hookers having throwing yips - the ball will go mostly front/middle leaving the tail option as an irrelevance - an option which Heaslip could have provided anyway.]



The match will go something like:
0-50 mins: ***-for-tat, Australia maybe 0-5 points ahead
50-80 mins: They put Gill on for Palu - use quick ball to isolate Cuthbert 1v1 - then run away with it. Australia by 20+ pts.



<You might be able to sense that I am annoyed. Very, very annoyed.>