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

[TRF_Cymro]

22nd June, 20:00 (Local) and 11:00 (BST)
Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia​

 

[dullonien]

Wooooooooo!

 

[munstermuffin]

Australia: B Barnes (NSW Waratahs); I Folau (NSW Waratahs), A Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), C Lealiifano (Brumbies), D Ioane (Queensland Reds); J O'Connor (Melbourne Rebels), W Genia (Queensland Reds); B Robinson (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Brumbies), B Alexander (Brumbies), K Douglas (NSW Waratahs), J Horwill (Queensland Reds, capt), B Mowen (Brumbies), M Hooper (NSW Waratahs), W Palu (NSW Waratahs).
Replacements: S Fainga'a (Queensland Reds), J Slipper (Queensland Reds), S Kepu (NSW Waratahs), R Simmons (Queensland Reds), L Gill (Queensland Reds), N Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), P McCabe (Brumbies), K Beale (Melbourne Rebels).

 

[jcahill1]

No Seany, I'm so annoyed

 

[webbyinjapan]

The Lions Team for the First test

Just saw this on the Beeb,,,, Mmm some surprises I think.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22977651

 

[lynam1104]

Finally here, both teams are quality really looking forwards to some great rugby over the next few weeks.

 

[j'nuh]

From the BBC:

Lions v Australia: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jonathan Davies (Wales), George North (Wales), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales); Alex Corbisiero (England), Tom Youngs (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Tom Croft (England), Sam Warburton (Wales, capt), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).
Replacements: Richard Hibbard (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Dan Cole (England), Geoff Parling (England), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Ben Youngs (England), Owen Farrell (England), Sean Maitland (Scotland).

****. 4 years of "the all-Welsh front row" is now going to turn into "the all-Welsh back 3".

I think it's shrewd thinking bringing Corbisiero ahead of Vunipola. Hammer home the scrum advantage whilst Adam Jones is also on the pitch and then bring Vunipola/Hibbard/Cole on for the physicality in the loose as the teams tire.

After the 6N, who'd've thought England would provide 4/6 of the front row?

Anyway, reasonably happy with the squad. Looking forward to the test!

 

[Draggs]

Youngs over Hibbard is a tough call. Dicky adds a bit more in the scrum and in physicality.

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

Happy with the team, I would have given Mako the start given his play over the tour games so far but hope he can make big impact off the bench.

 

[smartcooky]

Gee this is a hard one to pick as there are so many unknowns. The Brumbies win over the dirt-trackers, while great for the Brumbies, has zero impact for the weekend match. It hasn't come into my thinking at all

1. I have doubts about JOC at 10 for Aussie... I mean seriously, Berrick Barnes is their best 10 and JOC is their best fullback, so why play the two of them out of position?

2. I expect the Lions to have the better of both the front row and loose forward battles. with the Wallabies having the advantage in the midfield and outside backs

3. To me, that Wallaby bench looks a bit stronger.

I'm going to have to go for the Lions here, purely because they have had a few weeks to get combinations going, whereas this is the Wallabies first hit out of the season.

Lions by 5

 

[munstermuffin]

I must say I don't like the Lions team. I've feeling Oz could do us in

 

[Bluemoon]

I think choosing Corbisiero is a brave move. I really wonder how much of a edge we will have in the scrum and I'm sure we won't know until game day.

I am more worried about the back cover on the lions bench. One injury to a centre or winger and the cover isn't emphatic at all. The thought of Owen Farrell at centre worries me to death. I'd like to think that they'd consider moving north to 13 and put Matiland on the wing before they did that, becuase the Aus backline would ruin us with Farrell at 12.

If the game is close after 60, I'd lean towards an Aus win.

 

[Veal]

That "scrum advantage" may just dissolve before your eyes…..it is a long time since the Australian front row has been pushed around. The dark days of the marshmallow pack are over 6 years ago. The front row are not mugs – Stephen Moore (76 caps) and Benn Robinson (56 caps) in particular don’t give a lot of ground.....my Kiwi and Bokkie colleagues will attest to that from the last few years in the tri-nations…..Ben Alexander (48 caps) has improved his scrummaging under Jake White’s tutelage and his work around the park and with ball in hand is top rate.</SPAN></SPAN>
The selection of Kane Douglas 6’8”,125 kgs alongside Horwill and Ben Mowen 6’5” ,114 kgs at no.6 and Wycliff Palu 6’5” 120 kgs (no.8) has set any size or weight advantage for the Lions to insignificant, if at all. Mowen also runs a good lineout…again thanks to Jake White.</SPAN></SPAN>

I’d still concede the Lions deserve favouritism - great team in good form but the forward battle will be titanic, not one-sided…..…..Bring it on !!!</SPAN></SPAN>

 

[ratsapprentice]

Cuthbert is going to have a long day at the office.

 

[smartcooky]

....it is a long time since the Australian front row has been pushed around. The dark days of the marshmallow pack are over 6 years ago.

Six years? Really?

I think your memory isn't what it should be...

England absolutely demolishing the Wallaby scrum in 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uynys0SY1Q


Wales dismantling the Wallaby scrum in later in 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLVVx_qprUA


And who could forget the scrum problems that the Irish gave the Wallabies at the RWC in 2011

 

[Peat]

I'd have had Faletau and not Lydiate on the bench. More versatile, more impact off the bench, better form, and a player who really concedes barely anything to Lydiate as a defensive player. If anything. He's a better jackal. His missed tackle count is probably actually better.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Six years? Really?

I think your memory isn't what it should be...

England absolutely demolishing the Wallaby scrum in 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uynys0SY1Q


Wales dismantling the Wallaby scrum in later in 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLVVx_qprUA


And who could forget the scrum problems that the Irish gave the Wallabies at the RWC in 2011

Or here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANaUQcOwkOE (go to 0:58)

 

[HenryChinaski]

Veal.. you make some very good points. I'd say though, that few of us on here still believe the Aussie pack is 'marshmallowy' . In terms of scrum advantage, it's more a case of what a very good tighthead prop can do, to anyone. The home nations typify this - Wales shafted England in the 2013 six nations, France gave Wales some trouble there, the previous year England took Ireland apart... Most of this was down to excellent tighthead performances...Jones for Wales, Cole for England, Mas for France. I agree though, the wallabies will be competitive at least.

For me there's just a couple of tough calls... Lydiate over the others must have been enormously tough a call to make... it seems a big big call to leave O'Brien out of that side, I can only think that SOB didn't exactly cover himself in glory in the Brumbies match. The other for me is Maitland over Zebo... no doubt for me there that Zebo has looked the better player so far, I can only think that Maitland is there for his experience of playing the australian franchises?

Draggs I only what you mean about Hibbards physicality, but Youngs is pretty damm physical too in his own way. He's built like a barrel with a low centre of gravity... look at him here, small example I know,

GIFSoup

Really gives them some trouble here, and this is Will Skelton we're talking about... really strong leg drive I think is the key to his power.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Apart from Corbisiero it's what I expected. I don't like the bench though, Lydiate is the last player I'd have on the bench, the other three are better options off the bench in my opinion bringing more to the team. I'd also have Zebo on the bench ahead of Maitland, Maitland hasn't had much of an impact when he started or came off the bench whereas Zebo played very well against the 'Tahs and had an impact off the bench vs the Brumbies.

 

[nealn]

I really don't want to wait two more days for this! Reckon its too close to call... Lions need to get off to a good start I think. Reckon if it's close after 50-60 mins the Wallabies will take it.