For a bit of fun. [Sure its bound to start another few rows on here - always good for entertainment :lol:]
I'm only going to bother with the test match players.
Alex Corbisiero - Great in the 3rd test, big loss in the 2nd, didn't have quite the expected impact in the first. 8/10
Mako Vunipola - Probably not expected by many to tour, never mind be a test prop, poor scrummaging in the 2nd test showed him to be distant 4th behind Healy/Jenkins/Corbisiero in the pecking order if all were fit. The spirit was willing, showed balls to get back on track half way through the first half of test 2 but ultimately the technique was lacking. 5/10
Tom Youngs - Played well with his skillset, which test 3 showed perhaps wasn't what was best suited to the task at hand. Hit most of the lineouts, but most were conservative calls. 7/10
Richard Hibbard - Like Youngs, more or less did what it says on the tin. Critical to the dominant scrum of test 3, probably should have started all 3 tests. Was off with some lineouts and may shoulder some blame for the end of test 2 - but it was a bit of an unsympathetic call to go for the tail. 7/10
Adam Jones - Great in the scrums, mostly non-existent in the loose. The lions forced up 5 or 6 scrum infringements in test 3, so did what he had to do. 8/10
Dan Cole - Not quite the same scrummager as Jones, but few are. Did his bit, although will be disappointed not to have made a bigger impact off the bench, particularly in test 1. 6/10
Paul O'Connell - The man was immense going into test 1 and more or less delivered in that test too. Was a big loss, more in terms of weakening the bench. 7/10 <based on="" t1="" only="">
Geoff Parling - Stepped into "superman"'s sizeable boots and did a decent job. Better in T3 than T2, but should be proud of his contribution. 7/10
AW Jones - Majestic. Heartbeat of the team. Would be my man of the series. 10/10
Richie Gray - Not on long enough to be rated.
Dan Lydiate - Like, Youngs and Hibbard - Ronseal - did exactly what it says on the tin. Bit of a controversial selection, many, myself included, would have went with O'Brien's ball carrying abilities. But Lydiate let no-one down with his performances. 8/10
Tom Croft - Struggled to make the impact he has with England and Leicester. A lack of good ball carriers in heavy traffic left Croft having to try and carry from closer to the ruck than he'd prefer. 6/10
Justin Tipuric - Not on long enough to be rated
Jamie Heaslip - Did a lot of grunt work in T1 and T2. Faletau offered more in T3. Decent contribution, but could do better. 7/10
Toby Faletau - Good impact in the 3rd test. Still a young man, with a very bright future. Should have at least 2 more tours in him. 8/10
Sam Warburton - Capt. Controversy. So-so first test, superb at the breakdown in 2nd test and his replacement was immense in the 3rd test. Didn't offer enough carrying and linking of backs to forwards. 6/10
Sean O'Brien - Should have played a bigger role in the tour. Contrived with Sexton to miss a tackle on O'Connor for the Aussie try in T3, but otherwise more or less faultless. Offered carrying abilities that the other flankers simply didn't, but also very effective in the rucking, mauling and breakdown. 8/10
Mike Phillips - Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Couldn't be arsed running after Genia 10 mins into the first test and the trend didn't change, couldn't box kick worth 2 f___s all tour and pass was frequently both late and lethargic. Connor Murray looked twice the player when he came on in T3. 4/10
Ben Youngs - Didn't produce on the day. The forwards didn't help either, but Connor Murray again looked significantly more composed and effective in T2. 5/10
Connor Murray - Surprisingly ended up being the best scrum half... by a distance. Speaking as an Irishman, I am hoping he will have learned a lot from Rob Howley. 7/10
Jonny Sexton - Did well in T1 with crap service, not so well in T2 and may or may not have thrown Gattyball out the window about 50 mins into T3 (and got subbed shortly after...). An accomplished, if not quite spectacular performance. Also missed a few tackles, notably on O'Connor in T3 and Folau in T1. 7/10
Owen Farrell - Did little wrong when he came on, but was always a distance 2nd choice to Sexton. Not on long enough for rating.
Jamie Roberts - Crash-bang-wallop. Everyone knew what the MD offered, and by-and-by large, in T3, the MD delivered. Didn't have near the same midfield dominance as 2009, but Gattyball may have been a large part of that. 6/10
Jon Davies - Good T3, effective with (what little) ball coming his way, but the lack of ball is not the centre's fault. So-so T2 (but then, his much more illustrious partner didn't look sparkling either). Should stand to his development. 7/10
Brian O'Driscoll - Not quite the swansong he'd have hoped for. The referee removed his breakdown abilities from the table early on in T1, bit of an indifferent partnership with Davies in T2 and (harshly in the eyes of many, including me) watched from the stand in T3. 5/10
Tuilagi - Didn't get the chance many were hoping for - not on long enough to be rated.
Cuthbert - Good try in T1, but the seemingly persistent questions over his defence meant he watched T2 and T3 from the sidelines. Did contribute well in T1. 7/10
Bowe - Came in (somewhat harshly) for T2 did his defensive duties very well. Never quite made the line breaks in T3 that always threatened. 6/10
North - Big unit. Seriously big unit. Folau asked uncomfortable defensive questions, some of which weren't well answered. But, fantastic try in T1 and made big impacts in all tests. 8/10
Halfpenny - Kicking machine. But not counter-attacking machine (perhaps under orders). Key role in the tour success, unfortunate that his running abilities were probably stymied by Gattyball. 9/10
Any I've missed? Any disagreements?*
*hehehe, "any"... there'll be fekkin loads!!:lol:</based>
I'm only going to bother with the test match players.
Alex Corbisiero - Great in the 3rd test, big loss in the 2nd, didn't have quite the expected impact in the first. 8/10
Mako Vunipola - Probably not expected by many to tour, never mind be a test prop, poor scrummaging in the 2nd test showed him to be distant 4th behind Healy/Jenkins/Corbisiero in the pecking order if all were fit. The spirit was willing, showed balls to get back on track half way through the first half of test 2 but ultimately the technique was lacking. 5/10
Tom Youngs - Played well with his skillset, which test 3 showed perhaps wasn't what was best suited to the task at hand. Hit most of the lineouts, but most were conservative calls. 7/10
Richard Hibbard - Like Youngs, more or less did what it says on the tin. Critical to the dominant scrum of test 3, probably should have started all 3 tests. Was off with some lineouts and may shoulder some blame for the end of test 2 - but it was a bit of an unsympathetic call to go for the tail. 7/10
Adam Jones - Great in the scrums, mostly non-existent in the loose. The lions forced up 5 or 6 scrum infringements in test 3, so did what he had to do. 8/10
Dan Cole - Not quite the same scrummager as Jones, but few are. Did his bit, although will be disappointed not to have made a bigger impact off the bench, particularly in test 1. 6/10
Paul O'Connell - The man was immense going into test 1 and more or less delivered in that test too. Was a big loss, more in terms of weakening the bench. 7/10 <based on="" t1="" only="">
Geoff Parling - Stepped into "superman"'s sizeable boots and did a decent job. Better in T3 than T2, but should be proud of his contribution. 7/10
AW Jones - Majestic. Heartbeat of the team. Would be my man of the series. 10/10
Richie Gray - Not on long enough to be rated.
Dan Lydiate - Like, Youngs and Hibbard - Ronseal - did exactly what it says on the tin. Bit of a controversial selection, many, myself included, would have went with O'Brien's ball carrying abilities. But Lydiate let no-one down with his performances. 8/10
Tom Croft - Struggled to make the impact he has with England and Leicester. A lack of good ball carriers in heavy traffic left Croft having to try and carry from closer to the ruck than he'd prefer. 6/10
Justin Tipuric - Not on long enough to be rated
Jamie Heaslip - Did a lot of grunt work in T1 and T2. Faletau offered more in T3. Decent contribution, but could do better. 7/10
Toby Faletau - Good impact in the 3rd test. Still a young man, with a very bright future. Should have at least 2 more tours in him. 8/10
Sam Warburton - Capt. Controversy. So-so first test, superb at the breakdown in 2nd test and his replacement was immense in the 3rd test. Didn't offer enough carrying and linking of backs to forwards. 6/10
Sean O'Brien - Should have played a bigger role in the tour. Contrived with Sexton to miss a tackle on O'Connor for the Aussie try in T3, but otherwise more or less faultless. Offered carrying abilities that the other flankers simply didn't, but also very effective in the rucking, mauling and breakdown. 8/10
Mike Phillips - Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Couldn't be arsed running after Genia 10 mins into the first test and the trend didn't change, couldn't box kick worth 2 f___s all tour and pass was frequently both late and lethargic. Connor Murray looked twice the player when he came on in T3. 4/10
Ben Youngs - Didn't produce on the day. The forwards didn't help either, but Connor Murray again looked significantly more composed and effective in T2. 5/10
Connor Murray - Surprisingly ended up being the best scrum half... by a distance. Speaking as an Irishman, I am hoping he will have learned a lot from Rob Howley. 7/10
Jonny Sexton - Did well in T1 with crap service, not so well in T2 and may or may not have thrown Gattyball out the window about 50 mins into T3 (and got subbed shortly after...). An accomplished, if not quite spectacular performance. Also missed a few tackles, notably on O'Connor in T3 and Folau in T1. 7/10
Owen Farrell - Did little wrong when he came on, but was always a distance 2nd choice to Sexton. Not on long enough for rating.
Jamie Roberts - Crash-bang-wallop. Everyone knew what the MD offered, and by-and-by large, in T3, the MD delivered. Didn't have near the same midfield dominance as 2009, but Gattyball may have been a large part of that. 6/10
Jon Davies - Good T3, effective with (what little) ball coming his way, but the lack of ball is not the centre's fault. So-so T2 (but then, his much more illustrious partner didn't look sparkling either). Should stand to his development. 7/10
Brian O'Driscoll - Not quite the swansong he'd have hoped for. The referee removed his breakdown abilities from the table early on in T1, bit of an indifferent partnership with Davies in T2 and (harshly in the eyes of many, including me) watched from the stand in T3. 5/10
Tuilagi - Didn't get the chance many were hoping for - not on long enough to be rated.
Cuthbert - Good try in T1, but the seemingly persistent questions over his defence meant he watched T2 and T3 from the sidelines. Did contribute well in T1. 7/10
Bowe - Came in (somewhat harshly) for T2 did his defensive duties very well. Never quite made the line breaks in T3 that always threatened. 6/10
North - Big unit. Seriously big unit. Folau asked uncomfortable defensive questions, some of which weren't well answered. But, fantastic try in T1 and made big impacts in all tests. 8/10
Halfpenny - Kicking machine. But not counter-attacking machine (perhaps under orders). Key role in the tour success, unfortunate that his running abilities were probably stymied by Gattyball. 9/10
Any I've missed? Any disagreements?*
*hehehe, "any"... there'll be fekkin loads!!:lol:</based>
Last edited:
