Reds v British and Irish Lions (08/06/13)

[TRF Mr Fish]

The Reds have named a strong team, which is great to see!

Courtesy of Stuff.co.nz

Wallabies outcast Quade Cooper will get one final chance to impress Australia coach Robbie Deans and win a spot in his test squad to face the British and Irish Lions when he lines up for the Queensland Reds against the tourists on Saturday.

The enigmatic Cooper has been on the outer with Deans this year and was not included in his initial 25-man squad for the series, though is seeking one of six additional spots the New Zealand coach will name next Tuesday for the test series.

Shorn of seven other Wallabies for the match at Lang Park, Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie was still able to name a side with ample Super Rugby and international experience for the Lions' second game in Australia.

Hooker James Hanson, prop Greg Holmes, loose forwards Eddie Quirk and Jake Schatz and flyhalf Quade Cooper have all played in all 15 of the Reds' Super Rugby matches this season.

Inside centre Anthony Faingaa has also played more than 20 tests for the Wallabies, including the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

"Our approach was always going to be to field as strong a line-up as possible and I've got every confidence in the group we've chosen to go out and compete against a very talented Lions squad," McKenzie said.

"History suggests that it's a mammoth challenge, but we'll go out there on Saturday with plenty of good intentions and with a commitment to giving a strong account of ourselves across the entire 80 minutes."

Queensland Reds: Ben Lucas, Rod Davies, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Faingaa, Luke Morahan, Quade Cooper, Nick Frisby, Jake Schatz, Beau Robinson, Eddie Quirk, Ed O'Donoghue, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Greg Holmes, James Hanson, Ben Daley. Replacements: Albert Anae, Sam Denny, Jono Owen, Radike Samo, Jarrad Butler, Jono Lance, Mike Harris, Dom Shipperley.

 

[Draggs]

But now our journalists can't ***** about warmup matches and weakened sides.

Based on everybody getting a start, the Lions will probably consist of Jenkins, Youngs, and Stevens up from with Parling and Warburton joining them. Ben Young and possibly Kearney in the backs, otherwise I'd say Hogg.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

The Reds won't have to play again for another week, so they can afford to put out their top team (or close to it). The Force didn't have that luxury (though as a player I'd still rather play against the Lions and risk injury than just have a few extra Super Rugby games so we can try avoid the wooden spoon...).

 

[tenpm]

Yay, I actually recognise most of these names, even when including the replacements!

 

[lynam1104]

Stronest team we've come up against, they have some good players in their ranks but Reds have been on and off a time this season, we could well see the Lions dominate becues the Reds have looked really poor without Genia and Horwill in the past. I think despite that they'll put up a good fight still tipping the Lions though.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Not full strength but a pretty decent line-up none the less. Should be more of a contest even without the likes of Genia, Ioane, Horwill, Gill and co.

 

[big ginger 8]

That's more like it. Should make the match a bit more interesting now.

 

[McTallshort]

Whens the Lions team being announced?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Whens the Lions team being announced?

Later this morning, according to the Lions' facebook page.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

10am they claim ...

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think this is going to be our best chance of losing a match tbh.

Time to get in some maul practice, I'm surprised how little we've used it considering how poor the Australian teams have looked there this season.

 

[SelimNiai]

Lions XV to face the Reds

Hogg
Cuthbert
Tuilagi
Davies
Bowe
Farrell
Youngs

Jenkins
T Youngs
Stevens
Gray
Parling
Lydiate
Warburton
Faletau

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bench:
Replacements
16. Richard Hibbard (Ospreys/Wales)
17. Makovina Vunipola (Saracens/England)
18. Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
19. Paul O'Connell (Munster/Ireland)
20. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys/Wales)
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Ireland)
22. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Ireland)
23. George North (Scarlets/Wales)






Tight 5 is a little weak - could have some troubles at the scrum. Cavalry on the bench, though.
Not a bad side though - hopefully Davies can continue the form he showed vs BaaBaas, and Farrell doesn't have another mare!
Could come down to who-effs-up-the-most Cooper or Farrell :lol:

 

[donmcdazzle]

No Genia, Horwill or Ioane who are all key guys but they should still put up more of a challenge than the Force 'c' team.

 

[dullonien]

Nice to see Jenkins and Warbs fit. From a selfish point of view, I hope they do well.

Not sure about the front five otherwise though. Nothing wrong with Parling, but I don't think the combination with Gray will be a good one, both are better paired with a more direct second row.

Good backrow, but that will be true of any side the Lions puts out.

I'm hoping Ben Youngs puts in a good performance, because I'm not happy at the thought of going into the tests with Phillips and Murray as our half backs.

Rest of the backline is pretty strong tbh. Interested to see how the Tuilagi-Davies combo goes. Davies is a decent support runner, so he could feed off Tuilagi as O'Driscoll did against the Force.

That bench is pretty bloody strong. Switch Murray for Phillips and it'd be insane.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Great opportunity for Stevens to show just how much he doesn't deserve to be in the lions squad.

Good side - the worries being Farrell and the scrum.

 

[Galbraith]

Interesting selection in the centres, does it mean that Gatland was impressed with Tuilagi and Davies individually and wants to see if they work well together for the tests? Or does he want Roberts and BOD time to reignite their 09 form? It will be interesting to see how they go against a decent reds backline with Faingaa who is meant to be an exceptional defender
Would also like Parling to have another good game, he had an excellent cameo against the force, and with noone really being nailed on test starters in the second row it is wide open for someone to take the bull by the horns!
One problem is none of the front row are really renowned scrummagers...

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Looks like the weakest Lions team so far, though the loose forwards are no weaker than the other trios the Lions have put out...

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Looks like the weakest Lions team so far, though the loose forwards are no weaker than the other trios the Lions have put out...

To be honest, it would make sense that only a few of the players lining up on saturday have a chance of startign the 1st test: Bearing in mind that Fatland isn't going to play test starters in the Country XV game, he'll instead put out something close to the test side against the tah's for a 'dress rehearsal' - So it makes sense that the team for the Reds will be mostly those who won't start, but who may bench. The exception is Bowe verus Cuthbert, since one of these two (but not both) will start the 1st test. The bench named for the Reds are at this moment in time, favourites to start apart from Murray and possibly Mako (for whom its up in the air cos of Healy)

Anyway, I think you're right in saying its the weakest lineup so far. If all the things that could go wrong go wrong, the lions will be relying on the bench to 'sort **** out'

I'm actually quite worried about this game, thought I'd bet on that bench to sort out most messy situations!

My worry is there's lots of players there who could be fantastic if they hit form but could be underwhelming if otherwise - I'm thinking of Stevens, Gray, Dare I say it Jenkins(don't hit me dull ) , Farrell...

The other way to see it is that if the players click, we have the potential to really lay down a marker against what is actually a pretty strong Reds team, even without the wallabies. Reading the Green & Gold rugby forums (http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...-lions-v-queensland-reds-8th-june-2013.12801/), the fans seem to agree that the reds are the best shot at a club victory over the lions, as the brumbies side will be more like brumbies diet..

I really hope Parling has a strong game..I think he's one of the most underrated players on the tour with his reading of the game, ball carrying and lineout running. Good leader too.

 

[Ospreylian]

Lions XV to face the Reds

Hogg
Cuthbert
Tuilagi
Davies
Bowe
Farrell
Youngs

Jenkins
T Youngs
Stevens
Gray
Parling
Lydiate
Warburton
Faletau

Don't quite understand why Tom Youngs and Stevens are in the lions squad at all tbh. Would have taken either one of Ross Ford (before he got calf injury) or Ken Owens over Youngs. Ken Owens has been an absolute beast for the Scarlets lately, but I guess the whole bias thing was playing on Gatland's mind perhaps. Oh well, it'll be Hibbard and Best in the test 23 anyway. With Stevens, it seems Gatland wanted to pick a "wild card" but didn't quite pull a good enough one out of the bag. When you go for the wild card selection, you at least should go for someone who is still relevant.

Interested to see how Warburton goes. If he puts in some average performances and Tipuric carries on the way he is, could we see a benched captain for the tests?

Also a big day for Parling. He gets to have a crack at proving his worth against a decent opposition. Being up against POC, AWJ, and Evans for the starting spots is going to be tough for him.