Lions squad named

[Banquo]

I can't get my head around it. Unless Gatland's idea of th test team pre -tour has been ripped up and thus some of the combinations he has tried out are no longer relevant, then its seems a waste.

TBH, I think that's the case - or not so much ripped up, as tinkered with.
Pre-tour, did anyone expect LCD to start the tests? or was he more likely to be bench impact player?
AWJ wasn't available to pair up with Itoje
Faletau did a pretty good job of playing his way out of the starting line-up, and we're all still surprised he's gone with Lawes ahead of Beirne

Surely, everyone expected Murray and Biggar to pair up at half back, it's taken time in South Africa for Price to play his way into the team.
Taking Daly as an OC was always a risk, and may of us are still worried about his defence - I think we can be confident he wouldn't be playing there in the tests if we hadn't had the warm-us
Hogg's self-isolation meant that he missed the first couple of opportunites, and quite honestly, the back 3 slots were always wide-open

Yep, pretty much my response

[Cameo]

Yeah, it's been one positive of the ridiculous circumstances of this tour. It's quite refreshing just to see everyone play without having the feeling everything's been preplanned anyway. Think it also reflects there is not much in it between a lot of the players (mainly in a good way).

[Mr Mwenda]

Mention of the word 'jamboree'. Anyone got bingo yet?

[Mr Mwenda]

Is it neutral refs?

LCD is gonna get done for one of his daisy cutters at some point.

Yep, Nic Berry, Ben O'Keeffe and Mathieu Raynal

The graun reporting that Marius Jonker is TMO. Shades of the very first TMO tests when England got done over there.

[Gloskarlos]

and will be for the entirety of the tests.....

[Mellsblue]

OPTA analysis of the Lions back 3 options:

https://theanalyst.com/eu/2021/07/the-l ... -it-right/

[Sandydragon]

OPTA analysis of the Lions back 3 options:

https://theanalyst.com/eu/2021/07/the-l ... -it-right/

Interesting, and confirms in a way that its horses for courses. With the exception of LRZ, any of the other 5 back 3 players in contention could have been picked and been logical selections.

[Big D]

Fuck sake. Neil Francis has been irrelevant for a while but this is pathetic.

[Gloskarlos]

Is it neutral refs?

LCD is gonna get done for one of his daisy cutters at some point.

Yep, Nic Berry, Ben O'Keeffe and Mathieu Raynal

The graun reporting that Marius Jonker is TMO. Shades of the very first TMO tests when England got done over there.

In this modern day and age why on earth does the TMO have to even be on the same continent?

[Puja]

Yep, Nic Berry, Ben O'Keeffe and Mathieu Raynal

The graun reporting that Marius Jonker is TMO. Shades of the very first TMO tests when England got done over there.

In this modern day and age why on earth does the TMO have to even be on the same continent?

They have enough delays with the TMO physically in the stadium - I don't fancy trying to do it remotely with a Zoom delay.

Surely they could swap in Wayne Barnes for at least one of the tests, given that he's over there? At least for the impression of propriety.

Puja

[Gloskarlos]

If you believe the EE Mr. Bacon adverts where 5G shaving is remotely possible in real time, then with enough forethought in the setup of technology used there should be no additional delays.

Agree on Barnes though, he should at least do one of them.

[p/d]

I’m on a family holiday but have found a pub nearby that is showing it. I’ve absolutely no idea what said pub is like. It could be like the time I watched Eng knock the Aussies out of the 2007 RWC in an Oz bar in Dublin or I could be sat at the bar by myself trying to persuade a perplexed barmaid to join in renditions of Swing Low and Flower of Scotland.

Sort of expected you and your top knot to be at Latitude

[Mellsblue]

I’m on a family holiday but have found a pub nearby that is showing it. I’ve absolutely no idea what said pub is like. It could be like the time I watched Eng knock the Aussies out of the 2007 RWC in an Oz bar in Dublin or I could be sat at the bar by myself trying to persuade a perplexed barmaid to join in renditions of Swing Low and Flower of Scotland.

Sort of expected you and your top knot to be at Latitude

They wouldn’t let me buy a ticket. Something about being too debonaire.

[kk67]

I'm a bit worried about what happens if AWJ's trick shoulder takes an early bang.
CGS moves in at 2nd row and the backrow shuffles to accommodate Hamish but after that.....

[Blandy]

Tadhg Beirne to come on in place of an injured AWJ surely?

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah if anything that’s the strength of the selection, there’s a backup lock reserve without going 6:2.

[kk67]

Ah, yes.
My apologies, I'm always confusing Tadhg with a frontrow player.

[Son of Mathonwy]

If you believe the EE Mr. Bacon adverts where 5G shaving is remotely possible in real time, then with enough forethought in the setup of technology used there should be no additional delays.

Agree on Barnes though, he should at least do one of them.

Agreed on both.

With current tech there's no strong reason for the TMO to be physically present at the match, so he (or she) should always be of neutral nationality. IMO being in a different location would reduce psychological pressure from the home crowd on the TMO's decisions, and so would be a good thing in general.

[kk67]

They have enough delays with the TMO physically in the stadium - I don't fancy trying to do it remotely with a Zoom delay.

Surely they could swap in Wayne Barnes for at least one of the tests, given that he's over there? At least for the impression of propriety.

Puja

Agreed. The TMO needs to be in the stadium.

Missed this as I was laughing at p/d having a dig at Mellsblue's top knot.

[morepork]

My god the possibilities for streakers hijacking the TMO Zoom link are spectacular.

[kk67]

Well, Erica had perky ones.

[kk67]

They were the first pair I ever saw and they were quality.

[Adder]

Squidge rugby new video

[Spiffy]

Squidge rugby new video

I'd say this, as usual, is over larded with hyperanalysis. Many things (perhaps most) in the course of a game are the result of an intuitive act, or a snap decision taken in milliseconds, and not on the deep deliberation and pre planning this bloke would have you think. He sees things that just aren't there e.g. Does he really believe that Daly was intentionally set up as a decoy to be totally clobbered by PSDT so that would remove PSDT from the action for a few moments? Wonder if he's ever played rugby himself?

[jngf]

I am looking forward to see how Qwagga Smith gets on at 8 for boks - not dissimilar tactic to selecting Sam Simmonds there for Lions should that still happen in other tests.