v Blues

[Mikey Brown]

S. HOGG is actually very good at creating space for other players.

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He should be creating a space in the squad for another player. Did you see that duff pass he did? Awful. Really killed our chances on this tour.

[OptimisticJock]

[bruce]

Fear not, Davies will be at 13 on Saturday......

Jon Davies outside Te'o I reckon. You can't accuse Gatland of not committing to his game plan.

Haha. Yep.

Foxy has been in sparkling form for Scarlets, we'll see if he can transfer that under Gats/Howler.

[WaspInWales]

Lions by 1. 23-22.

Just a converted try away from the correct score and result.

Small margins.

Perhaps this tour isn't such a waste afterall?

[Stom]

Jon Davies outside Te'o I reckon. You can't accuse Gatland of not committing to his game plan.

Haha. Yep.

Foxy has been in sparkling form for Scarlets, we'll see if he can transfer that under Gats/Howler.

He's also a player who lives up to the NZ assertation NH players lack basic handling skills...

[Mellsblue]

Jon Davies outside Te'o I reckon. You can't accuse Gatland of not committing to his game plan.

Haha. Yep.

Foxy has been in sparkling form for Scarlets, we'll see if he can transfer that under Gats/Howler.

Nowell's been superb for Exeter.....

[Mikey Brown]

Haha. Yep.

Foxy has been in sparkling form for Scarlets, we'll see if he can transfer that under Gats/Howler.

Nowell's been superb for Exeter.....

Still gets absolutely humiliated in defence at least once a game. Even on his good days. Nowell gets done through lack of pace and technique, Ashton often gets done because he's a massive whimp, but the end result is basically the same.

[morepork]

Poor old Halfpenny is just busted isn't he. Absolutely nothing. Ditto Haskell.

[Mellsblue]

Foxy has been in sparkling form for Scarlets, we'll see if he can transfer that under Gats/Howler.

Nowell's been superb for Exeter.....

Still gets absolutely humiliated in defence at least once a game. Even on his good days. Nowell gets done through lack of pace and technique, Ashton often gets done because he's a massive whimp, but the end result is basically the same.

Yep. Being a quality club player is no guarantee of international quality.

[Len]

Just seen the highlights. Was that Halfpenny Ihaia embarrassed on the way to the line? Can't imagine Sexton or Biggar finishing that try. Lovely that was.

[Puja]

I was having this thought about selections earlier and wanted to see what the brain trust thought. Gatland's been picking some very well shuffled sides for his first games, which I'm sure is lovely in terms of team bonding, but surely isn't particularly good for cohesion and momentum.

Wouldn't it have made more sense to pick a Saracens-heavy XV for one game, an Ireland-heavy XV for another, a Welsh-heavy side to lose the third, etc. You'd get less blending, but you'd also have Murray and Sexton playing together or Mako, George, Itoje and Kruis hunting as a pack, rather than people looking slightly lost at what the others are doing.

Given Gatland, it might still have been a disaster, but I can't help but feel it might've been resulted in a more auspicious start to the series.

Puja

[morepork]

It will make eff all difference if the coach is hell bent on sticking to a negative, spoiling game plan.

[Renniks]

So, based on what we've seen, without the option of calling up replacements (or a new coach, sadly)
Who would be people's 23 for the next match if we weren't doing this strange “everyone starts” thing?

I think I'd be going for something like:

McGrath, George, Furlong
Lawes, Itoje,
Stander, Tipuric, Faletau
Murray, Farrell,
Williams, Te'o, Joseph, Watson, Hogg

Owens, Mako, Sinckler, Kruis, Moriarty, Webb, Sexton, Daly


But a lot of those choices don't fill me with happiness right now!

[I R Geech]

The only vaguely reassuring thing I can think of right now is that the person who is performing the absolute worst in what is so far a shower of shite is a Kiwi, so they aren't all brilliant.
Although they did have the sense to hand him a passport and let him go and coach elsewhere, so really the buggers got that right too.

Fucksocks.

[Stom]

So, based on what we've seen, without the option of calling up replacements (or a new coach, sadly)
Who would be people's 23 for the next match if we weren't doing this strange “everyone starts” thing?

I think I'd be going for something like:

McGrath, George, Furlong
Lawes, Itoje,
Stander, Tipuric, Faletau
Murray, Farrell,
Williams, Te'o, Joseph, Watson, Hogg

Owens, Mako, Sinckler, Kruis, Moriarty, Webb, Sexton, Daly


But a lot of those choices don't fill me with happiness right now!

I would love to see:

Mako
George
Furlong
Itoje
Kruis
Stander
Warburton
Faletau
Murray
Farrell
North
Henshaw
Joseph
Daly
Hogg

Best, Marler, Sinckler, Henderson, Tipuric, Webb, Sexton, LWilliams

[MrK]

So, based on what we've seen, without the option of calling up replacements (or a new coach, sadly)
Who would be people's 23 for the next match if we weren't doing this strange “everyone starts” thing?

I think I'd be going for something like:

McGrath, George, Furlong
Lawes, Itoje,
Stander, Tipuric, Faletau
Murray, Farrell,
Williams, Te'o, Joseph, Watson, Hogg

Owens, Mako, Sinckler, Kruis, Moriarty, Webb, Sexton, Daly


But a lot of those choices don't fill me with happiness right now!

I would love to see:

Mako
George
Furlong
Itoje
Kruis
Stander
Warburton
Faletau
Murray
Farrell
North
Henshaw
Joseph
Daly
Hogg

Best, Marler, Sinckler, Henderson, Tipuric, Webb, Sexton, LWilliams

Mcgrath, Owens, Furlong
Itoje, Kruis
Stander, Warburton (Though Id pick Tipuric), Faletau
Murray, Farrell
Teo, Davies
North, Daly, Hogg.

B: George, Vunipola, Sinkler, Lawes, Tipuric/Obrien, Webb, Sexton, WIlliams

[Puja]

Why are people not going Warburton at 6 and Tipuric at 7? Seems like the obvious call to me.

Puja

[Numbers]

The only vaguely reassuring thing I can think of right now is that the person who is performing the absolute worst in what is so far a shower of shite is a Kiwi, so they aren't all brilliant.
Although they did have the sense to hand him a passport and let him go and coach elsewhere, so really the buggers got that right too.

Fucksocks.

Mate the team have been in the country for 1 week, the same amount of time the full squad have had together, I'm not sure what you are expecting really against a team who have been together all season long.

Despite those facts we almost won the match, I'm not bothered by the provincial games really although obviously it's good for confidence to win as many as possible, this is about the tests so we won't see anything like a full strength side until then. The squad will have had a decent amount of time together and be ripe for criticism if justified.

[Numbers]

Why are people not going Warburton at 6 and Tipuric at 7? Seems like the obvious call to me.

Puja

I think most likely due to Standers ball carrying, an area where we are somewhat underpowered.

[Puja]

Why are people not going Warburton at 6 and Tipuric at 7? Seems like the obvious call to me.

Puja

I think most likely due to Standers ball carrying, an area where we are somewhat underpowered.

With Mako, Itoje, Faletau, Furlong, etc is there a massive need for our 6 to be a big carrie... Sorry, just remembered who the coach is. Never mind, carry on.

Puja

[Numbers]

Why are people not going Warburton at 6 and Tipuric at 7? Seems like the obvious call to me.

Puja

I think most likely due to Standers ball carrying, an area where we are somewhat underpowered.

With Mako, Itoje, Faletau, Furlong, etc is there a massive need for our 6 to be a big carrie... Sorry, just remembered who the coach is. Never mind, carry on.

Puja

So which of those has provided big carries in the opening two games?

The two most effective carriers so far would be Moriarty and Stander who not on your list, also Mako is unlikely to start in the tests and is arguably the biggest carrier of those you listed.

[morepork]

Chaps....you aren't going to win by selecting players to run into people. Faletau is smart and skillful, Tipiruc can link....there are other playing options out there. and stop kicking it away.

[Numbers]

Chaps....you aren't going to win by selecting players to run into people. Faletau is smart and skillful, Tipiruc can link....there are other playing options out there. and stop kicking it away.

I very much doubt we'll win any of the tests, carriers are required if we are to get any front foot ball, it's not a case of running into players so much as winning the gainline or not getting smashed backwards.

[Puja]

I think most likely due to Standers ball carrying, an area where we are somewhat underpowered.

With Mako, Itoje, Faletau, Furlong, etc is there a massive need for our 6 to be a big carrie... Sorry, just remembered who the coach is. Never mind, carry on.

Puja

So which of those has provided big carries in the opening two games?

The two most effective carriers so far would be Moriarty and Stander who not on your list, also Mako is unlikely to start in the tests and is arguably the biggest carrier of those you listed.

Who are you having ahead of Mako, out of interest?

Puja

[Mr Mwenda]

So not worth hunting down a full match replay then?