RugbyRebels

Oh dear.

What happened to Japan? They’re… not very good.

Not playing for over a year makes it tough to be cohesive I guess.

He is quick to call a maul in the tackle. Knee on the ground, no?

Lol. Heaslip really does seem to hate every single player who isn't Irish, none quite as much as Van der Merwe.

Biggar good, most of them OK and Murray and Faletau poor.

Cobwebs blown off and a win but plenty to work on as is expected really.

Mikey Brown wrote:Lol. Heaslip really does seem to hate every single player who isn't Irish, none quite as much as Van der Merwe.

He isn't a good commentator.

Proud the English players could come on and help build the penalty count

Got to love Japanese halfbacks. Just get on with it. No flappy arms and all action.

Can we give Farrell a hot water bottle and a blanky for the bench now?

Gutted for AWJ.

Wow. Didn’t realise he was officially out. Didn’t look good at all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57623557

Ryan ahead of Gray I’d assume.

Please Gatland - don't appoint Farrell captain. That would mean he'd be in the test team.

Jeez Jamie George was brutal, would you not get yourself fit heading into a lions tour

Had himeno and the 21 started it would have been a lot tougher

Hard luck to awj

Josh Adams is a fantastic player

Navidi and Beard in for Tipuric and Jones.

Murray captain.

Did not see the Murray call coming

Big D wrote:Navidi and Beard in for Tipuric and Jones.

Murray captain.

Murray will be fine.

Did not predict those two subs with players like Underwood, Ritchie, van der Flier, Ryan and Gray around. Must have been a close decision.

Spiffy wrote:

Big D wrote:Navidi and Beard in for Tipuric and Jones.

Murray captain.

Murray will be fine.

Did not predict those two subs with players like Underwood, Ritchie, van der Flier, Ryan and Gray around. Must have been a close decision.

Yeah I don't get any of that. I'm sure Murray will be solid enough but doesn't seem like the obvious call to me.

Spiffy wrote:

Big D wrote:Navidi and Beard in for Tipuric and Jones.

Murray captain.

Murray will be fine.

Did not predict those two subs with players like Underwood, Ritchie, van der Flier, Ryan and Gray around. Must have been a close decision.

Murray does make some sense as tour captain really as he has been involved all through camp. The saracens guys haven't been in camp for a week yet and Hogg will join up for the flight.

Navidi is a good pick. Strong player and can cover the whole back row. Isn't like for like, but no one really is for Tipuric.

Navidi is a super player, miles ahead of vdf who should be a triathlete basically, no rugby brain at all

Spiffy wrote:

Big D wrote:Navidi and Beard in for Tipuric and Jones.

Murray captain.

Murray will be fine.

Did not predict those two subs with players like Underwood, Ritchie, van der Flier, Ryan and Gray around. Must have been a close decision.

Means he is nailed on, unlike Faz (thank the lawd) and Hogg.

Beard seems an on odd call up, but I've always liked Navidi.

Shame that Ryan is injured as he'd probably have been next choice lock.
Beard goes under the radar somewhat but is superb defensively. Not flashy but his maul defence is top notch, he's also a big unit.
He won't get further than midweek selection though I'd have thought.
Gutted for AWJ and Tips though.

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So Herschel Jantjes is now one of 3 SA players with COVID, having had a respiratory illness 3 weeks ago when he continued to play. Is that weird or is that an unavoidable siutation? Says they tested him and he was negative so I guess that's that, but seems odd. Does anyone know which kinds of test they generally use? Is the proper one more time consuming than the lateral flow test?

https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/vermeulen- ... y-illness/

Meanwhile, Dobson said that Jantjies had been struggling with a ‘respiratory’ illness before the game, but he was tested for Covid-19 and they had to risk playing him, as they only had two scrumhalves – including Godlen Masimla – with the squad in Pretoria.

‘He was ill before the game,’ Dobson explained. ‘They tested him before the game, but he was very ill. We just didn’t have another scrumhalf in Pretoria. He’s sick. He went straight off the field and has gone for medical treatment.

‘It was more of a respiratory illness. We weren’t sure during the warm up whether he would make it, but he tried.’

He didn't have to play though, there's a pandemic on and a guy with a respiratory illness a few weeks plays, they could have started a young fella or a winger ffs

I'm going to be honest...

Perhaps it's the ridiculousness of this going ahead considering the situation.
Perhaps it's that it's the 3rd Gatland Lions tour and his rugby is just not a turn-on for me.
Perhaps it's the terrible scheduling.
Perhaps it's that the football is on at the same time for a change.

But I just can't get into this one.