Spiffy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:42 pm
Beirne has been far from his best, but at his best he has a very well rounded game with physicality, line out work, carrying, jackaling etc. and rugby brains. I do not think he has been quite so bad as made out. He has a lot of credit in the bank with Farrell. We know what he is capable of and he's due big game. Don't be too surprised if he has a blinder. If not he can always be dropped for the remaining games.
I don’t think anyone would be shocked by any player in this side having a blinder, they’re all fantastic, but it does feel a bit weird when form during the warmups ends up seeming so irrelevant.
Any of these players ‘at their best’ are good enough. It just feels like the guys in form should be first in the queue to show their ‘big game temperament’ (or whatever the phrase is) rather than giving others test matches to play themselves back in to form.
You could easily see a world where a 5/10 performance from Curry (or Beirne or Furlong or whoever) is enough to secure the win and they retain their spot for the series, while someone like Morgan may have had that exact same chance and missed out due to ‘credit in the bank’.
I’m sure Farrell knows what he’s doing, just doesn’t look quite like the form team (or most balanced pack) from outside.
I kinda agree when starting from a base line that they are all top players. But I might be biased in that I already preferred the players I see as the "form players".
Farrell may say that form in a couple of warmup matches isn't enough to change his mind as to who is most likely to have a big game come test match time. He has also seen training, rewatched games, and analysed the stats.
Basically, watching games and coming up with teams based on warmup games is fun, but it might be a bit of a fool's game except where the calls are very tight or someone has a shocker/blinder.
Spiffy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:42 pm
Beirne has been far from his best, but at his best he has a very well rounded game with physicality, line out work, carrying, jackaling etc. and rugby brains. I do not think he has been quite so bad as made out. He has a lot of credit in the bank with Farrell. We know what he is capable of and he's due big game. Don't be too surprised if he has a blinder. If not he can always be dropped for the remaining games.
I don’t think anyone would be shocked by any player in this side having a blinder, they’re all fantastic, but it does feel a bit weird when form during the warmups ends up seeming so irrelevant.
Any of these players ‘at their best’ are good enough. It just feels like the guys in form should be first in the queue to show their ‘big game temperament’ (or whatever the phrase is) rather than giving others test matches to play themselves back in to form.
You could easily see a world where a 5/10 performance from Curry (or Beirne or Furlong or whoever) is enough to secure the win and they retain their spot for the series, while someone like Morgan may have had that exact same chance and missed out due to ‘credit in the bank’.
I’m sure Farrell knows what he’s doing, just doesn’t look quite like the form team (or most balanced pack) from outside.
Yes, do do have a valid point, and I would have no complaints if Beirne were not picked. Just trying to read Farrell's mind a bit here. Like any coach he will have favourite players he feels he can trust in big games, based on past (but not too past) performances. If it is all about form then why is the plodding Owen Farrell, who played like a drain in Paris last season, anywhere remotely near the Lions Squad.
morepork wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:31 pm
Good luck on Saturday chaps. I’m backing the convicts. Would it be possible to petition commentators to not use the descriptor South Sea Islanders? It isn’t the 19th Century.
If they could eliminate justin Harrison from comms entirely that'd be fine with me
Could he sit in a trailer with a dummy set of microphones etc and just speak to himself? Better yet, he can have Will Greenwood to keep him company.
Spiffy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:42 pm
Beirne has been far from his best, but at his best he has a very well rounded game with physicality, line out work, carrying, jackaling etc. and rugby brains. I do not think he has been quite so bad as made out. He has a lot of credit in the bank with Farrell. We know what he is capable of and he's due big game. Don't be too surprised if he has a blinder. If not he can always be dropped for the remaining games.
I don’t think anyone would be shocked by any player in this side having a blinder, they’re all fantastic, but it does feel a bit weird when form during the warmups ends up seeming so irrelevant.
Any of these players ‘at their best’ are good enough. It just feels like the guys in form should be first in the queue to show their ‘big game temperament’ (or whatever the phrase is) rather than giving others test matches to play themselves back in to form.
You could easily see a world where a 5/10 performance from Curry (or Beirne or Furlong or whoever) is enough to secure the win and they retain their spot for the series, while someone like Morgan may have had that exact same chance and missed out due to ‘credit in the bank’.
I’m sure Farrell knows what he’s doing, just doesn’t look quite like the form team (or most balanced pack) from outside.
Yes, do do have a valid point, and I would have no complaints if Beirne were not picked. Just trying to read Farrell's mind a bit here. Like any coach he will have favourite players he feels he can trust in big games, based on past (but not too past) performances. If it is all about form then why is the plodding Owen Farrell, who played like a drain in Paris last season, anywhere remotely near the Lions Squad.
It’s that argument over form va history that got Woodward into trouble. I don’t think the Aussies will hurt us the way the all blacks did in 05 so it won’t matter but the concept of basically picking your test team before you depart makes the tour pointless.
