starfish
No dialogue. Just plot.
Iirc i said the same back then.
British and Irish Lions 2017
- Thread starter bendeus
- Start date
1927
Funnier than he thinks he is.
Remember where you read it first! A great contribution today!
1927
Funnier than he thinks he is.
Pity he didn't move over with his dad!They made heavy weather of that.
Still, that young Gatland chap showed promise. Oh, wait...
gawkrodger
Well-Known Member
Let's just hope that a lot of that performance was due to jetlag 
Some shocking performances in that (nb, I didn't see that last 20 minutes as I had to go teach)
Taking positives - Kyle Sinckler, Falateau, Moriaty, T'eo, Farrell and Watson were all quite good
Some shocking performances in that (nb, I didn't see that last 20 minutes as I had to go teach)
Taking positives - Kyle Sinckler, Falateau, Moriaty, T'eo, Farrell and Watson were all quite good
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
First thing yesterday treefrog notices tickets on sale for the game, so we decided to drive up with little BalFrog. Cold as fuuuuck, and the rugby wasn't too flash but the atmosphere was electric, unlike any I've seen in NZ.
We were sat at the front so little BalFrog met 1/2p and Ken!
And I got a pic with Haskell and SOB
We were sat at the front so little BalFrog met 1/2p and Ken!
And I got a pic with Haskell and SOB
gawkrodger
Well-Known Member
I found this vid pretty amusing, and not entirely sure why
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
I'm no big watcher of super rugby but from what I understand the Blues have a powder puff pack that should be exposed by strong setpiece and a forward oriented carrying game.
Their strength is in the backs, with very skilful players who can shift the point of attack quickly. No surprises that Gatland has picked a monster pack with loads of carriers and a very solidly defensive backline, then
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
I'm a Blues season ticket holder, and yeah - nah.
Our pack is decent and doesn't get knocked around, Tuungafasi, Jipper Parsons and Grizz Faumuina see to that. We're missing Kaino after knee surgery but Kara Pryor is more than decent. Luatua has been playing out of his skin this season too. Scotty Scrafton's coming on as well and we've got Tuipolotu on the bench.
A major problem has been at 9 and 10 for YEARS now, the last decent 10 we had was Carlos Spencer
. We've got Gus Pulu at 9 now which adds direction, but Steve Perefota at 10 is making his debut against the Lions tomorrow as Piers Francis has gone to Argentina with England. He's a hot prospect, but talk about no pressure Blues biggest problem? We play 40 minutes. Either as a good half or in flashes of 10 minutes. Our backs play beautiful stuff but then mess it up when the pressure gets on. We don't win games, we run out of time to lose them
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Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
Being realistic, knocking over the Blues today won't put the wind up NZ - we're the worst NZ team in Super Rugby. Put one over the Crusaders though, and they'll start worrying.
In other news Brodie Retallick is missing this weekends game due to concussion protocols and Dane Coles looks unlikely to make the series, having not played since March.
In other news Brodie Retallick is missing this weekends game due to concussion protocols and Dane Coles looks unlikely to make the series, having not played since March.
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
Ya, sry. As mentioned, I don't have the SH knowledge of you, flypanam et al, just going on some kiwi posts I've read on forums.
I'm a Blues season ticket holder, and yeah - nah.
Our pack is decent and doesn't get knocked around, Tuungafasi, Jipper Parsons and Grizz Faumuina see to that. We're missing Kaino after knee surgery but Kara Pryor is more than decent. Luatua has been playing out of his skin this season too. Scotty Scrafton's coming on as well and we've got Tuipolotu on the bench.
A major problem has been at 9 and 10 for YEARS now, the last decent 10 we had was Carlos Spencer
Blues biggest problem? We play 40 minutes. Either as a good half or in flashes of 10 minutes. Our backs play beautiful stuff but then mess it up when the pressure gets on. We don't win games, we run out of time to lose them
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
Rumours that Bin Smuth is also very doubtful for all three tests.
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
He took a ding in the game against the Crusaders at the weekend - check the highlights on that one, Mitch Hunt banged a 40 yard drop goal over on 82 minutes. madness.
Chiefs play Hurricanes on Saturday. Best results from a Lions perspective is McKenzie, Barrett S and B and the Savea's getting hurt
Chiefs play Hurricanes on Saturday. Best results from a Lions perspective is McKenzie, Barrett S and B and the Savea's getting hurt
flypanam
Sausage to fortune
He took a ding in the game against the Crusaders at the weekend - check the highlights on that one, Mitch Hunt banged a 40 yard drop goal over on 82 minutes. madness.
Chiefs play Hurricanes on Saturday. Best results from a Lions perspective is McKenzie, Barrett S and B and the Savea's getting hurt
Screw that, the best result for the series is if the AB's play their best side.
gawkrodger
Well-Known Member
it's going to be a long tour!
bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
I find it astonishing that you could say that about a side coached by Ollie and Stan
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bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
Only heard it on the radio. Sounded like listening to Wales play, right down to the coughing up of possession in promising attacking positions, the defensive lapses, the aimless kicking and the idiotic lineout calls at crucial moments.
Sounded also like a few players, e.g. Sexton, Liam, Stander, Nowell and Best did their test chances no good at all and that a couple - Itoje, Webb, Mcgrath and Lawes acquitted themselves very well in spite of things. Does this sound about right?
Not sure what to read into it overall - they're still trying out combos and moves into guess and could improve once they settle on the test side and the dirt trackers, but there's so little time and no easy games to bed in.
I've only read reports, but I did hear that Best's line-outs were pretty poor.
gawkrodger
Well-Known Member
my stream was shit, worst I've experienced for a long time, so didn't actually get to see as much of the game as I would have liked.
Your summary seems fairly good. the props had reasonable games. The Lions scrum was dominant. Lineouts rather mixed. Number of players (such as Daly) just didn't have any real chance to get into the game. Lions had a vast penalty count (something like 16?), a whole bunch which came from stupid shit like blocking and offsides. They did very much look like a team just put together (which they are) and some players just looked shackled and unaware of a game plan.
the winning try was a cracker mind
Your summary seems fairly good. the props had reasonable games. The Lions scrum was dominant. Lineouts rather mixed. Number of players (such as Daly) just didn't have any real chance to get into the game. Lions had a vast penalty count (something like 16?), a whole bunch which came from stupid shit like blocking and offsides. They did very much look like a team just put together (which they are) and some players just looked shackled and unaware of a game plan.
the winning try was a cracker mind
gawkrodger
Well-Known Member
and yeh, Best wasn't great and Nowell had his worst international game I've seen. Oh, and Sinckler was looking good when he came on. Not sure about Webb playing himself into a test place, but did better than Laidlaw on Saturday
edit: oh, and Halfpenny had a pretty decent game. Ken Owens not too bad
It was all, for substantial parts, just very flat.
edit: oh, and Halfpenny had a pretty decent game. Ken Owens not too bad
It was all, for substantial parts, just very flat.
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bendeus
Bellend Tagline Generator
Sexton's dreadful form is a real worry. Reminds me of Shane in '09 when he was replaced by Ugo Monye for the tests due to an inexplicable dip. At this rate you're looking at Farrell starting and Biggar benching. Sexton's creativity would be a big miss but you couldn't realistically include him based on the last two performances (by all accounts)
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
With the clock ticking over to 80 mins Lions had a line out ten metres from the Blues try-line. Best absolutely fucked it up, missed his man and gave the ball to the Blues. Dreadful.
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
All Blacks: Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Scott Barrett, Sam Cane, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett, Ryan Crotty, Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg, Charlie Faumuina, Owen Franks, Nathan Harris, Rieko Ioane, Jerome Kaino, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown, Joe Moody, Waisake Naholo, TJ Perenara, Kieran Read (captain), Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Ardie Savea, Julian Savea, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith, Lima Sopoaga, Liam Squire, Codie Taylor, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Sam Whitelock, Sonny Bill Williams.
Some big calls in there. Coles in despite not playing for months, Crotty still being assessed on rib cartlidge, Kieran Read getting the Samoa game to tune up and Kaino possibly not playing until the first test.
No Fekitoa, no Matt Todd. And all the Barrett boys.
Some big calls in there. Coles in despite not playing for months, Crotty still being assessed on rib cartlidge, Kieran Read getting the Samoa game to tune up and Kaino possibly not playing until the first test.
No Fekitoa, no Matt Todd. And all the Barrett boys.
