Lions team to face Golden Lions.

[Donny B.]

Far as I can make out the backline is now

Ellis
Hook

Monye
Philips
Bowe
Williams

Rob

Powell on for Croft

[Donny B.]

Game gone very ragged with all the subs.

Ford and Murray on for Vickery and Mears.

[Donny B.]

Ford's first throw is lost.

[Donny B.]

Monye second try. Sweet backline move, sweet pass by Bowe if a little forward. 60-10

[Donny B.]

Monye gone off now. Lions playing with 14 men

[Donny B.]

Another intercept try. this time Hook 67-10.

[Donny B.]

Golden Lions try disallowed by video ref.

Great defending in fairness.

[Donny B.]

Try Ferris. Picked up from a ruck and ran the length of the pitch

Finished 74-10.

Second half not as good but huge improvement overall.

[Donny B.]

From the Irish players test prospects POV

Drico looked very sharp and comfortable with Jones and Roberts, created the first try and scored the second. At fault defensively for their try though

Bowe looks nailed on for the 14 jersey. Scored two and created another four. Going to take a lot to dislodge him.

Kearney. Decent first half but went quiet in the second half after a poor knock on. Needed to do a lot more to dislodge Byrne.

Heaslip: Very busy performance in defense but not as prominent with the ball in hand. Still probably ahead in the race for the eight jersey though

Wallace: After a bright start, tiredness probably kicked in and he was subbed early in the second half. Looked a lot more comfortable at seven though

Ferris: Made plenty of big hits and showed Croft isn't the only six with gas with his try at the end.

[Vamos los azules]

What have they been feeding Tommy Bowe recently? The man is in awesome form. Feeling a few choruses of Black Velvet Band may be required in SA

[tones]

From the Irish players test prospects POV

Drico looked very sharp and comfortable with Jones and Roberts, created the first try and scored the second. At fault defensively for their try though - Thought he was very good, 1 bad mistake in defence though

Bowe looks nailed on for the 14 jersey. Scored two and created another four. Going to take a lot to dislodge him. Agree entirely, new aspects to his game and all

Kearney. Decent first half but went quiet in the second half after a poor knock on. Needed to do a lot more to dislodge Byrne. While it will take a lot, thought Kearney did well. Intelligent play and grew into the game, quiet when the game was messy at the end

Heaslip: Very busy performance in defense but not as prominent with the ball in hand. Still probably ahead in the race for the eight jersey though Thought he did alot in the tight which is what we need when playing the Boks

Wallace: After a bright start, tiredness probably kicked in and he was subbed early in the second half. Looked a lot more comfortable at seven though Yeah like Heslip worked well in the tight

Ferris: Made plenty of big hits and showed Croft isn't the only six with gas with his try at the end.

[suisse]

From the Irish players test prospects POV

Drico looked very sharp and comfortable with Jones and Roberts, created the first try and scored the second. At fault defensively for their try though

Bowe looks nailed on for the 14 jersey. Scored two and created another four. Going to take a lot to dislodge him.

Kearney. Decent first half but went quiet in the second half after a poor knock on. Needed to do a lot more to dislodge Byrne.

Heaslip: Very busy performance in defense but not as prominent with the ball in hand. Still probably ahead in the race for the eight jersey though

Wallace: After a bright start, tiredness probably kicked in and he was subbed early in the second half. Looked a lot more comfortable at seven though

Ferris: Made plenty of big hits and showed Croft isn't the only six with gas with his try at the end.

I think Drico was at fault for the try that never was for the Lions scrum half too. He pushed up too early, but they attacked his inside shoulder, and a rather ridiculous forward (iirc) prevented a perfect try. But he had a good game.

Kearney: As Barnes was saying, I'd still love him to attack the gain line more. The game was over at half time, and considering the brutal nature of the Lions' first up tackling, he could have gambled a bit and showed a bit more. Lee Byrne played his hand on Saturday, and Kearney effectively matched him, but didn't shopw he could offer a little something extra. Perhaps it's a confidence thing, but on a number of occasions, a Lions player broke through, Kearney was on the shoulder, but he never seemed to call out for possession. Each time the ball went to someone else. Thought he could have been for atry in the first half but never really showed for the ball.

Heaslip: Played well defensively, but considering the Lions won 100-0, I would have liked to see a lot more in attack. The Boks back row is another 2 steps up from that.



No disrespect to young Hook, but the funniest moment of the match was watching him getting clobbered late on, but he got up, and within a second, got clobbered again. Quality stuff

[ceemec]

Think the most interesting developments from tonight have been Lee Mears has stepped out in front as the leading contender for the 2 jersey and Nathan Hines put in a very solid shift at 4. The backline clicked beautifully and had a real test team look about them. Some of the handling and continuity was superb. 10, 12, 13 and 14 looked to be of test standard with Monye also looking sharp with the ball. Don't think Kearney did anything to suggest he'll take Byrne's jersey. Phillips is in pole position at 9 also. Front 5 were very good as a unit although Vickery managed to give away a stupid penalty as per usual early on but did well after. Murray destroyed the GL scrum on his first hit with a penalty resulting. The backrow probably offered up yet more questions. Did well but nobody particularly put down a marker for a test place. Ferris probably made the most impact in his cameo.

[Danthefan]

Kearney played pretty well and if Byrne went down I'd be confident he'd do a job. Picked some lovely lines tonight which has been one of the main criticisms of him.

I thought Bowe was absolutely superb, had a hand in about 6 of the tries.

[Comer Toes]

Funny now thinking of Hook and Co on Newstalk saying Bowe shouldn't be in the Ireland squad last November!

[Comer Toes]

Test team starting to shape up like;

15 Byrne 14 Bowe 13 BOD 12 Roberts 11 ?? 10 Jones 9 Phillips

1 Jenkins 2 Mears (a sub in the test matches will be worrying!) 3 Murray 4 ?? 5 POC 6 Ferris/ Croft 7 Williams/ Wally 8 Heaslip

Hines and Wyn-Jones did well so DOC has it all to do at the weekend. Great chance for Fitz at the weekend, left wing is wide open. Monye was good tonight but not sure has the all-round game for the tests.

Potential 15 for the Cheetahs (based on fact that all have to get one full game according to management)

Byrne, Halfpenny, Earls, Flutey/ D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Hook, Ellis
Sheridan, Ford, Murray, DOC, POC, Ferris, Williams, Powell

They'll be up against it methinks...

[Mauler]

Funny now thinking of Hook and Co on Newstalk saying Bowe shouldn't be in the Ireland squad last November!

I was thinking the exact same thing myself tonight & during the 6N - More comedy gold from the Newstalk stooges.

[tackle-bag]

Potential 15 for the Cheetahs (based on fact that all have to get one full game according to management)

Byrne, Halfpenny, Earls, Flutey/ D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Hook, Ellis
Sheridan, Ford, Murray, DOC, POC, Ferris, Williams, Powell

They'll be up against it methinks...

Not at all, the Cheetahs are a worse side than the Golden Lions and a number of the guys in your proposed team (which I completely agree with) really need big performances to prevent their chances of a Test place from slipping away. I don't think it will be quite as resounding a victory as this evening but I would expect a comfortable win nonetheless. I predict big games from Flutey, Fitz, Sheridan, Ellis and Ferris who all (to varying extents) have a serious fight on their hands to snatch a Test shirt.

The main thing we have learned about the opposition from the first two games (and the Super 14 season in general) is that the provincial sides in South Africa are not comfortable defending against hard straight running accompanied by good support lines. Whether this is a problem which the Springboks will be able to remedy remains to be seen.

[Comer Toes]

Potential 15 for the Cheetahs (based on fact that all have to get one full game according to management)

Byrne, Halfpenny, Earls, Flutey/ D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Hook, Ellis
Sheridan, Ford, Murray, DOC, POC, Ferris, Williams, Powell

They'll be up against it methinks...

Not at all, the Cheetahs are a worse side than the Golden Lions and a number of the guys in your proposed team (which I completely agree with) really need big performances to prevent their chances of a Test place from slipping away. I don't think it will be quite as resounding a victory as this evening but I would expect a comfortable win nonetheless. I predict big games from Flutey, Fitz, Sheridan, Ellis and Ferris who all (to varying extents) have a serious fight on their hands to snatch a Test shirt.

The main thing we have learned about the opposition from the first two games (and the Super 14 season in general) is that the provincial sides in South Africa are not comfortable defending against hard straight running accompanied by good support lines. Whether this is a problem which the Springboks will be able to remedy remains to be seen.

Cheetahs will definitely be better than the Golden Lions – that lot last night were all over the shop with new coach etc. IIRC the Cheetahs had a couple of decent results to finish the S14 and with Kabamba Floors and Brussow in the back-row, they’ll make the breakdown a nightmare. Added to that, the Lions team will not be as strong as it was last night. I take your point re need for guys to deliver though. Ellis might be the dark horse that sparks the side on Saturday.

[Danthefan]

The Cheetahs finished bottom of the league this season, they are not very good.