The looking forward to the Lions Tour thread

[bamboozle]

Positives
beating a team 14-0 for the season
Defence - this will have made Hansen & co sit up and take notice
greatly reduced pen count
Strong halfback showing
Lineout
Bench - Itoje, CJ noticably upped things when they came on

Negatives
Final pass not going to hand, Teo very poor here
Scrum, under some pressure, probably not legal but lucky enough to have a ref capable of spotting this
Back 3 - not really being used apart from kick-chase, receiving end of some awful final passes

Irish watch
Furlong - saw off 2 all black lose heads
SOB - good show, interesting watching it on NZ tv they love him
POM - lineout steal highlight of first half in which he seemed underpowered, 2nd half played further wide being used to distribute
Murray - strong performance, sailed through the game
Sexton - combined well with Farrell and Murray

Nailed on test starters

Mako George Furlong
AWJ Kruis
Felatau
Murray Farrell

[Peg Leg]

I'd say Sean O'Brien is one NH player that the S15 NZ teams would throw money at to tempt him down there.

[TerenureJim]

well no sign of henshaw losing his lack of composure

12 is kind of a weak position across the Lions countries; England have struggled for a few years and have decided Ford at 10 is better than any guy playing 12 regularly, Wales have moved away from Roberts and his gigantism only to find Williams badly out of form, Ireland are playing a 13 at 12 as weve had no viable 12s since Darcy, Dunbar for Scotland is a good lineout option

We haven't had a proper 12 since the days of Maggs and Hendo. Darce was always a wing or 13 playing at 12

[simonokeeffe]

well no sign of henshaw losing his lack of composure

12 is kind of a weak position across the Lions countries; England have struggled for a few years and have decided Ford at 10 is better than any guy playing 12 regularly, Wales have moved away from Roberts and his gigantism only to find Williams badly out of form, Ireland are playing a 13 at 12 as weve had no viable 12s since Darcy, Dunbar for Scotland is a good lineout option

We haven't had a proper 12 since the days of Maggs and Hendo. Darce was always a wing or 13 playing at 12

Darce was a legit 12 by the end at worst, that was another case of accommodating 2 class 13s
Scannell is very much a 12 but I dont see his tackle style giving him much longevity in general let alone at international level
Aki looms once more

[Ruckedtobits]

Loss of Stuart Hogg, despite his performances to date on Tour, could be significant as he has pace and real counter-attacking ability. Halpenny is natural beneficiary which lessens case for Sexton's place-kicking.

Very tough luck on Hogg to lose out to freak collision of this sort. Good luck to him, he'll be part of a future Lions Tour.

[enby]

The Welsh go on about their out half factory, Argentina consistently produces savage front rowers and we are never done hearing about the huge Afrikaaner second rows but the quality of New Zealand wingers over the years has been outstanding. The sheer quality of Naholo today was wonderful to observe.....almost as good as that young lad for the Blues last week. Highlanders were so positive with the ball, they well deserved their win.

Negatives: Seymour was awful and Haskell was worse. Payne has sentenced himself to a mid-week tour, which is a shame. Joseph is dreadful in defence although he did take his try really well. Dan Cole has had better cameos. Lawes got a fierce clatter from terrible tackling technique

Positives: Biggar, Henderson, Webb all decent. Henshaw played well

[Hippo]

Henderson impressive enough, but still a bit fond of a chancy offload. I'm a big AWJ fan, but he's becoming a real penalty machine. For all that, the Lions should have won.

[LeinsterLeader]

Hogg out + Farrell missing 3 important straight forward kicks so far = Halfpenny to start the tests

I think this could be one of the sums Warren G comes up with

[simonokeeffe]

Halfpenny was always going to start the tests so Hogg is a moot point.

Getting someone ie Farrell to kick the second they come on is always high risk especially when theres other options

Wingers had mares, Biggar prefers a rigid/detailed gameplan. AWJ is counterproductive in attack (Kruis and Itoje have to start but wont). The pack that finished had a very low level of ball skills which cost them

Sinkler has to be ahead of Cole for impact sub. Stander is out of test side too

[jimbobjoe]

Haven't seen the game yet but on reading a few reports, if you watched the game with British eyes Henshaw had an absolute mare and can't pass, with Irish eyes played very well and is staking a claim for the test shirt.

Bias will happen either way but it's still very annoying.

[Blue not red blood]

I watched Haskell very closely in the Quarter final. if I recall correctly he touched the ball twice in 30 minutes.
Didnt see him do anything today either.

Am not stirring it but can someone explain what he does on a pitch

[Laighin Break]

Haven't seen the game yet but on reading a few reports, if you watched the game with British eyes Henshaw had an absolute mare and can't pass, with Irish eyes played very well and is staking a claim for the test shirt.

Bias will happen either way but it's still very annoying.

Yeah the different views are mad. Ultimate Rugby gave Joseph quite a favourable rating and said he did well. Didn't mention his awful defensive performance.

[brenno]

Henshaw ok but not enough to get into test team
Best ditto
CJ - think at one stage went up on screen he had 16 carries for 27m gain - not great.
Hendo probably best if the Irish

Back row for first test should be POM-SOB-Faletau but none of us will be surprised to see Warburton there given it's Gatty picking the team, would have Tipuric on bench
2R for me has to be Kruis-Itoje, although I understand the view to have AWJ starting with Itoje as impact sub
FR-love to see Jack McG at 1 but it's a fair call fir Mako to start, Tadgh a certainty at 3', don't see Best getting into the 23, George with Owens on the bench, Jack and Sinckler on bench, Cole has been a disaster so far
9 - no brainier Murray with Webb in the bench
10 - Farrell without a doubt to start, JS on bench
12-13, somehow think well see Teo' and Davies, although I'd have Henshaw or Joseph or both
11-14, not great for Lions, Nowell and Seymour no chance so leaves North and Williams neither of whom are in inspiring form
15 - would have Watson, but odds on Gatty will pick 0.5p

[domhnallj]

I watched Haskell very closely in the Quarter final. if I recall correctly he touched the ball twice in 30 minutes.
Didnt see him do anything today either.

Am not stirring it but can someone explain what he does on a pitch

I watched him carefully when we played wasps a couple of years back. Sometimes he shouts a lot, and occasionally points his finger.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Farrell had a pretty poor cameo today. Missed a very gettable penalty, didn't get great distance on the final penalty and gave a very unsympathetic pass that ended the game.

[neiliog93]

Haven't seen the game yet but on reading a few reports, if you watched the game with British eyes Henshaw had an absolute mare and can't pass, with Irish eyes played very well and is staking a claim for the test shirt.

Bias will happen either way but it's still very annoying.

In my Irish opinion Henshaw was a 6/10. I think he's one of the players that we overrate in Ireland if I'm honest. Very good player but not world class, as most Irish would claim.

[simonokeeffe]

Haven't seen the game yet but on reading a few reports, if you watched the game with British eyes Henshaw had an absolute mare and can't pass, with Irish eyes played very well and is staking a claim for the test shirt.

Bias will happen either way but it's still very annoying.

In my Irish opinion Henshaw was a 6/10. I think he's one of the players that we overrate in Ireland if I'm honest. Very good player but not world class, as most Irish would claim.

part of the problem is at present 12 is not his natural or best position (thats 13 IMO)

Davies is a major injury doubt for Saturday so they may end up by accident with their best combination Teo 12 and Henshaw 13
Form seems to rule out Sexton and Payne from influencing midfield debate

[TerenureJim]

I wouldn't rule Sexton out, who's had the better international form this season? I'd argue that Farrell is a class operator but flatters to deceive in big games when matched against Sexton who yep us off firm but is defo what McGeechan would call a test match animal.

[Raydollard]

Sexton hasn't a prayer.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I wouldn't rule Sexton out, who's had the better international form this season? I'd argue that Farrell is a class operator but flatters to deceive in big games when matched against Sexton who yep us off firm but is defo what McGeechan would call a test match animal.

I know you've narrowed it down to international form but I think by any measure you'd say Farrell has had the much better season. Nominated for world player of the year last year, nominated for player of the 6N, and won European player of the year. My most recent memory of Johnny in a "big game" is the Pro12 semi, and his 6N was mixed to say the least. Farrell arguably provided the best moment in the tournament when he set up Daly in Cardiff, he's a big game player, no doubt about it.