B&I Lions 2017
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@gollum said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
Jones thinks BBBR is a loose lock that needs to be made to tackle to dull his attacking edge and Barnes thinks the Lions can keep Read away from the outside channels.
Barnes column reminded me of his infamous pre-game analysis of the 2011 semi-final while the Walrus wants the Lions to select for size and batter us into submission.It sort of made sense I thought. Both highlighted how much the AB's revolve around Brodie being able to pass both ways or set a ruck so use him as first or second five off a lot of rucks. So if you want to counter that you can't stop him being awesome, but you can attack the ruck to such a degree he has to step in & play tighter.
Same deal with Read. If he is free to run wide channels he will tear them apart. Both were against trying to play the AB gameplan, none of this 2 or 3 guys to a ruck, move it, have forwards with amazing hands standing wide stuff, instead pile in up front & try drag the likes of Read & Retallick into more & more rucks.
I'm not sure it'll work, but it'll work better than trying to rush up on Brodie & hope than puts him off his passing game.
Times today was highlighting how amazing Barrett is, except for his goal kicking which they pointed out is pigshit awful.
Except that the ABs structure already covers for BBBR at the ruck when he is designated runner and ditto for Read. If Read is lurking wide you'll find Brodie smashing in close to commit defenders and help create that wide space. If Brodie is going to be the hit up man then you can bet that Read or others were at the ruck in sufficient numbers.
Jones makes out that they play in these areas all the time whereas the beauty of what the ABs do is that they continually change the attacking pattern based on the position of the defence, the speed of the ball etc and make quick decisions to exploit when they can. -
Not sure I buy thats 100% true, Kaino & Whitelock hit literally every single ruck, neither of then ever acts as a 1st five the way Brodie does. the only guy I can think of who does something similar is Faumaina when he comes on as a sub, they use him that way a lot.
Its more if Brodie is buried we just play a completely different move, running Savea in off Barret for example. We dont really run the same play with a different guy.
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@gollum said in B&I Lions 2017:
Not sure I buy thats 100% true, Kaino & Whitelock hit literally every single ruck, neither of then ever acts as a 1st five the way Brodie does. the only guy I can think of who does something similar is Faumaina when he comes on as a sub, they use him that way a lot.
Its more if Brodie is buried we just play a completely different move, running Savea in off Barret for example. We dont really run the same play with a different guy.
Probably didn't explain clearly. What I'm saying is that it is difficult to draw BBBR away from that move when he wants to be there because we ensure someone else is doing the grunt for him. When he needs to be there they aren't looking to use him midfield anyway.
It was more the thought that you could tire him out. They obviously don't realise that Phar Laps heart was stolen from the Museum of Australia and transplanted into him. -
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@antipodean said in B&I Lions 2017:
Home Nations fans should save their angst for Wednesday's announcement. There'll be enough there for some misplaced, righteous indignation.
I'm not a Home Nations fan, so I'm getting my two cents worth in now. Although, I do love the smell of righteous English indignation in the morning
Que sera sera. There will be several cointoss calls either way, and I wouldn't like to be the one to make them.
No indignation from English fans 're Lions is ever likely to come close to eclipsing the enraged and self-entitled (is that a word?) grief of some Irish fans at The 3rd Test Dropping Of St Brian...
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@Disgusted-of-TW said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@antipodean said in B&I Lions 2017:
Home Nations fans should save their angst for Wednesday's announcement. There'll be enough there for some misplaced, righteous indignation.
I'm not a Home Nations fan, so I'm getting my two cents worth in now. Although, I do love the smell of righteous English indignation in the morning
Que sera sera. There will be several cointoss calls either way, and I wouldn't like to be the one to make them.
No indignation from English fans 're Lions is ever likely to come close to eclipsing the enraged and self-entitled (is that a word?) grief of some Irish fans at The 3rd Test Dropping Of St Brian...
Oh that is a word and very apt too for the de-canonisation of BOD incident.
Although some of the foaming in last 24 hours at the suggested/leaked dropping of St. Joseph from the squad is causing some merriment. Methinks that Gatland hasn't finished yet - tomorrow's announcement will hopefully include some other apoplectic moments e.g. inclusion of Roberts/Davies/Charteris/Ashton/Earls/etc and to crown it all, naming Dylan Hartley as tour captain after all. -
I'm telling you, by tomorrow lunchtime you'll all be wishing for my Warburton-less squad above.
I heard from Austin Healey that Chris Ashton and Alex Goode are shoo-ins.
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@SimonAdd_2 said in B&I Lions 2017:
I'm telling you, by tomorrow lunchtime you'll all be wishing for my Warburton-less squad above.
I heard from Austin Healey that Chris Ashton and Alex Goode are shoo-ins.
Nooooooooo!
I hope that if that does play out I will find myself able to say that compared to the prospect of nuclear exchanges on the Korean peninsula the idea of Alex Goode in a Lions shirt is nothing to get agitated about. (I'll let you know how that goes)
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Given the inevitable injuries, anyone care to guess who will get broken and sent home? My predictions so far are Halfpenny (head wrong side in the tackle, as always) and Warburton (aggravation of the knee injury). Warburton to be replaced by Haskell or Robshaw, not sure about Halfpenny. OK, the mists are closing in again - cross my palm with silver or get out of my tent.
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@Disgusted-of-TW Sexton, of course.
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The likely squad to be announced today:
B3s: Hogg, Halfpenny, North, Nowell, Watson, Williams, Earls
Mids: Daly, Henshaw, Teo, Davies, Roberts
Flys: Sexton, Farrell, Biggar
SH: Murray, Youngs, Webb
Props: Marler, Vunipola, McGrath, Furlong, Sinckler, Cole
Hooks: Best, Owens, George
2nd Rows: Itoje, Kruis, Lawes, Wyn Jones, Ryan, Henderson
Flanks: O’Brien, O’Mahony, Stander, Warburton (capt) , Tipuric
8 Men: Vunipola, FaletauCrew of 40. Earls to make it once again - kudos if he goes.
All Welsh back 3 option
English, Welsh and Irish combos available on the 9/10/12/13 axis
Full Irish and Full English front row options
Full English locks and a Welshman for the test side, Henderson and Ryan for midweek
Full Welsh back row option and potentially full Irish back row option for a midweek game.
28 British and 12 Irish Lions. Seems like a good mix.
Roll on the series.
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
Crew of 40. Earls to make it once again - kudos if he goes..
What an indictment if he gets selected. Really ruins the enjoyment of winning.
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@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
Crew of 40. Earls to make it once again - kudos if he goes..
What an indictment if he gets selected. Really ruins the enjoyment of winning.
Err.... que?
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
The likely squad to be announced today:
B3s: Hogg, Halfpenny, North, Nowell, Watson, Williams, Earls
Mids: Daly, Henshaw, Teo, Davies, Roberts
Flys: Sexton, Farrell, Biggar
SH: Murray, Youngs, Webb
Props: Marler, Vunipola, McGrath, Furlong, Sinckler, Cole
Hooks: Best, Owens, George
2nd Rows: Itoje, Kruis, Lawes, Wyn Jones, Ryan, Henderson
Flanks: O’Brien, O’Mahony, Stander, Warburton (capt) , Tipuric
8 Men: Vunipola, FaletauCrew of 40. Earls to make it once again - kudos if he goes.
All Welsh back 3 option
English, Welsh and Irish combos available on the 9/10/12/13 axis
Full Irish and Full English front row options
Full English locks and a Welshman for the test side, Henderson and Ryan for midweek
Full Welsh back row option and potentially full Irish back row option for a midweek game.
28 British and 12 Irish Lions. Seems like a good mix.
Roll on the series.
One Scot? Seriously?
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
Crew of 40. Earls to make it once again - kudos if he goes..
What an indictment if he gets selected. Really ruins the enjoyment of winning.
Err.... que?
Here are some highlights of his defence:
https://i.imgur.com/edL4E8o.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/zcfTM7D.gifv
Previous Lions work:
He's a donkey. That he's been capped is baffling.
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@taniwharugby said in B&I Lions 2017:
@MN5 Should there be none?
That's very good from you
But they actually won three games this 6N. They're still partying in the streets of ( insert Scottish town name here )
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Earls did come off as a massive prick in the business with Fraser Brown last year, even with the mitigation of the Foley situation. Would be a surprise to see him tour on form alone though, but we'll see.
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😷 Earls is crap. Shouldn't be near the squad. I'd have any of the Scottish wingers above him.
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@SimonAdd_2 said in B&I Lions 2017:
😷 Earls is crap. Shouldn't be near the squad. I'd have any of the Scottish wingers above him.
Sean Lamont is probably due a swansong. He'll be thrilled to hear this.
