B&I Lions 2017
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@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Fair point. Could have had most of the squad in NZ this weekend just gone.
Guess they had important things to do together like a photo shoot of everyone about to get on the plane.
..which is dictated by the marketing team that is the Lions organisation, not the choice of the players or the coaches.
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Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
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@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
You mean besides admitting - recently - that he wasn't the right coach for the tour?
Sir Clive Woodward admits he was not the right man for the Lions on disastrous tour of New Zealand in 2005 - The Mirror
Woodward says that he lost his ruthless streak when the Lions travelled to the southern hemisphere 12 years ago
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
You mean besides admitting - recently - that he wasn't the right coach for the tour?
Woodward says that he lost his ruthless streak when the Lions travelled to the southern hemisphere 12 years ago
Hardly an admission of wrong selections, wrong tour organisation, etc etc (as in the article I referenced).
You don't lose a series 3-0 because one non-English player doesn't toe the party line.
Playing Jones at 10 and Wilkinson at 12 when they never trained together would be a good start.
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@wowrp1 said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Fair point. Could have had most of the squad in NZ this weekend just gone.
Guess they had important things to do together like a photo shoot of everyone about to get on the plane.
..which is dictated by the marketing team that is the Lions organisation, not the choice of the players or the coaches.
Poppycock!
Gatland asked for extra players and got them. If he wanted to arrive earlier I'm sure he could have asked.
I think the issue was more to do with the domestic season and an expectation of having less players available than he actually did. He probably thought it wasn't worth it.
In retrospect he could have come earlier. -
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@wowrp1 said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Fair point. Could have had most of the squad in NZ this weekend just gone.
Guess they had important things to do together like a photo shoot of everyone about to get on the plane.
..which is dictated by the marketing team that is the Lions organisation, not the choice of the players or the coaches.
Poppycock!
Gatland asked for extra players and got them. If he wanted to arrive earlier I'm sure he could have asked.
I think the issue was more to do with the domestic season and an expectation of having less players available than he actually did. He probably thought it wasn't worth it.
In retrospect he could have come earlier.Precisely. . Retrospect and Hindsight are comfortable bed-fellows. Hansen's on a bit of wind-up being all clever and wise after the fact.
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I get it.. you guys don't want to hear any NH view that doesn't tie in with your own. No problem.
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@wowrp1 said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Fair point. Could have had most of the squad in NZ this weekend just gone.
Guess they had important things to do together like a photo shoot of everyone about to get on the plane.
..which is dictated by the marketing team that is the Lions organisation, not the choice of the players or the coaches.
Poppycock!
Gatland asked for extra players and got them. If he wanted to arrive earlier I'm sure he could have asked.
I think the issue was more to do with the domestic season and an expectation of having less players available than he actually did. He probably thought it wasn't worth it.
In retrospect he could have come earlier.Precisely. . Retrospect and Hindsight are comfortable bed-fellows. Hansen's on a bit of wind-up being all clever and wise after the fact.
Of course he is. Gatland is in for far more sly comments than that, especially if he starts throwing some of his own.
The easiest stone to throw is that Gatland should know all about coping with midweek matches given that he was a career dirt-tracker himself.
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@wowrp1 said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Frye said in B&I Lions 2017:
Fair point. Could have had most of the squad in NZ this weekend just gone.
Guess they had important things to do together like a photo shoot of everyone about to get on the plane.
..which is dictated by the marketing team that is the Lions organisation, not the choice of the players or the coaches.
Poppycock!
Gatland asked for extra players and got them. If he wanted to arrive earlier I'm sure he could have asked.
I think the issue was more to do with the domestic season and an expectation of having less players available than he actually did. He probably thought it wasn't worth it.
In retrospect he could have come earlier.Precisely. . Retrospect and Hindsight are comfortable bed-fellows. Hansen's on a bit of wind-up being all clever and wise after the fact.
Of course he is. Gatland is in for far more sly comments than that, especially if he starts throwing some of his own.
The easiest stone to throw is that Gatland should know all about coping with midweek matches given that he was a career dirt-tracker himself.
Ooh - I like that one.
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@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
You mean besides admitting - recently - that he wasn't the right coach for the tour?
Woodward says that he lost his ruthless streak when the Lions travelled to the southern hemisphere 12 years ago
Hardly an admission of wrong selections, wrong tour organisation, etc etc (as in the article I referenced).
You don't lose a series 3-0 because one non-English player doesn't toe the party line.
Playing Jones at 10 and Wilkinson at 12 when they never trained together would be a good start.
I was more following the premise that if he now admits he shouldn't have been on the tour as coach, well all the shit flows downhill from there......
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@Guest said in B&I Lions 2017:
I get it.. you guys don't want to hear any NH view that doesn't tie in with your own. No problem.
I love hearing NH views that tie in with my own. Unfortunately, yours doesn't. If you've got something to say, get a screen name and join in.
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@Guest said in B&I Lions 2017:
I get it.. you guys don't want to hear any NH view that doesn't tie in with your own. No problem.
More than happy to read other views. However, if I have a different opinion I will say so. That's how this thing works.
If everyone just posted what they thought and no one debated it the forum would be pointless.
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@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
What a fascinating article - I look forward to hearing the radio production, thanks for sharing.
Seemingly every few years when he is asked about this he has a different take on how we would have done it differently - last time it was base the team in Australia and fly over for the tests!
The most curious thing in the article is how Woodward bemoans what an impossible task it is to convene the Lions against a NZ side that play year in year out (among a litany of other hurdles he lists).
Woodward was appointed Lions coach in February 2004. Henry was appointed All Blacks coach December 2003. Looking at the prospects for those roles come Lions tour I don't think one had a clear advantage. Ted essentially had one season to prepare for the Lions all while picking up the pieces from another RWC loss, changing captains and capping 11+ players etc. Honestly most of the rebuilding was done on the EOYT when McCaw returned, Carter moved to 10, Mehrts and Marshall moved on etc.
There were also massive advantages for Woodward trying to bringing three nations together over a series of warm up fixtures vs bringing five franchises together with one test against Fiji. The Lions squad was also significantly more experienced at test level as they had four nations to cap players and we only had two! The ABs also had untried key combinations going into that series too, Marshall and Carter had played 4 minutes against Fiji together at test level and hardly at all at Super level.
History has not been kind to Woodward.
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Woodward doesn't really do himself any favours with the nonsense he spouts. For example
"I could easily replicate in cricket what I've done in rugby - or football, or any sport," he told Wisden Cricketer magazine.
In his defence 76-0 is a score you'd associate more with cricket I guess.
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@rotated said in B&I Lions 2017:
@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Another take on 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40069682
Woodward pissed on his own parade and he obviously learned a lot from Alistair Campbell because he's not man enough to admit his failings.
What a fascinating article - I look forward to hearing the radio production, thanks for sharing.
Agreed
Seemingly every few years when he is asked about this he has a different take on how we would have done it differently - last time it was base the team in Australia and fly over for the tests!He is unlikely to say he was wrong in his handling of the tour, that is not his style. He has said that in retrospect he was maybe the wrong type of coach for the Lions gig. And he was right.
The most curious thing in the article is how Woodward bemoans what an impossible task it is to convene the Lions against a NZ side that play year in year out (among a litany of other hurdles he lists).
Woodward was appointed Lions coach in February 2004. Henry was appointed All Blacks coach December 2003. Looking at the prospects for those roles come Lions tour I don't think one had a clear advantage. Ted essentially had one season to prepare for the Lions all while picking up the pieces from another RWC loss, changing captains and capping 11+ players etc. Honestly most of the rebuilding was done on the EOYT when McCaw returned, Carter moved to 10, Mehrts and Marshall moved on etc.
Mate, that is somewhat disingenuous. The time they were appointed bears no comparison to the time they had with their players. Dear old Ted has his issues alright with players leaving, retiring, loss of form etc but so does every international coach. You just cannot compare coaching a national side to the Lions. Not quite apples and oranges but certainly cookers and eaters.
There were also massive advantages for Woodward trying to bringing three (four actually,) nations together over a series of warm up fixtures vs bringing five franchises together with one test against Fiji. The Lions squad was also significantly more experienced at test level as they had four nations to cap players and we only had two! The ABs also had untried key combinations going into that series too, Marshall and Carter had played 4 minutes against Fiji together at test level and hardly at all at Super level.
Hmm. Really?
History has not been kind to Woodward.
Agreed. And he doesn't always help himself in this respect -
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There are 2 separate issues IMO.
- the schedule
- the itinerary
The schedule, as in getting here half a week before the first game. That's the Lions unions own issue.
The itinerary. It's hard, hardest ever I agree. But the choice is between hard or too soft. There's no 'just right ' option available in NZ anymore. The provinces can't cope anymore, that level is hollowed out.
But I do believe the hardness of the itinerary is over blown. There's an easy beat scratch team first up followed by the weakest NZ super franchise. The NZ Moari are also a scratch team so have no cohesion advantage over the Lions.
But there aren't easy games. The midweek team will have to contribute, which is why this tour is a bigger deal than an average tour.
