B&I Lions 2017
-
Once every 12 years.
Some very lucky local players (and coaches) getting to play against test strength opponents in some pretty intense atmospheres.
Players, coaches will be learning plenty of good and hard lessons, and the selectors are having their job over the next 2 years made a bit easier.
3 games in. Limited to the potential AB level up and comers, Winners;
- R Ioane
- Goodhue
- I would probably put Tuungafasi in this category. Looked good, 1 technical penalty given away cheap.
- A Ioane
Had some hard lessons;
- Mou'uga
- Perofeta (good & bad, hell of an occasion for an almost debut)
- Duffie. I'm a fan but his accuracy was off that night, not a shocker. But was expecting his 'test like' game to be right for that sort of occasion.
- Whitelock from a captaincy pov
- Scott Robertson should get a bit out of that
- Bridge, had a shocker (was also quite poor v Highlanders/Naholo in big game the week before
- Havili
C Taylor was an inbetweener, should have got good value experience out of that both ways. Demolishing their scrum, throwing into a screaming lineout, coping with being on the wrong side of a French ref etc etc
Going to be fascinated to see D Mckenzie get two shots at this. Sopoaga this week.
Very disappointed that Dixon, Squire, Faddes are missing this sort of opportunity for the Highlanders, and that Buckman will be out of position.
After these next 2 games, I think the pressure will come off the All Black-less franchises still to play their games. So there won't be that pressure-laden weight of expectation or hope for a win. It will be more a 'worth a crack nigel' sort of occasion. Which is a shame as seeing these guys operate in that sort of atmosphere is fascinating.
-
@Rapido I guess you could say Havili had some hard lessons - but it seems really odd that he got shoved to 12 after showing he wasn't really up to it last year and absolutely tearing it up at fullback this year.
Similarly Buckman has shown his best years at the back appear to be behind him and he's an outstanding midfielder, so I'm a bit worried there.
-
Totally agree on that.
It would have been fascinating to see Havili coping with Connor Murray on a good day, like Bridge has to. That would have been worth finding out.
Don't mean that Havili gets marked down and written off, just that he had a tough day and lessons of linespeed and physicality meant that he had a rough lesson, but it's all good experience.
-
And we get accused of not knowing about thier rugby....
I barely remember how many teams there are but I know it ain't been 12 for a long time! Although tbf it is still the same 5 teams in nz that were there in the S12, so in a wzy there is some truth in the headline 😂
-
-
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
i really hope you were looking for that tongue in cheek emoji...
-
@Catogrande said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
i really hope you were looking for that tongue in cheek emoji...
No. I was too busy looking up when the World Wrestling Federation changed their logo to a panda and why they are concerned about an endangered rugby player
-
@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
His name is Fekitoa not Vaquita FFS and why does it matter how many of his family are left in the world?
this really should have got more love. Tough crowd. two thumbs up
-
-
@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
No replacement will be named apparently, but if there were one
Zebo?
Earls?
May?
Brown?Earls was absolutely excellent for Ireland vs USA, the best I have ever seen him play in a green jersey.
-
@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
Drag Donal Lenihan to give the old "1971 Canterbury" speech. Won't really work (not that it did the first time) but seems like a move Gats would make.
-
@Billy-Tell said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
No replacement will be named apparently, but if there were one
Zebo?
Earls?
May?
Brown?Earls was absolutely excellent for Ireland vs USA, the best I have ever seen him play in a green jersey.
If you wanted a like for like replacement, how about Nick Abendanon?
-
-
@Duluth said in B&I Lions 2017:
Cover fullback from within the current squad and bring in Ford
While not a bad call that would be admitting the first selections were wrong. So, unlikely.
