All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2
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Won't get anything close to this, but would personally go with the lineup below. Obviously a chance for a few players to make a case against the Chiefs and will be interesting to see who gets pulled early.
More changes than it's probably wise to make tomake, but would have Itoje and Tipuric starting. Both have superb line speed defensively and are capable of reaching players behind the gainline, before they are a threat. Lions defence forced to be very passive and reactive to some superb AB attacking play close to the ruck, punching up the middle. Keen on established combinations where possible and George, Kruis and Itoje is about as good as it gets in the NH from a lineout perspective, which would be needed as whilst Tipuric is a decent option, he's not in POM's class on that front. Stander has grown into the tour and like the idea of someone with a little more dynamism at 6.
Harsh on Te'o in the backs, but I don't think we are going to win a test on this tour playing two non-distributing centres in him and Davies. Think we should roll the dice here and give Sexton/Farrell a go from the start.
Bench-wise, gone for a 6-2 split with impact being the main focus. Halfpenny's a fantastic kicker and decent defensive full back, but we are more likely to be chasing the game when the bench is emptied and I'm not sure he's what's required when there are two international kickers in the 23. Captaincy a bit of an issue and would give it to Sexton or Farrell from that lot.
1.Mako Vunipola
2.Jamie George
3.Tadhg Furlong
4.Maro Itoje
5.George Kruis
6.CJ Stander
7.Justin Tipuric
8.Taulupe Faletau
9.Conor Murray
10.Jonathan Sexton
11.Elliot Daly
12.Owen Farrell
13.Jonathan Davies
14.Anthony Watson
15.Liam WilliamsReserves:
16.Rory Best
17.Jack McGrath
18.Kyle Sinckler
19.Courtney Lawes
20.Ian Henderson
21.Sean O'Brien
22.Rhys Webb
23.Jack NowellIn reality, I suspect Itoje (AWJ) and Warburton(POM) will come in. Possibly also Sexton either as a straight swap at 10 or a 10/12 combination with Farrell as above.
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@Donsteppa we hear the same BS every year about the thuggish AB's, yet we do the same as others...as for targeting players, I seem to recall a former AB captain having his head targeted frequently and players rarely getting sufficient sanctions.
While I know it is a stretch, I saw a comment the other day that you could argue (with a very long bow) that the Lions were targeting Ben SMith and his succeptibility to head knocks by putting kicks for him to take knowing a slight mis-time from him or them might mean another knock...
Rugby is a physical contact sport, where contesting the ball is a huge part of the game, and when a 110kg fella is running at you full tilt to stop a kick, he gets you, he misses you, there is gonna be contact, most of the time legal, every now and then there wil be late ones, and in most of those cases it is accidental
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@booboo said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
Long term forecast ...
http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/wellington/wellington-city#!/ten-day
Rain
Nor'easterlies
13
10Bloody Wellington. You had one job.
That's the one job Wellington is incapable of doing well.
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@Donsteppa said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
In other words - Dour piece of shit blames everyone else for his averageness.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11882307
Exactly but on the plus side every time this cretin opens his mouth and the all blacks job gets further out of reach .
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This is nothing new from Gatland. Remember him carrying on like a farking idiot after the Carter high tackle. Lost all respect for the prick after that. I don't care what the guy may have accomplished for Waikato back in the early 90s. He's a fuckwit and I hope the ABs bury him.
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@taniwharugby whinge articles featuring quotes by nobodies make my nipples hard
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
calling in the big guns for comments now!
Surely getting a out of context comment from BOD would be best?
Most of that bile trawl by stuff is really a re-hash of Matt Stevens comments, and a nothing to see here by Clive, Gats you're doing it wrong.
Matt Stevens obviously didn't notice what Faletau was doing in that 'incident'.
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I'm not nearly as offended as Gregor Paul seems to be, coaches are going to call other sides dirty from time to time - I'm pretty sure Henry and Hansen both called out players laying shots on McCaw.
Historically, talking shit has been a mistake for opposing sides. Tends to wake them up a little.
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Gatland's comments appear to be in response to Kaino's actions on one particular occasion. And I have no problem with him saying something. In that instance, Kaino can't say he is trying to charge down the kick from Murray, or tackle him.
The other stuff is all part of the game as kickers get hassled all the time.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
Gatland's comments appear to be in response to Kaino's actions on one particular occasion. And I have no problem with him saying something. In that instance, Kaino can't say he is trying to charge down the kick from Murray, or tackle him.
The other stuff is all part of the game as kickers get hassled all the time.
Was that the ruck where the Lions 8 pushed Kaino over?
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@Toddy I don't know.
I just remember Kaino coming from the opposite side to charge down a right-footed box kick from Murray but he never got there in time so ended up collecting Murray's feet after he had already kicked the ball.
I'm sure someone can make a gif of it to confirm.
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Look at the arms. Full commitment to a charge-down.
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yeah nothing to complain about in that one, Faletau has made it 'worse' if you could argue that was bad at all.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
@Toddy I don't know.
I just remember Kaino coming from the opposite side to charge down a right-footed box kick from Murray but he never got there in time so ended up collecting Murray's feet after he had already kicked the ball.
I'm sure someone can make a gif of it to confirm.
Making contact with the non kicking foot , the planted foot , at the time of kicking is a penalty in the NRL now , deemed dangerous ,
Be interesting to see if they do the same in union
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:
@Toddy I don't know.
I just remember Kaino coming from the opposite side to charge down a right-footed box kick from Murray but he never got there in time so ended up collecting Murray's feet after he had already kicked the ball.
I'm sure someone can make a gif of it to confirm.
Making contact with the non kicking foot , the planted foot , at the time of kicking is a penalty in the NRL now , deemed dangerous ,
Be interesting to see if they do the same in union
slightly different aims and actions between the two games though. In league you've generally got a guy with a 10m run up going flat out at the kicker, trying to pressure a mistake, and rarely trying to charge the ball (6 again!). Can't say I've seen a heap of injuries from charging kicks in rugby to require a rule tweak
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Yeah prob right , league you had guys cannoning in at the kickers legs ,
And usually the million dollar playmakers
