Blues v BI Lions
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RugbyRefs have a discussion going on Webbs ruck habits
http://www.rugbyrefs.com/showthread.php?20376-Rhys-Webb-ball-positioning&p=331804#post331804
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@Crucial said in Blues v BI Lions:
From The Independent
"Head coach Warren Gatland must have been wondering how the Lions were trailing at half-time, given his side had dominated possession and had the advantage in both the scrum and the line-out. That was partly due to the Blues taking their chances where the Lions didn’t, and also through the ineptitude of the match officials to spot a knock-on through a review when Sonny Bill Williams scored on the stroke of half-time."
The hand that knocked the ball back was very clearly a Lions one.
"The Lions would hit back though with good old fashioned Northern Hemisphere rugby. After winning back-to-back penalties for ruck infringements by George Moala and Akira Ioane, Rieko’s brother, Itoje was able to claim quick lineout ball to set-up the driving maul that allowed CJ Stander to power his way over for the try"
Even the UK commentators said they got away with that one, detaching and rejoining then a break off with players in front.
I maintain ... a knock on taken in front and a maul sacked/collapsed.. well evens
And that call on the try was right
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@Bones said in Blues v BI Lions:
@booboo said in Blues v BI Lions:
@Bones said in Blues v BI Lions:
@Tim Parsons for hooker! Scrafton to take Retallick's vacant spot! GCT shits all over Barrett!
Ummm ... i know it's you @Bones but this is kind of indicative of how the tour may pay out. If we're thinking the journeymen are awesome...
Not sure what you're saying?
Sorry am piddly.
It appears you're saying the journeymen in NZ rugby are good enough to be ABs. And therefore taking the p out of the Lions.
In doing so I'm suggesting you're suggesting perhaps the Lions may be in for a tough tour.
Yes? No?
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That was a pretty cool night for Blues rugby.
They haven't exactly been known for their culture or a team that plays for each other before Tana arrived but I think the club has come a long way in that regard in the last couple of years.
The haka summed it up. While they have a lot to improve on, The Blues have some spine about them now. They seem to be a proper team that play for each other and the region.
Known as a club that has let talented locals flourish for other teams, excellent to see a lot of local stars performing well for the Blues, including a high profile returnee SBW.
It was a huge occasion with a huge crowd and the Blues responded.
A famous Blues victory - and their havent been too many of them in recent years.
Blues fans can hold their heads high and feel proud of their team. I wonder how many kids will be running around in their back yard pretending to be Rieko in the next few days.
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@MiketheSnow said in Blues v BI Lions:
@SimonAdd_2 said in Blues v BI Lions:
Best you mong...
He has form unfortunately
I said this when they made the astonishing decision not to take Dylan Hartley; you want to select a hooker whose set piece skills are rock solid.
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@KiwiMurph I agree and it is great for them to carry something positive into the offseason.
I've said all along that 5th in the NZ conference does not necessarily make you a poor team.It's a hard road being that team in NZ
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Just watched that last 6-7 minutes again and Lions definitely had their chances to win it. Some schoolboy errors when hot on attack were very costly.
The Lions attack was rubbish for the most part. Midfield a huge problem for this Lions squad. In past tours they've had plenty of talent to choose from.
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The body language from the Lions in the last 20 minutes tells me many of these guys are going to struggle taking everyone's best shot game after game.
Mentally you can only be switched on for so long. Who knows if they will lose the remaining fixtures - but they will certainly be in a dog fight just to get a win every minute of this tour. These guys need to get out to a good start in a couple of these games or they will be mentally fried by the first test, let a lone the third.
Unless Gats is keeping some powder dry similar to Hansen at the last RWC where the game plan was restricted the test series is as good as over. The only question mark for me is who gets released/injured in the lead up to Canes and Chiefs and whether the Maori can gel and have the same motivation if the Lions have already lost a couple on the trot.
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Yet again Best causes me to doubt the theory of nominative determinism. Now, if he was called Choker...
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@rotated said in Blues v BI Lions:
The body language from the Lions in the last 20 minutes tells me many of these guys are going to struggle taking everyone's best shot game after game.
Mentally you can only be switched on for so long. Who knows if they will lose the remaining fixtures - but they will certainly be in a dog fight just to get a win every minute of this tour. These guys need to get out to a good start in a couple of these games or they will be mentally fried by the first test, let a lone the third.
Unless Gats is keeping some powder dry similar to Hansen at the last RWC where the game plan was restricted the test series is as good as over. The only question mark for me is who gets released/injured in the lead up to Canes and Chiefs and whether the Maori can gel and have the same motivation if the Lions have already lost a couple on the trot.
I wish this was the case. I mean it couldn't be more restricted. Stand a forward at first receiver, run into the nearest defender, repeat.
Then I remember it's Gatland and Howley in charge of the attack, and all hope evaporates.
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My favourite blog comment of the day:
"But I thought apart from the ABs it was all just going to be a cakewalk for the fake 'team' created & sent to earn money.
The Lions are an insult to rugby. A cobbled together cash cow that are not a real team who people actually believe have the right to just turn up & win agaist professional teams who have played together for years as a team.
To think, the Blues were supposed to be one of the easy games according to the rugby 'fans' here lol
Cannot wait for the tests to watch the ABs destroy the commercial creation whose fans have no clue nor respect nor humility.
The Lions are rubbish & they're going to be humped like fake creations are always humped by the real deal."
Running a close second was this pearler:
"I don't know why people keep talking about the Lions as a composite team. They've known about this tour for years."
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@Pot-Hale wow that is just bollocks. only a complete F Tard would think that.
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That was cool. Obviously I'm cheering for all the NZ teams this tour but I keep remembering the regret I felt for cheering for England when they whitewashed the Aussies, because they later went on to share the test win record. So now I'm sitting here like the Beautiful Mind guy trying to work through permutations that would lead to me regretting hoping the Lions get crushed.
Just a couple of thoughts:
That screaming during opposition lineouts is pretty obnoxious aye? I know all teams like to make a racket but this was something else.
Have they not cracked down on cracked down on contesting in the air up North? I agree those calls on Williams were harsh, if I'd seen them last year... but even that first one would have been a yellow in Super Rugby 2017.
That early maul call on the Blues try line annoyed me.
