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@NTA said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:
Backline starting to form up for the Lions IMHO, with the following as lock-ins for me:
9 Mitchell -possibly
10 Russell - definitely
11 VDM - not a chance
12 Tuipulotou - Could go either way with the Irish guy
13 Jones - ditto
14 Hansen - unlikely, had one good game
15 Keenan - likely, had one good game but not many options
A really entertaining first half with both sides playing pacey, ball in hand rugby. England’s poor line out and handling errors releasing pressure often though. Second half was less interesting with both sides showing fatigue and continuity getting buggered up by all the replacements. Too much kicking and little intent from either side. England with possession and territory but with a mislaid cutting edge to go with it. Argentina struggling to get out of their half. Heading for a dull draw but England nicked it with a last minute try when for once they didn’t kick it away.
Offside line optional all through the game.
Monkey off the back. Now have to back this up.
Agree re Wills T although he has the weirdest running gait I've seen for a while.
We're pretty well looked after at 6 too (though that's rarely been a problem), with Hill, Tom Curry, CCS, Chessum and several more waiting in the wings. As you say, find some centres and we might be looking like a good team.
@Dodge Underhill is certainly in that conversation. He was immense in the last game.
It's infuriating where we are with genuine open sides currently. For years we had a real dearth of genuine 7s and had a succession of guys who "could do a job". Now we have Underhill, Curry x2, Pollock, Earl, Pepper.
Like bloody London buses.
I wonder if the Argies will try and expose Steward’s one on one tackling rather than put up contestable kicks. He will swallow those up all day, whereas he has the turning circle of an aircraft carrier.
I wa fortunate enough to see a Q&A with Martin Johnson and a couple of other, lesser mortals and naturally it was all about the Lions. Whilst the other two had their views about who is up, who is down, who deserves it etc etc. Jonno was "Nah. You just pick your best players on the tour and that's it. No credit in the bank. No, he deserves it. Just pick the best guy for the job. End of."
Having said all of that, I'd still pick Curry at 6, mainly because no-one has really put their hand up. Maybe Chessum, but he's only had the one outing and was OK. But you will then need Conan at 8 (not a problem) and then you'd pick Morgan at 7 with Pollock on the bench.
I'd be happy with that.
@Catogrande said in Formula 1:
@Catogrande ok boomer
Yeah. Kids today eh?
Why don't you type out another URL to take up the next two days
Don't worry. One of the kids sorted it out for me.
Was it you?
Oh. No. Sorry.
yes but . . .
do you think the penalty would have been applied if the circumstances were reversed
if the penalty was hanging over norris, and piastri was just behind him
so giving the aussie the win over the pom at the british GP
i dont think so . . .
there would have been a riot for sure
@MajorRage said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:
No chance it's going to Farrell, he's barely played and won't even be starting this weekend. Marcus Smith has made every opportunity a winner when introduced from the bench. It's a no brainer.
I agree with you, it's just that I think the coaches may see it differently.
You are correct re DVDM, but the same applies to many who you can be almost certain will start. Curry probably the biggest standout here.
Both have credit in the bank with Curry's being more recent. He had a stand out 6N, including blasting through Jac Morgan in the immediate build up to England's first try. DVDM had a quiet 6N. The thing possibly in DVDM's favour is that the wings have not really shown much apart from Freeman. Lowe has been good in parts but was somewhat lacklustre v the Brumbies and butchered a certain try early on. Hansen - meh.
I expect Pollock off the bench for test 1 but starting by test 3. Kid is a serious serious talent.
Wouldn't surprise me one bit.
Good to see Wainwright starting. God knows whose wives he's been shagging not to get picked so often.
To be honest I really don't think DVDM has done much of anything on this tour so far. Huw Jones very unlucky if he is not picked to start but Ringrose has played well too and I guess if it's pretty even, you go with teh guy you know. Jones has at least had the opportunities to press his case which hasn't always been the case on more recent tours.
Pollock I reckon is seen as a utility back row off the bench and will thrive on game time. I don't see this as a relegation from the test squad and fully expect him to feature at some time in the test 23.
It looks like the famous 
versatility of Smith M is working in his favour. Well that and the fact both Daley and Kinghorn are crocked and Keenan is playing like a sack of spuds. Will he be in the test 23 though? Probably not as I think that place will go to Farrell.
I’m not sure that the Barbarians concept has really transitioned into the professional era and I’m not sure that it can. The original idea, following on from the need to have an extra game to fund The Aussies return (or something), was to tack on an extra, more carefree game to the end of an NH tour. Such tours really don’t happen in the same way anymore. A crowded calendar, player availability, cost has all taken something away from the concept IMO. The Lions on the other hand, has managed to thrive in the pro era, albeit in a more concentrated format.
@Dodge said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
Haven’t seen the game but being isolated at the breakdown again feels like a team problem not a simple back row personnel problem. Heard Haskell talking about this on GBR and am inclined to agree.
Whilst @ACT-Crusader has a point about Morgan being the best out and out 7 so far, I don't think substituting Curry or JDvF for that matte, for him would have solved that particular problem. This has been a recurring theme whether Morgan has been playing or not.
Curry didn't have much of a highlights real but his workmate was immense. On the comms, Warbirton was very complimentary. However I feel that he has shown that he is now a 6 that can fill in at 7 rather than an out and out 7. Morgan or Pollock for the test 7 for me.
A good win but a strangely unsatisfactory one, hats off though to a throroughly committed Brumbies side. Larkham had, unsurprisingly, done his homework and knew that teh Lions were not committing to teh ruck and attacked that successfully all game, why we didn't wake up to that quicker is a matter of concern.
Anyway from this Lions fan a view on the personnel that have either advanced their case for the test side or otherwise;
Putting their hands up:
Ringrose.
Russell
Mitchell
Conan
Chessum
Itoje
Sheehan
Genge
Treading water:
Gibson-Park
Smith M
Freeman
Aki
Curry
McCarthy
Furlong
Kinghorn
Pollock
Porter
Stuart
Hansen
Going backwards:
Lowe
JVdF
Kelleher
@MajorRage said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
@ACT-Crusader AGree. But he did call it. Thus, the TMO needs to be 100% sure it hasn't been scored to over rule it. I didn't see 100%.
Especially as on a previous time where he’d called “no try” to the Lions but checked. Nothing clear or obvious either way and he stays (rightly) with his call. 🤷
@NTA said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Bones said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Mr-Fish said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
I actually think Donaldson could be a step up, higher ceiling but also capable of a few brain farts every match. Very rocks and diamonds but might be the type of player that the Wallabies need.
Interesting, Lolesio has a solid history of melting, love seeing him named against the ABs, I'm surprised he still gets test gigs.
All living of one running kick against the French, about two coaches ago
Mate, that is quite the burn.
Chapeau.
Scandal then.