Lions test 1 team and tactics...

First topic message reminder :

I would personally go with a team like...

Cole
Hibbard
Healy
Evans
Grey
Warburton
Tipuric
SOB
Phillips
Sexton
Bowe
Roberts
Tuilagi
North
1/2p

My bench

Jones
Hartley
Jenkins
POC
Croft
Youngs
Hogg
BOD

There is a mix of experience and guile who start, and my bench would be just as comfortable coming on to change a game as it would be closing one out.

I would base my tactics on an extremely agressive and conditioned kick chase game, allowing Cole, Warbs and Tipuric to challenge on the floor, and a slow and considered attack with tons of pod use and big carries in the tight from the bludgeon in midfield. Ultimately my bench would be my overpowering strength, and something that Aus couldn't rival.

Let the slating commence

majesticimperialman wrote:I am expecting the first test too be mainly Welsh players to be honest.

I think that Gatland and co, will be hoping for a Win in the first test and then mix and match for the rest of the games.

Do you think Gatland and Co will be trying to win the second and third tests too? Maybe hoping for wins in the other games too?

maestegmafia wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:I am expecting the first test too be mainly Welsh players to be honest.

I think that Gatland and co, will be hoping for a Win in the first test and then mix and match for the rest of the games.

Do you think Gatland and Co will be trying to win the second and third tests too? Maybe hoping for wins in the other games too?

Of cause i do mas. But with Gatland being in charge and with their being more Welsh players he is hoping to prove a point. the point being that he was right too select the Welsh players who maybe posters on here have said should not have been there. Now do you understand my point?

majesticimperialman wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:I am expecting the first test too be mainly Welsh players to be honest.

I think that Gatland and co, will be hoping for a Win in the first test and then mix and match for the rest of the games.

Do you think Gatland and Co will be trying to win the second and third tests too? Maybe hoping for wins in the other games too?

Of cause i do mas. But with Gatland being in charge and with their being more Welsh players he is hoping to prove a point. the point being that he was right too select the Welsh players who maybe posters on here have said should not have been there. Now do you understand my point?

But the way you have written it, is that Gatland would (a) change a winning side and (b) mix and match (sounds a bit experimental) for the next two tests.

You're also contradicting yourself again, because sometimes you say Gatland wants a series win to boost his NZ job chances, then you say he would be prepared to select players just to justify his selections. If anything that would be more English than Welsh guys, as the only real questionable selection from a point of view is Lydiate, whereas England have Stevens and probably Hartley.

Anyway

Healy
Hibbard
Cole
Gray
POC
SOB
Warburton (C)
Faletau
Phillips
Sexton
North
Roberts
BOD
Maitland
1/2P

Jenkins
Youngs
Cole
Evans
Tipuric
Youngs
Farrell
Hogg

Jhamer25 wrote:Also Cole is so over rated by some people.
Yes he is a great player don't get me worng but up against adam he doesn't even come close.

So, he's a 'great player' but is 'so overrated'. Why do people having to use exaggeration and hyperbole to make their point? I must have seen it a million times on here.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:Also Cole is so over rated by some people.
Yes he is a great player don't get me worng but up against adam he doesn't even come close.

So, he's a 'great player' but is 'so overrated'. Why do people having to use exaggeration and hyperbole to make their point? I must have seen it a million times on here.

Its not just every day posters... I remember McGeechan earlier in the season called Farrell the ultimate test match animal. I hope he didn't base that assumption of the Wales match???

Scott Allen over at Green and Gold, has started a series where he considers likely Lions starters and tactics. The first part looks at the front row.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/lions-threats-and-how-to-counter-front-row-and-scrum/

Worth your time.

6. Lydiate
7. Tipuric

My eyeballs must witness this at some point!

Rugby Fan wrote:Scott Allen over at Green and Gold, has started a series where he considers likely Lions starters and tactics. The first part looks at the front row.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/lions-threats-and-how-to-counter-front-row-and-scrum/

Worth your time.

WOW

Almost agreed with every word, Moore probably has the all round game and experience over Hibbard and Hartley, but Healy and Jones will be relishing taking the scrum to peices.

That said I still think with the engine room lions will have that Cole will do just fine, and would start him, bringing Jones, Jenkins and Hartley off the bench would strengthen the scrum, and Jones work around the park would be lessened by tired bodies!

I'd go for

Healy
Hibbard
Jones
Evans
POC
Lydiate (would always be in my side)
Faletau
Warburton

Phillips
Sexton

Cuthbert
Roberts
BOD
Maitland

1/2P

Jenkins
Youngs
Cole
AWJ
Tipuric
Youngs
Farrell
Hogg

On recent form in the final stages of the respective cup/league competitions, my team would be

Healy
Hibbard/Hartley (toss of a coin)
Cole
POC
Evans
O'Brien
Warburton
Heaslip

Phillips
Sexton
Bowe
Tuilagi
BOD
Maitland
Kearney

Hibbard/Hartley
Vunipola
Jones
Gray
Tipuric
Murray
Hogg
Halfpenny

It's interesting to see people's selections but I'd be keen to hear why some players are preferred, with a view to outlining what tactics you might be employed.

I'm a tactical numbskull myself, so it's always good to hear views on how players might work with each other.

For instance, on the 606 podcast, I heard someone suggest the Lions coaching team didn't think POC and AWJ complemented each other in the second row in 2009. If we plan on getting an advantage in the lineout, would that mean selecting the most accurate hooker and a back row with lineout options? If our kicking game is a priority, which back three might best fit the bill etc etc.

bedfordwelsh wrote:I'd go for

Healy
Hibbard
Jones
Evans
POC
Lydiate (would always be in my side)
Faletau
Warburton

Phillips
Sexton

Cuthbert
Roberts
BOD
Maitland

1/2P

Jenkins
Youngs
Cole
AWJ
Tipuric
Youngs
Farrell
Hogg

Bugger forgot about Bowe so swap him for Maitland.

I can't see SOB starting, unless he has an amazing tour before the first test. Rowntree has said this week that SOB is a good impact player and will play all three positions in the backrow during the tour. A regular starter for Ireland and Leinster being referred as an impact player by one of the coaches before the tour starts tells me that it doesn't bode well for SOB starting any tests.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:What's the point of the midweek games if we're picking the test side now?

Hopefully the other scrum halves have some storming games to persuade Gatts that Phillips isn't the way to go against Aus.

Hey don't panic. I am sure the OP didn't mean to confuse you, but we are not really picking the team , honestly. It just a bit of fun.

Oh and good luck with the Phillips out (even though as I explained the team is not actually picked yet) campaign. I am sure Gats hangs on your every word

Rugby Fan wrote:It's interesting to see people's selections but I'd be keen to hear why some players are preferred, with a view to outlining what tactics you might be employed.

I'm a tactical numbskull myself, so it's always good to hear views on how players might work with each other.

For instance, on the 606 podcast, I heard someone suggest the Lions coaching team didn't think POC and AWJ complemented each other in the second row in 2009. If we plan on getting an advantage in the lineout, would that mean selecting the most accurate hooker and a back row with lineout options? If our kicking game is a priority, which back three might best fit the bill etc etc.

That's why I went for Ianto and Paulie. One is a 4 the other is a 5. Ianto brings more to the scrum than Wyn-Jones and Paulie is a fantastic lineout operator. Ditto why I'd have Heaslip at 8. He's a great lineout man and brings so much stability to the base of the scrum too. O'Brien/Croft would also work at 6 as they both take a lot of lineout ball for their teams. If we go for the kicking/lineout option, I'd go with Hartley at hooker as his darts are rarely off, but that trades off on the mobility in the loose and scrum stability.

The front row need to be mobile as well as strong so I'd be going for Healy, Hibbs, Cole simply as they'll all get stuck in the loose as well as giving us a great scrum platform. I don't think we need to pick our biggest, dirtiest front row simply as the Ozzies will fold the scrum down and concede the penalty early if there's even a hint of strength in our scrum. Get easy clean ball on our feed, put them under pressure on their own and use it to attack, but don't sacrifice the loose game for the sake of a few penalties.

dragonbreath wrote:

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:What's the point of the midweek games if we're picking the test side now?

Hopefully the other scrum halves have some storming games to persuade Gatts that Phillips isn't the way to go against Aus.

Hey don't panic. I am sure the OP didn't mean to confuse you, but we are not really picking the team , honestly. It just a bit of fun.

Oh and good luck with the Phillips out (even though as I explained the team is not actually picked yet) campaign. I am sure Gats hangs on your every word

You really do take yourself too seriously

rodders wrote:I'd like to beat the Barbarians first ....

So would I, Rodders.

The Ba-bas could rock up with:

1. Andrea Lo Cicero
2. Schalk Brits
3. Martin Castrogiovanni
4. Jim Hamilton
5. Marco Wentzel
6. Alessandro Zanni
7. Francois Louw
8. Sergio Parisse

9. Kahn Fotuali'i
10. Nick Evans
11. Timoci Nagusa
12. Elliot Daly
13. Jaque Fourie
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya
15. Jared Payne

And we're still really confident, are we?

George Carlin wrote:

rodders wrote:I'd like to beat the Barbarians first ....

So would I, Rodders.

The Ba-bas could rock up with:

1. Andrea Lo Cicero
2. Schalk Brits
3. Martin Castrogiovanni
4. Jim Hamilton
5. Marco Wentzel
6. Alessandro Zanni
7. Francois Louw
8. Sergio Parisse

9. Kahn Fotuali'i
10. Nick Evans
11. Timoci Nagusa
12. Elliot Daly
13. Jaque Fourie
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya
15. Jared Payne

And we're still really confident, are we?

No Fourie, but Laulala has been called up so I'd expect him to take the 13 shirt... Also Sam Jones will get a start too alongside Parisse and probably Louw as one of the UC players... Still bloody good! Going to be difficult without most of the Leinster/Ulster/Leicester/Saints+Gethin contingent...

Lions forwards coach Graham Rowntree praises Wales stars

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/lions-forwards-coach-graham-rowntree-3980502

Rugby Fan wrote:Scott Allen over at Green and Gold, has started a series where he considers likely Lions starters and tactics. The first part looks at the front row.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/lions-threats-and-how-to-counter-front-row-and-scrum/

Worth your time.

That was excellent. Will be keeping an eye out for the next articles videos in the series...

Here's Scott Allen on the locks:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/lions-threats-and-how-to-counter-locks-and-lineout/

His comments on how the Wallabies stack up at lock (on the second page) are interesting.

On a slightly different note one of my Aussie cousins just got drafted into the USA Eagles squad. Immensly proud!!!

Shame he wasnt good enough to make the Aussie team but Ireland will be playing the US in the summer.

Thanks for posting, Rugbyfan. I really enjoyed reading both article's.

Rugby Fan wrote:Here's Scott Allen on the locks:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/lions-threats-and-how-to-counter-locks-and-lineout/

His comments on how the Wallabies stack up at lock (on the second page) are interesting.

RugbyFan - these are great analysis. Please could I ask you to also post them here when a new one comes up?:
https://www.606v2.com/t42279-british-irish-lions-weekly-wallaby-watch-wallabies-squad-announced

They are automatic discussion generators and by a fan that knows what he's talking about, for once.