Australia vs British and Irish Lions - 22nd June : TEST 1 BUILDUP

First topic message reminder :

So, it's only a week to go before the first Lions test for 4 years.

Gatland has a host of injuries and a game against the Brumbies to manoeuvre while deciding the 23 players who will take to the pitch next Saturday.

Christian Wade and Brad Barritt have both been called up to cover for injury concerns over Jamie Roberts, Manu Tuilagi, Tommy Bowe and George North


My team for Saturday

1. Maku Vunipola
2. Tom Youngs
3. Adam Jones
4. Alun Wyn Jones
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Tom Croft
7. Sam Warburton
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Jonathan Sexton
11. George North (Simon Zebo)
12. Jonathan Davies
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny

16. Richard Hibbard
17. Alex Corbisiero
18. Dan Cole
19. Richie Gray
20. Justin Tipuric
21. Ben Youngs
22. Owen Farrell
23. Manu Tuilagi/Stuart Hogg


Thoughts?

Now now lets not bring this thread into descent bad impressions.

Feel sorry for the Aussies with all these injuries. Hope none are serious

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:If no one minds I am going to channel the much misdeed Bluesman on Phillips:

But you don't understand Phillips is playing to a gameplay and has done it brilliantly. If you don't understand that you don't know anything about rugby IMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Box kicking so long it doesn't give the chace a chance is a gameplan?

Could we see Cooper in at 10 next week, with JOC at 12?

Good scrum

See fellow Scots, if the Wallabies can play a flanker in the centre then what's to stop us letting Richie Vernon doing the same!?

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:If no one minds I am going to channel the much misdeed Bluesman on Phillips:

But you don't understand Phillips is playing to a gameplay and has done it brilliantly. If you don't understand that you don't know anything about rugby IMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It looks as if he's been found out now, which isn't surprising after about 6 tests against Aus. I would have started with Youngs for Aus. Phillips would be better against SA.

Yes Cuthbert!!!

Welsh wing wizards

nice try...straight through the oz forward in the backs

Lol, I was just thinking, Cuthberts done naff all.

Great Score...

I've been saying for months Cuthbert is the first name on the sheet.

What a finisher!!!!!

wales606 wrote:Welsh wing wizards

Lions

Gotta feel for the Wallabies a bit, injuries galore.

I have no sympathy for Australia, how many times over the years have we heard the idea of the provincial warm up games is for host countries to do as much damage as possible to the Lions.

Now bring the beasts off the bench!!!

CUTHBERT.
Well done Wales .

Possibly harsh against Aus there

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should have kicked it upfield!

Poor from the restart, Lions will want to keep a 2 score lead

Hookism if the game plan is to kick long and aimlessly to allow the Sissies to counter attack and score, not chase his opposite number and allow the Sissies to score and then pick and go with nothing on to get driven backwards three time with two turnovers. Add his very slow passing and he's having a shocker.

Shifty I never like seeing players injured, especially head injuries. They strike home a little

I was about to say that the Lions should fill their boots with the back-line they are facing... then the Aussies get a penalty.  

Tough call for the TMO there, no matter what the call he'd be criticised by someone. I reckon he got it right though

Oh yeah give the Aussies 3 points back ref....

Props on early, I guess it makes sense with the strength there

We need Lydiate on. Tom Youngs has been excellent.

When Aus are on their feet, theyy get the penalty, when the Lions are on their feet, Aus get the penalty

wales606 wrote:When Aus are on their feet, theyy get the penalty, when the Lions are on their feet, Aus get the penalty

Yeah, the ref is only looking for reasons to penalise one team it's pretty obvious.

t1000advancedprototype wrote:We need Lydiate on. Tom Youngs has been excellent.

We could use him at the breakdown, but Croft has been excellent in the loose against the Aus backs

Croft just trying to do too much a few times there. Needs to ship the ball out

Big halo pass from Phillips to a man on his own equals penalty and the Lions lose 50m of territory.

Heaslip having a very industrious game. He's doing good things.

Cheeky knock out of the hands of his opposite number from Dan Cole.

Shifty wrote:

wales606 wrote:When Aus are on their feet, theyy get the penalty, when the Lions are on their feet, Aus get the penalty

Yeah, the ref is only looking for reasons to penalise one team it's pretty obvious.  

Rubbish.

Open both eyes.

Shifty wrote:

wales606 wrote:When Aus are on their feet, theyy get the penalty, when the Lions are on their feet, Aus get the penalty

Yeah, the ref is only looking for reasons to penalise one team it's pretty obvious.  

Seriously? Trolling? It's 6 each

Oooh, chance with the overlap then, if that had gone to North I think he would have finished

We need to score again... Never let the Aussies get within a score, as a Welshman, I have seen why, many times recently.....

Another one down??  I can only hear the commentary, at work!!  Is it as close as it sounds??

Mako and Cole are solid enough in the scrum, but they're probably on for their breakdown work, etc; now that Hooper and Gill are both on.

Phillips will probably still do something amazing to win the match.

Shifty wrote:

wales606 wrote:When Aus are on their feet, theyy get the penalty, when the Lions are on their feet, Aus get the penalty

Yeah, the ref is only looking for reasons to penalise one team it's pretty obvious.  

I don't think so. Identified this earlier in the week. If it helps. It's do with the early part of the breakdown. The issue was highlighted here last year when the IRB directives came out. But it's obvious from watching ref's and team from the north they haven't been applied up there. I think he's actually holding back.

This is a non event now.  It is lions vs aussie second string after all the injuries.

Ref is loving Australia.

The Lions are up against 16 men here

Scoped wrote:Shifty I never like seeing players injured, especially head injuries. They strike home a little

Me neither mate, but that's rugby. We had 2 players stretchered off in the first minute against New Zealand in November, it's cruel but it happens

How was that a penalty?

McLaren wrote:This is a non event now.  It is lions vs aussie second string after all the injuries.

really? Not by any stretch over...if anything oz have a stronger backline.

t1000advancedprototype wrote:Ref is loving Australia.

Is that all you people focus on. He took out the halfback FFA. That's a penalty anywhere

Did Beale sing Wordup in the 80s?

Cameo!

Crucial kick!

LeinsterFan4life wrote:How was that a penalty?

He went over the top of the ruck, and hit the scrum half, he went through the gate but your not allowed to hit the scrum half until he has the ball in his hands.
That was a penalty sadly.

Great kick