To the Coaches - Huzzah!

Over the last couple of months the Lions Coaches have suffered abuse and vitriol from pretty much every poster on here. I avoided this place between the 3rd test team announcement and after the game as everyone knew what it would be like.

Mistakes were made by the coaches, and there was fair criticism, but equally at times the abuse of pretty much all of them (bar Neil Jenkins) was ridiculously high. The abuse heaped at Rowntree and Gatland when Corbisiero was added to the party was perhaps the peak.

Any way, did not agree with everything you did. (Will never agree it was sensible to go without a genuine 3rd option at 10) but thanks to you all.

           

Aside from the decision to take Stevens in the first place, thought selections from go to whoa! at least made sense for the most part. You could see what the coaches were trying to achieve and if they weren't always successful, it wasn't for the want of thought.

Think Gatland deserves huge respect for making the ballsy calls that he did in Sydney, while Rowntree and Jenkins could pretty much name their price to work with most sides in the world, you'd imagine. Not that they'll be moving, but in theory!

I still feel they took too many players who were coming back from injury - and in the end few of these players were able to have much impact across the test series.

Dropping BOD was the right call I reckon and I said as such straight after the 2nd test and after the 3rd test team was announced. Roberts had to come back as he was the only genuine 12 in the squad and his game suits Gatlands style. While Doc and JD2 did not exactly gel, Davies looked much more comfortable at 13 than he had at 12.

But again a huge cheer to all the coaches.