Lions vs NSW-Q Country XV - Discussion Thread

[LondonTiger]

First topic message reminder :

So after the first real test for the Lions, the shebang moves on to Newcastle for what should be another opposed training session. Who can we expect to see playing? Well after featuring prominently in all 3 matches we should see MakoV getting a well earned rest and Corbs and Grant getting 40 minutes each. In the back row Tipuric will be hoping to get some game time having barely featured since the HK fixture. Maitland is an almost certainty on one wing but we may see a surprise on the other with Manu possibly being given a run-out in a 3rd position (assuming he recovers from his stinger) as I expect North to be selected for next weekends match. Sexton should be starting, and we can expect to see the coaches taking a look at how he goes with Mike Phillips.

Predicted Line-up:

Corbs
Hibbard
Jones
POC
AWJ
SOB
Tipuric
Heaslip
Phillips
Sexton
Maitland
Roberts
BOD
Manu
1/2p

Grant, Cole, Best, Evans, Croft, Murray, Farrell, Hogg

Actual Lineup (more left field than I had expected):

15. Maitland
14. Cuthbert
13.BOD
12. Roberts
11. North
10. Hogg
9. Murray

1. Corbisiero
2. Hibbard
3. Cole
4. Gray
5. Evans
6. O'Brien
7. Tipuric
8. Heaslip

Bench

Best, Grant, Stevens, AW Jones, Faletau, Phillips, Davies, Halfpenny

[GunsGerms]

it was the 16 man farce.

He went on the field but didn't replace anyone. England almost got thrown out the tournament. I think John O'Neill was especially keen.

I bet he was alright and yep there is no need to give a cap for that.

[BlueNote]

"they said O'Brien and Drico were the standouts"

That is a little surprising, SOB was good but not outstanding and BOD was a little subdued by his normal sky-high standards (I'd have both in my test team, mind). It was quite hard to pick anyone out as shining in particular, because (apart from when they went through a phase of poor concentration and dropping balls) it was mostly functioning pretty well, other than lineout blips.

For me, the jury is out on Maitland; he looks promising, though.

[munkian]

He was nursing a grade 2 ACL tear against England and still managed two tries. He does look a bit off the mark though

[Guest]

Did Grant come on and if so, how did he do?

According to the stats didn't touch the ball...!

In the first half Corbs and Cole had the nudge on in the scrum a number of times and we drove them back a few metres on a few occasions. With Grant and Stevens on (plus best) there was no joy at a scrum time. The opposition were able to hold our scrum and keep it steady. They all came on at the same time so impossible to pinpoint what or who 'weakened' our scrum but it was noticeably less strong in the second half (front row change at 50 mins).

P.s. Grant definitely did touch the ball as he took it up the middle at least twice in my memory!

[thomh]

Griff - think you mean Corbisiero and Cole, but yeh the scrum did get weaker when they were replaced.

[Guest]

Yep sorry Thomh will update that post!

[wales606]

Anyone know if there is a video of this match online? I found a download but it is taking forever.

[maestegmafia]

Anyone know if there is a video of this match online? I found a download but it is taking forever.

Go on you tube nd cut and paste this in the search and you'll find a really good copy from oz tv

Highlights of Combined Country XV vs Lions

[George Carlin]

Anyone know if there is a video of this match online? I found a download but it is taking forever.

Good highlights here - sure the whole match will be posted in full later:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IMP-KqZNaw

[Hound of Harrow]

I really try to watch the Lions objectively and without national bias. So for me, given they can only play what's in front of them, here goes...

Hogg had a very good game, with crisp passing and saw (and exploited) a gap with great gas for his try. My motm.

Maitland made yards aplenty and showed good awareness.

BOD was pretty near his best with some quality passing.

North - a threat throughout, but could have been more aware of support at times.

Corbisiero was a rock and carried well.

Hibbard and Cole did some great clearing out at the rucks.

Evans was Mr 'go to' at the line out and had a very solid game.

O'Brien made lots of carries and was keen for work, but lost possession a few times and could have offloaded to players in better positions. Took his try well.

Tipuric once again enhanced his rep with a solid and pretty much error free game. The best forward.

[Guest]

Good interview by Maitland. Can imagine the fuss caused if he had said that here. Pretty funny though.

https://youtu.be/UKkvDR7Vr80

[Notch]

Good interview by Maitland. Can imagine the fuss caused if he had said that here. Pretty funny though.

https://youtu.be/UKkvDR7Vr80

Hah! Well they certainly are big.

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

Team I'm going for against the Tah's

Grant-Best-Jones
Parling-POC
Croft-Heaslip-Warbs
Philips-Sexton
Roberts-Tuilagi
Zebo-Kearney-Maitland

Youngs-Vuni-Cole-AWJ-Lydiate-Youngs-Hogg-Halfpenny

[munkian]

Jesus, Doc and Manu are going to be a handfull if they click.

Thats a quick backline too

[RuggerRadge2611]

Best needs to get his lineout throwing sorted. If he hit his man regulary in the line he would be one of the best hookers in the world

I can't figure out how his throwing can be so dodgey though. As a pro player and a pro hooker you think he would practice the throw untill he was hitting his man every time.

Come on Rory I wanted you to tour from the start! Show us why we all think you are awesome!

[GunsGerms]

Best needs to get his lineout throwing sorted. If he hit his man regulary in the line he would be one of the best hookers in the world

I can't figure out how his throwing can be so dodgey though. As a pro player and a pro hooker you think he would practice the throw untill he was hitting his man every time.

Come on Rory I wanted you to tour from the start! Show us why we all think you are awesome!

It is strange. Prior to the 6N this year his throwing was really good. It is also well known in Ireland that he put in a lot of hours outside of normal practice time practicing his throwing. He even converted his barn into a practice area in which it is said he does around 70 lineout throws every evening when in Ireland.

His drop in form coincided with POC being out of the Ireland team and the less familiar combo of McCarthy and Ryan becoming more regular starters. I wonder has this had anything to do with it? Also best has only started the game against the Force when the starting 2nd row was AWJ and Ian Evans.

Obviously Best will have never played with that pairing before. My point is that I do think his performance would improve if he was given the chance to line out with POC and even Gray who at 6'10 is an easy target.

[RDW]

Lineout throwing is like goal kicking – you can do all the practice you want but if you’re not tuned in mentally it will all go out the window!

[SecretFly]

There is an ongoing issue with the lineout throwing for Rory.  I assume it's become a psyhological one now, and it's lingering because everytime he lines up for one now he's thinking about the prominence being given to that part of his game by the critics.  He feels eyes on him.

So, I suspect that he's trapped mentally and needs some help to take the tension out of that part of his game.  That might have to wait for some chats and work done with Schmidt and his new Irish coaching crew.  I don't think Gatland has enough time here in the pressure cooker atmosphere of a Lions tour to do too much work on it.

[GunsGerms]

There is an ongoing issue with the lineout throwing for Rory.  I assume it's become a psyhological one now, and it's lingering because everytime he lines up for one now he's thinking about the prominence being given to that part of his game by the critics.  He feels eyes on him.

So, I suspect that he's trapped mentally and needs some help to take the tension out of that part of his game.  That might have to wait for some chats and work done with Schmidt and his new Irish coaching crew.  I don't think Gatland has enough time here in the pressure cooker atmosphere of a Lions tour to do too much work on it.

A bit like being on the first teebox in a stuffy golf club. You can feel all the eyes in the clubhouse on you as you swing and inevitably top it and pea roll it onto the ladies teebox.

[fa0019]

I thought Best's throwing was better than Hibbards which was dire.... it looked like he'd learnt to throw the ball the day before.... I really worry for the lineout if Hibbard continues with this form.... he was playing a baa baas type side with little time to organise a structured lineout attack on the opposition throw.
Best does launch them at his jumpers pretty swiftly... quite different from other hookers. Chaps like POC will be used to it, those from other countries are probably not expecting such bullets.

He doesn't look his usual self in the loose and on the floor either.... I think the knockback from not being originally selected may have impacted him more than we thought... even though he's now on the tour it must have knocked his confidence.... thinking he was 1st in line in Feb to being 4th in May. He doesn't look confident.

[red_stag]

It has been a very long and challenging year for Ulster players, particularly Best given his role as captain and I wonder whether the strain of this might be starting to tell.

The defeat in the Heineken Cup Final, the tragedy that surrounded Ulster rugby with the death of Nevin Spence, being ruled out of the Ireland Autumn Internationals with injury, Ireland having such a poor 6 Nations campaign, Ulster having done so well only to crumble in the quarter finals in Twickenham, then lose the final of the Rabo after leading the league all year, then trying to deal with the initial rejection by the Lions management.

Thats a lot to juggle in the space of 12 months. A lot of stress, a lot of sorrow, a lot of disappointment. He has always just soldiered on but I know if I had a year like that I'd find coming out into a Lions Tour to be a very pressurised environment (EDIT: I notice SecretFly also referred the Lions as a "pressure cooker atmosphere")

[GunsGerms]

I thought Best's throwing was better than Hibbards which was dire.... it looked like he'd learnt to throw the ball the day before.... I really worry for the lineout if Hibbard continues with this form.... he was playing a baa baas type side with little time to organise a structured lineout attack on the opposition throw.
Best does launch them at his jumpers pretty swiftly... quite different from other hookers. Chaps like POC will be used to it, those from other countries are probably not expecting such bullets.

He doesn't look his usual self in the loose and on the floor either.... I think the knockback from not being originally selected may have impacted him more than we thought... even though he's now on the tour it must have knocked his confidence.... thinking he was 1st in line in Feb to being 4th in May. He doesn't look confident.

Yeah maybe. Probably didnt help that he lost the Rabo final too.

[RDW]

Well put into perspective Stag

[GunsGerms]

Well put into perspective Stag

He is on the tour now though and this is a chance of a lifetime. Time to stand up and make your presence felt. I have no doubt this is how he is thinking because he is a tough character.

[red_stag]

Well put into perspective Stag

He is on the tour now though and this is a chance of a lifetime. Time to stand up and make your presence felt. I have no doubt this is how he is thinking because he is a tough character.

It is of course and I have no doubt that Rory is giving it his all. He won't sit there sulking about losing to Leinster or not being picked in first place.

But as others have alluded to he may be putting himself under all kinds of pressure.

I have to say I have actually found he deals badly with competition. It brings out the best in some players. Other guys react well knowing that they have the starting shirt and can play with some freedom.

Rory became a better player when Flannery hung up his boots. He never played that well when the competition for the Ireland position was fierce. Those were the days his average throwing was contrasted with Flannerys high standard of throwing and I think he allowed it to get to him at times. Are we seeing something similar here?

[GunsGerms]

Well put into perspective Stag

He is on the tour now though and this is a chance of a lifetime. Time to stand up and make your presence felt. I have no doubt this is how he is thinking because he is a tough character.

It is of course and I have no doubt that Rory is giving it his all. He won't sit there sulking about losing to Leinster or not being picked in first place.

But as others have alluded to he may be putting himself under all kinds of pressure.

I have to say I have actually found he deals badly with competition. It brings out the best in some players. Other guys react well knowing that they have the starting shirt and can play with some freedom.

Rory became a better player when Flannery hung up his boots. He never played that well when the competition for the Ireland position was fierce. Those were the days his average throwing was contrasted with Flannerys high standard of throwing and I think he allowed it to get to him at times. Are we seeing something similar here?

I think Flannery at the time was just a better player no? Not sure Best was even going to get a look in ahead of a fit Flannery. Beast of a man.

[red_stag]

Flannery was better. But he was very injury prone. From memory we used to see a situation where he would get injured, Best would come in and play excellent. Flannery would return from injury and the papers would all be full of who was going to start. Best's throwing seemed (maybe it just seemed that way) to be wayward when the pressure to prove himself was on.

It seemed without Flannery's presence whether through injury or later retirement he played with far less worries and produced better performances as a result.

[Submachine]

It has been a very long and challenging year for Ulster players, particularly Best given his role as captain and I wonder whether the strain of this might be starting to tell.

The defeat in the Heineken Cup Final, the tragedy that surrounded Ulster rugby with the death of Nevin Spence, being ruled out of the Ireland Autumn Internationals with injury, Ireland having such a poor 6 Nations campaign, Ulster having done so well only to crumble in the quarter finals in Twickenham, then lose the final of the Rabo after leading the league all year, then trying to deal with the initial rejection by the Lions management.

Thats a lot to juggle in the space of 12 months. A lot of stress, a lot of sorrow, a lot of disappointment. He has always just soldiered on but I know if I had a year like that I'd find coming out into a Lions Tour to be a very pressurised environment (EDIT: I notice SecretFly also referred the Lions as a "pressure cooker atmosphere")

Muller is the captain no?

[wales606]

I thought Best's throwing was better than Hibbards which was dire.... it looked like he'd learnt to throw the ball the day before.... I really worry for the lineout if Hibbard continues with this form.... he was playing a baa baas type side with little time to organise a structured lineout attack on the opposition throw.

Hibbard overthrew 1 lineout from what I can recall

Best overthrew 2, one of which was caught by one of the Lions players at the back, but he was under pressure and ended in a penalty to the opposition.

Best, Youngs and Hibbard all have question marks over their throwing - Hibbard probably has the least problems to be honest, although Youngs has been good in his opportunity so far.

[doctor_grey]

It is of course and I have no doubt that Rory is giving it his all. He won't sit there sulking about losing to Leinster or not being picked in first place.

But as others have alluded to he may be putting himself under all kinds of pressure.

I have to say I have actually found he deals badly with competition. It brings out the best in some players. Other guys react well knowing that they have the starting shirt and can play with some freedom.

Rory became a better player when Flannery hung up his boots. He never played that well when the competition for the Ireland position was fierce. Those were the days his average throwing was contrasted with Flannerys high standard of throwing and I think he allowed it to get to him at times. Are we seeing something similar here?

Maybe he is just simply done up by a long, demanding, and emotional season?  Happens even to the toughest guys.

[doctor_grey]

And, by the way, i thought this match was a complete waste of time.  Not much more than a physical training run. 

I did, however, enjoy seeing the Rugby played in a League stadium and the Rugby lines painted over the League lines........

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