British and Irish Lions vs Waratahs, Sat 15 June 10:30am; Sky Sports 2

trouttrout

Roberts has been so-so. Pity Manu is injured, much better player imo

wonderfullife

SOB:

"It's up to us to buy into what the Lions is about. When the Test team is announced it is more important for those not in the side to maintain standards in training and keep pushing"

totallegend

It's being talked about so much that it's worth noting that the Lions line out has functioned well so far.

Think Maitland is out of the test team.

P.Walnuts

I think Vunipolou's scrummaging has to be looked at....if it was a ref vaguely interested in scrummaging we would of had at least 3 penalties against us...

Kiwi_knock

toomevara wrote: »

Anybody else find it odd that Mitchell isn't in the wallabies squad? Are we talking politics or is Berrick Barnes that good?

Poor form, injuries and a poor attitude on and off the field over the last few years. Moving abroad also harmed his chances. I think he should have been called up ahead of Morahan but Deans is fairly set in his ways.

trouttrout

Warburton gets through his work, he's honest as ****, but SOB and Tipuric do they exact same and supplement it with their carrying/hands/turnovers

Chabals Beard

POC is in the form of his life

leakyboots

Sky focusing on Warburton bigtime

ScrubsfanChris

Jesus, SKY struggling to find highlights of Warburton, one of them was a missed tackle....

totallegend

Sky try to highlight Warburton's tackling but it was someone else making the tackle every time!

He's doing well though

trouttrout

leakyboots wrote: »

Sky focusing on Warburton bigtime

Blowing an amount of smoke up his arse. Trying to praise him for slowing down a ball that any supposed groundhog seven would not have been driven off

Mahatma Geansai

If that's the only highlight reel they can make for Warburton, Sky are only trying to influence the punters view so there won't be such lare scale outrage when he starts next week. He hasn't been poor in any way, but there are two better 7s on tour.

.ak

Is the Sky panel being paid to big up Warburton? Listed all his responsibilities in the game as areas we're struggling in, then go on to say he's actually great and doing them well, then shows a lot of clips of him being poor and sloppy at the breakdown and try and big him up over it... Hilarious stuff.

Buer

trouttrout wrote: »

Warburton gets through his work, he's honest as ****, but SOB and Tipuric do they exact same and supplement it with their carrying/hands/turnovers

He has been very good at the breakdown today. Not making the flash plays but very effective and turning good ball into bad ball for the Waratahs. Wouldn't have him in my test side but I think he's doing enough for Gatland to feel comfortable with him in the test side.

toomevara

.ak wrote: »

. Defo the 3rd choice 7 imo if he wasn't captain. Tipuric and SOB should be ahead of him.

Could not agree more and this really, really f**ks me off no end. Gatland has got to bite this bullet as this may, given the game the Aussies play, cost us the series. The 7 berth is just so bleedin' crucial.

Chabals Beard

"Sam is our captain "
There has been two captains on this tour and Warburton isn't one if them.

Kiwi_knock

Youngs, AWJ and Croft look like front runners for their position after their first half, all three of them are everywhere on the pitch. Very impressive. Hope the Tahs can keep up their performance and the match remains competitive.

wadacrack

totallegend wrote: »

Sky try to highlight Warburton's tackling but it was someone else making the tackle every time!

He's doing well though

Warburton isint doing well. Even Sky are struggling to show any contribution he has made.A Lions captain needs to stand and perform. He is not doing that.

Buer

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Jesus, SKY struggling to find highlights of Warburton, one of them was a missed tackle....

Had to laugh at that one. SW slid off and Roberts completed.

Bridge93

If he wasn't captain I think the back row would be SOB Tipuric and Heaslip. But he is captain so...

awec

Score?

Lelantos

awec wrote: »

Score?

23-10

Hippo

Fabulous stuff from POC and a huge improvement from AWJ. Big error from JH but otherwise he's been terrific. Philips looking slow occasionally but he's getting a hard, illegal time at the breakdown and despite warning them the ref's done nothing about it. Zebo has really impressed me, very busy, though has to be careful about coming in on the defensive line. Front row looking good, masterclass from Sexton.

Drico is hugely missed, both in attack and defence.

OldRio

Impressed with Croft but Warburton meh.

Flincher

Sky fairly embarrassing themselves with their Warbuton "highlights"

Apparently running around is now a highlight.

Well done lads.

Rightwing

I don't blame Warburton, if the chap isn't good enough, I blame Gatland.

wonderfullife

Sky are right to an extent. Warburton (to my eyes) is having an OK game. Nothing more than ok. But when the match stats are unveiled he'll be near the top on tackle count etc.

Yes but i'm sorry so was SOB and Tipuric and that's the bare minimum expected of a 7. There's more to rugby and definitely more to 7 than just scrambling around on the deck for the ball.

What Sky wont show is the lack of ball carries, the lack of metres made, the lack of offloads, the lack of any attacking contribution from Warburton. And let's be fair Tipuric and SOB offered all of those.

It's not green tinted glasses either as i would 100% respect the choice if Tipuric gets 7 ahead of SOB.

Kiwi_knock

I can understand why Sky are bigging up Warburton, if the British and Irish media destroy him in the media it makes him an easy target for the Aussie media. They will heap pressure on him which will play in the Aussie's hands. I say the British and Irish media know Sam will start so are getting behind to avoid him becoming an easy target for the Aussie media.

.ak

TBH I'd be gutted if SOB isn't picked, however my head says the best backrow so far is Croft. Tipurc. Heaslip.

Bridge93

Rightwing wrote: »

I don't blame Warburton, if the chap isn't good enough, I blame Gatland.

I've no doubt he's good enough, the issue is he hasn't been fit/isn't fit and there are others playing better atm.