Lions vs Brumbies Lineup

ColmH81

Just read Shane Williams is starting on the wing... Is it just me or is this Lions tour becoming a joke? In my eyes The Lions was always the best players around.. No disrespect to players (clearly if they're professional then they're good players).. But I don't think Zebo, Twelvetrees etc are Lions material just yet...

HigginsJ

Odd but I guess the injuries just piling up and no time to get anyone out. I remember in '01 they had to get Scottish scrum half who was in Oz on holidays to sit on the bench for the 3rd test.

What is stranger is that Hogg is starting at fly half instead of Farrell. Surely Farrell needs game time.

HigginsJ

Team: R Kearney; C Wade, B Barritt, B Twelvetrees, S Williams; S Hogg, B Youngs; R Grant, R Best (capt), M Stevens, I Evans, R Gray, S O'Brien, J Tipuric, T Faletau.


Replacements: R Hibbard, A Corbisiero, D Cole, G Parling, D Lydiate, C Murray, O Farrell, S Zebo.

Chabals Beard

ColmH81 wrote: »

Just read Shane Williams is starting on the wing... Is it just me or is this Lions tour becoming a joke? In my eyes The Lions was always the best players around.. No disrespect to players (clearly if they're professional then they're good players).. But I don't think Zebo, Twelvetrees etc are Lions material just yet...

Zebo is lions material. Just because Gatland favoured Maitland doesn't devalue him. Proved today that the boy has pure class.

Buer

HigginsJ wrote: »

Odd but I guess the injuries just piling up and no time to get anyone out. I remember in '01 they had to get Scottish scrum half who was in Oz on holidays to sit on the bench for the 3rd test.

Big difference in Andy Nicol sitting on the bench for the very last game of the tour in 2001 due to injuries and this kind of selection even before the test series has commenced. Gatland has thrown in the towel completely for this one.

If they get a win it will be a huge achievement by the 23 men and nobody else.

errlloyd

Well.... I thought wade was a joke when I read it. Gatland is ripping the piss.

Superbus

Equivalent match in 2009, against Southern Kings:

Lions: Keith Earls; Ugo Monye, Riki Flutey, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; James Hook, Mike Blair; Andrew Sheridan, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Simon Shaw, Donncha O'Callaghan, Nathan Hines, Joe Worsley, Andy Powell.


With last-minute injuries for the wings that team would look at least as silly as the Brumbies one.

ColmH81

HigginsJ wrote: »

Odd but I guess the injuries just piling up and no time to get anyone out. I remember in '01 they had to get Scottish scrum half who was in Oz on holidays to sit on the bench for the 3rd test.

What is stranger is that Hogg is starting at fly half instead of Farrell. Surely Farrell needs game time.

You wouldn't know what Gatlands thinking at this stage... I thought Hogg did well when he played 10 last time, but yeah would have thought they'd give Farrell more game time.. Tis odd really...

thomond2006

I'd say Williams wasn't expecting that phone call! :O

ColmH81

Chabals Beard wrote: »

Zebo is lions material. Just because Gatland favoured Maitland doesn't devalue him. Proved today that the boy has pure class.

Not disagreeing that he played well today, and delighted to see him play the 80 but with 6 caps to his name, he's hardly a legend in his position...

HigginsJ

Buer wrote: »

Big difference in Andy Nicol sitting on the bench for the very last game of the tour in 2001 due to injuries and this kind of selection even before the test series has commenced. Gatland has thrown in the towel completely for this one.

If they get a win it will be a huge achievement by the 23 men and nobody else.

If the Brumbies put out a strong line-up (hopefully) it should be a cracking game.

If the Lions do win I agree the 23 guys will deserve huge praise

thomond2006

I didn't really through the whole lineup before, wow. It's a proper Lions 2nd team!

Also, if Shane Williams can get a callup, why can't John Hayes as well? That's the key issue here.

HigginsJ

ColmH81 wrote: »

You wouldn't know what Gatlands thinking at this stage... I thought Hogg did well when he played 10 last time, but yeah would have thought they'd give Farrell more game time.. Tis odd really...

With Barritt & Small Forest at centre it would have made sense to have Farrell at 10 to help them attempt to gel.

irishbucsfan

Farrell and Sexton were both carrying knocks so its not at all surprising to see them being protected

ColmH81

thomond2006 wrote: »

I didn't really through the whole lineup before, wow. It's a proper Lions 2nd team!

Also, if Shane Williams can get a callup, why can't John Hayes as well? That's the key issue here.

I wonder if ROG is sitting by his phone..? Ha... Bring on The Bull, I say...

Blackheath

It's a cause of anybody but chris Ashton

Tox56

Superbus wrote: »

Equivalent match in 2009, against Southern Kings:

Lions: Keith Earls; Ugo Monye, Riki Flutey, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; James Hook, Mike Blair; Andrew Sheridan, Ross Ford, Euan Murray, Simon Shaw, Donncha O'Callaghan, Nathan Hines, Joe Worsley, Andy Powell.


With last-minute injuries for the wings that team would look at least as silly as the Brumbies one.

Eh? Monye, Flutey, Fitzgerald, Sheridan, Shaw and Worsley all started at least 1 test on tour and O'Callaghan, Hook and Ford both benched during the test series

thomond2006

Blackheath wrote: »

It's a cause of anybody but chris Ashton

Williams is in the country (apparently), Ashton isn't.

Fireball07

The Williams thing is a bit weird, I assumed it was a joke.


But Zebo, Twelvetrees, Wade....I don't see a problem with them. Twelvetrees is the best creative centre available that's not BOD. With North and Bowe injured, Zebo was a logical inclusion. And lots of people were calling for Wade as a bolter, his form was excellent at the end of the season.

CatFromHue

HigginsJ wrote: »

Team: R Kearney; C Wade, B Barritt, B Twelvetrees, S Williams; S Hogg, B Youngs; R Grant, R Best (capt), M Stevens, I Evans, R Gray, S O'Brien, J Tipuric, T Faletau.


Replacements: R Hibbard, A Corbisiero, D Cole, G Parling, D Lydiate, C Murray, O Farrell, S Zebo.

The Brumbies could beat us here!

Shelflife

thomond2006 wrote: »

Williams is in the country (apparently), Ashton isn't.

According to a tweet from Williams he was just going to oz on a lions tour holiday.

It's a strange call and I'm not sure what to make of it.

Does it devalue the jersey and is it a kick in the teeth for other players already in the squad or is it a tactical master stroke from gatland ?

Rightwing

ColmH81 wrote: »

I wonder if ROG is sitting by his phone..? Ha... Bring on The Bull, I say...

Unfortunately I saw enough of ROG in the 2nd test back in '09.

GiftofGab

Shelflife wrote: »

According to a tweet from Williams he was just going to oz on a lions tour holiday.

It's a strange call and I'm not sure what to make of it.

Does it devalue the jersey and is it a kick in the teeth for other players already in the squad or is it a tactical master stroke from gatland ?

Can someone explain how it could be considered a master stroke from Gatland?? Its clearley a desperate call. Williams is 36, the last he played for a Japanese lower division club. Gatland should of had enough cover. Why wasnt Ashton called up with Barrett?? Barrett only got the call yesterday - Gatland could have easily called up Ashton too.Its a kick in the teeth to everyone who missed out on a call.

Will Williams now stick around after this game and continue to train with the squad?? He'll be so unfit he wouldnt be able to keep up with high intensity training. It completely devalues the Lions jersey IMO.

Gatland clearley doesnt want this game to happen. He's disrespecting the Brumbies.

Rightwing

CatFromHue wrote: »

The Brumbies could beat us here!

You've nailed it.

Any big handicap and lump it on the Brumbies.

Chabals Beard

ColmH81 wrote: »

Not disagreeing that he played well today, and delighted to see him play the 80 but with 6 caps to his name, he's hardly a legend in his position...

So by your logic you have to be a liggind in your position to play for the Lions. If that was the case there wouldn't be a player under the age of 30 playing for the Lions.

totallegend

I'm sorry but that's a fcuking joke.

Shane Williams? Seriously?

Surely Farrell needs a bit of game time at OH so stick him there and put Hogg on the wing, no?

Gatland has made a horse's ass of this.

nerd69

Can't say I wanted Ashton anywhere near the squad having said that the Williams thing is crazy

zinzan

Midweek fixture, a few injuries.. Is it a cynical marketing ploy to attract the Asian market?!

Insult to current international wingers though, Williams could be well off international pace.

neilmulvey

HigginsJ wrote: »

S O'Brien, J Tipuric, T Faletau.

Croft / Warburton / Heaslip is next saturdays backrow anyway

TheGoldenAges

If anyone I think Tim Visser would be the one with the most right to be upset.

ColmH81

Chabals Beard wrote: »

So by your logic you have to be a liggind in your position to play for the Lions. If that was the case there wouldn't be a player under the age of 30 playing for the Lions.

Sorry, badly worded.. No, not a legend, but their are players out there with more experience and who(in my opinion) are better wingers...