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.

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...

neilmulvey

TheGoldenAges wrote: »

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

Visser/McFadden/Ashton/Brown/Foden should all go on holiday to Sydney/Brisbane next week.

decisions

Williams is only there to hold tackle bags, he isn't going to play I hope, with 36, Wade ect there is no need for him to be there.

Buer

decisions wrote: »

Williams is only there to hold tackle bags, he isn't going to play I hope, with 36, Wade ect there is no need for him to be there.

The team for Tuesday was named last night. Williams starts. All called up players start. It's as second string as possible.

dub_skav

While it's very unusual, Williams isn't a bad call, he's a 1 off selection rather than getting somebody to travel who will have expectations of further tour involvement.

Allows all the test wingers to rest (including zebo) for one match more.
I'd say Williams will hardly even get a tracksuit

JRant

Well that's settled then. Anyone starting in that team has zero chance of making the test team.
Tipuric and SOB wont make the 23 for saturday. Considering Gatland refused to give them gametime against meaningful oppostions he obviously had no intention of picking either from the off.

How are the players who've been there weeks now at this stage going to feel when they look at the team sheet. It would appear the test team was picked around the same time as the squad was announced in April and only injuries have changed anything.

Benny Cake

Gatland, or anybody else, can dress this up any way they like, but this is completely ridiculous. Makes a mockery of the jersey when a has-been on his holidays gets called in for 80 minutes of rugby.... Between this and the warburton fiasco, I'm quickly losing interest in this tour.

JRant

Buer wrote: »

The team for Tuesday was named last night. Williams starts. All called up players start. It's as second string as possible.

Kind of makes it hard for anyone trying to put their hand up for selection though. I think a number of players have been short-changed in the tour so far.

Bridge93

I never thought it would come to this but I'm starting to lean towards hoping Australia win the series. I want Gatland to be made an example for ruining what it means to be a lion.
7 players called out is a joke. Two wingers are injured so three get called out? One centre is injured as Tuilagi is apparently fine and two get called out? There are backs in the squad who can play other positions. Between this and the Warburton issue I genuinely hope they lose at least the first test and I'll reevaluate my position after that.

twinytwo

JRant wrote: »

Well that's settled then. Anyone starting in that team has zero chance of making the test team.
Tipuric and SOB wont make the 23 for saturday. Considering Gatland refused to give them gametime against meaningful oppostions he obviously had no intention of picking either from the off.

How are the players who've been there weeks now at this stage going to feel when they look at the team sheet. It would appear the test team was picked around the same time as the squad was announced in April and only injuries have changed anything.

He may bench. But i knew Gatty was full of **** from the start. As Warburton will play regardless of the fact that SOB and Tipuric are playing vastly superior rugby to him.

Someone said yesterday that POC has more turnovers than sam does, as far as im concerned he isnt doing the job he was brought to do. not even close

Hidalgo

dub_skav wrote: »

While it's very unusual, Williams isn't a bad call, he's a 1 off selection rather than getting somebody to travel who will have expectations of further tour involvement.

Allows all the test wingers to rest (including zebo) for one match more.
I'd say Williams will hardly even get a tracksuit

All well and good bu what happens if another winger gets injured?
Does Williams then go up the pecking order or is another winger called out and go ahead of Williams?
If that's the case, then a viable winger should be called now instead of Williams, get him some gametime Tuesday and maximise his time with the rest of the squad in case he's needed for a test match.

JRant

twinytwo wrote: »

He may bench. But i knew Gatty was full of **** from the start. As Warburton will play regardless of the fact that SOB and Tipuric are playing vastly superior rugby to him.

Someone said yesterday that POC has more turnovers than sam does, as far as im concerned he isnt doing the job he was brought to do. not even close

At this stage i'd say it'll be TF or Lydiate to bench. Shame really as neither players been given a fair go.

tbm

This is all guesseork of course, but I can't see SOB not benching. He covers all 3 positions and has been the form loose forward. It's a big call leaving him out of the starting 15 anyway.

On the Williams thing, he's arriving and training in Monday, playing Tuesday and leaving the camp on Wednesday. I can see what Gatand is at, but he's going about it in quite an odd way.

There's a lot of rugby left to play. Not starting Farrell suggest they are a tad worried about our half.

Buer

tbm wrote: »

This is all guesseork of course, but I can't see SOB not benching. He covers all 3 positions and has been the form loose forward. It's a big call leaving him out of the starting 15 anyway

Agreed. I would put good money on SOB benching. Heaslip, Croft and Warburton are specialists in each slot. Gatland won't go into a test game so exposed.

trouttrout

imo it's good news that Zebo isn't starting

LostArt

trouttrout wrote: »

imo it's good news that Zebo isn't starting

I think there's a very big chance he'll bench for the first test, possibly start if North is out

thomond2006

If SOB comes off early (~ 50 minute mark) then he'll on the bench for the test.

Kiwi_knock

Yeah it is likely whoever of the backrow comes off will be on the bench for the first test.

mhtc

ColmH81 wrote: »

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

Just to throw it out there, in 2001 Jason Robinson was just in his 4th test before exploding onto the scene against Australia.

Not saying everyone would the the same impact as he did, but it's not all about experience; if you're good enough you're experienced enough

CIARAN_BOYLE

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.

You fly him out to Australia for a Lions holiday and I'll take care of Cole/Jones so that the Bull gets the call up

swoody

Brumbies Team

Jesse Mogg, Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Andrew Smith, Clyde Rathbone, Matt Toomua, Ian Prior, Peter Kimlin (captain), Colby Faingaa, Scott Fardy, Sam Carter, Leon Power, Scott Sio, Siliva Siliva, Ruan Smith.

Replacements: Josh Mann-Rea, Jean-Pierre Smith, Chris Cocca, Etienne Oosthuizen, Jordan Smiler, Mark Swanepoel, Robbie Coleman, Zack Holmes.