Welsh Lions: Brian O'Driscoll dropped from the 23 for 3rd Test [MOD NOTE POST 1]

JagerScout

Here is to a series loss!!!

MOD NOTE: It seems people are more interested in being dicks than actually discussing what's at hand. Straight one week bans for anything we consider uncivil. Be mindful of your fellow posters - you have been warned.

clearodara

JagerScout wrote: »

Here is to a series loss!!!

source??

wandatowell

Ballsy move if true

donegal11

clearodara wrote: »

source??

here

Brian

clearodara wrote: »

source??

https://twitter.com/MichaelC_RTE/status/352253283869528064

Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip dropped for Test 3

https://twitter.com/lionsofficial/status/352253466569224193

Team Update - @lionsofficial vs @QantasWallabies - Backs - Halfpenny, Bowe, Davies, Roberts, North, Sexton, Phillips

https://twitter.com/lionsofficial/status/352254176614547456

Replacements - T Youngs, Vunipola, Cole, Gray, Tipuric, Murray, Farrell, Tuilagi

Must be some kind of cruel joke.

hinault

Did BOD play that badly last Saturday?

JagerScout

hinault wrote: »

Did BOD play that badly last Saturday?

certainly outplayed Davies. It's a joke selection.

wandatowell

hinault wrote: »

Did BOD play that badly last Saturday?

I didnt think so myself

Turtwig

Is he injured? Or is this a "disciplinary" issue?

JagerScout

Jernal wrote: »

Is he injured? Or is this a "disciplinary" issue?

it's neither.. simply dropped.

Pride Fighter

JagerScout wrote: »

Here is to a series loss!!!

It's a bit negative. I'm still supporting the Lions even if they drop BOD.

It's a baffling move considering Jonathan Davies has been awful IMO. The worst of the Lions centres by far.

But here is still hoping they can win the test, and knowing BOD he'll be cheering them on more than anyone.

eclipsechaser

JagerScout wrote: »

certainly outplayed Davies. It's a joke selection.

Seems like BOD should have missed the match-losing tackle in order to make it onto this week's team.

JagerScout

colman1212

Heading to the game on saturday and I am absolutley gutted.
How can they expect to win one of the biggest matches in world rugby without a single leader on the pitch? Seriously. WTF.

dessierb

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/brian-odriscoll-a-shock-omission-from-british-and-irish-lions-side-for-wallabies-test-series-decider/story-fn5k35fo-1226673669482#.UdOYDu7CtYZ

Fox sport article. Very very disappointing

For me, I am absolutely gutted for BOD. I thought he was immense in defence (as usual) for the Lions and it's a huge shock omission. I genuinely believe he is one of our most dangerous players that can conjure an opportunity out of nothing and turn the game on its head.

However, it's difficult to gauge whether or not I have the Irish tinted sunglasses on sometimes, even when I try not to. So I searched the web for forums and found non-Irish reactions to the decision to leave him out of the squad:

A supporter of England Rugby said this:

Bloody Nora, No BOD! That breaks my heart. They had better win it for him.

Link

A supporter of the Australian Rugby team said this:

Wow.

Out of all the backline players, he's the one that scares me the most. North is quick but turns like a petrol tanker and has suspect defence. I guess Tuilagi is on the bench though.

Link

Final one:

Astonishing. Bad call by Gats. His defense will be missed.

I genuinely think this call could lose them the game

Link


It was interesting to see their reactions (there'll surely be more, it was only recently announced) to know just how great a player BOD still is after all this time. I suppose many or all of us knew this, but hearing it from the opposition really does hammer it home with conviction.

I do not support Gatland's decision one bit, I think it's a terrible call.

Diamondmaker

I get it now..

Roberts – Man mountain
Bowe – Big Winger
North – Can carry Izzy and Ball...
Davies , bigger than BOD
Phillips....... nuff said
Sexto. As big and strong 10 as they come.
With SOB a super hard ball carrier, whos famous “Tullow side step” is otherwise known as running at the man

Murray over Youngs on Bench
Manu over BOD, even for a bench spot..

As the Ozzie press mooted at the start heres the Slabs of Meat !

Quite possibly BOD was not dropped, so to speak, he only made the 1st 2 tests team with Roberts out :eek:

AngeGal

An appalling decision.

Some random thoughts:

I will be backing us in the 6N against Wales in Dublin, lot of motivation for that one.

It will be pretty strange for Sexton to play a big game with B'OD at number 13.

I wonder if Gatland is ensuring that he doesn't repeat the 'mistake' Henry made in '01 and that regardless of anything else, he's welcome back in Wales. I doubt it and he is probably just trusting those he knows best but it's difficult to totally rule it out.

brandon_flowers

Wales haven't won in Australia in 43 years and I don't think they will start now.

Robbie Deans is probably checking if BOD is somehow eligible for the Wallabies.

Tempted to flog my ticket now. Not the way I wanted to start the final leg of the tour.

highly1111

Rumour in oz is that he confronted / expressed his views to gatland about his tactics and gatland took great exception to that.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face though.

ConFurioso

Source?

highly1111

ConFurioso wrote: »

Source?

can't help there - I was chatting to a friend in oz on fb who claimed that's all over the media and commentary there. I've no official source.

JagerScout

How incredibly bittersweet it will be for BOD if the Lions win. Finally gets the tour win he has striven after but has no part to play in the deciding test and probably on of the more disappointing moments in his career.

Also this will be the first time in 4 series that he is not the first choice 13 barring injury and sadly his last possible game ever for the Lions.

To think a player as average as Jonathan Davies has been chosen ahead of him, its baffling.

brandon_flowers

Any sign of Shane Williams? Even Neil Jenkins was probably in with a shout.

Grandpa Hassan

He has been good in defence, but had showed nothing in attack. We have to score tries, and he's not at his best. Let's not forget that.

JagerScout

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

He has been good in defence, but had showed nothing in attack. We have to score tries, and he's not at his best. Let's not forget that.

And Davies has? get out of here.

ButtersSuki

Obviously Gatty has been reading Conor George's "articles" for the last few years.....:)

Bonkers call.

Diamondmaker

highly1111 wrote: »

can't help there - I was chatting to a friend in oz on fb who claimed that's all over the media and commentary there. I've no official source.

I have not heard that one....... anywhere

touts

Disappointed but not surprised. I remember leading up to the 1st test all the talk out of the Lions management was how lucky they were to have two excellent 13s to play beside Roberts at 12. Therefore Roberts was a lock at 12 and the selection was between Davies and BOD. Then they started to heap praise on Davies for his performances in the warm up games. That struck me as the start of the PR job to explain why BOD was dropped because they knew it would be a ****storm in the media that the Welsh dominated management were being loyal to the Welsh players. Then Roberts got injured in the last warm up game and everything suddenly changed but I think they had already decided BOD was dropped. Roberts comes back in and they revert to that decision.

Klunk_NZ

I wouldn't have had him there in the first place And quite fankly he wouldn't have even made the Aussie squad post 2011 WC. Manu Tuilagi Should have been there....... But instead of a double change like I would have made he has kept Davies that is the mistake.