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

.ak

leakyboots wrote: »

No it hasn't, there's been some cracking games in there. If you want to blame anyone for some lacklustre games you look at the ARU, not the Lions or Sky Spurts

The tests have been dire.

I may be alone in this, but I loved the warm up games. We got to see some fluid, silky rugby and some cracking tries. I don't really care if it was one sided or not, you can only play what's infront of you, and some lads showed some particularly high skill rates, including BOD, Tuilagi, Bowe, North and SOB.

Micky Dolenz

.ak wrote: »

The tests have been dire.

I may be alone in this, but I loved the warm up games. We got to see some fluid, silky rugby and some cracking tries. I don't really care if it was one sided or not, you can only play what's infront of you, and some lads showed some particularly high skill rates, including BOD, Tuilagi, Bowe, North and SOB.

But if what is in front of you is inferior, you will always look better then you are.

moby2101

The entire tour has been dire tbh...
When you look at the quality of of the opposition in the mid week games compared to NZ and SA (..Taranaki Maori ...Emerging Springboks Southern Kings etc etc)

Management has been poor as has the gameplan, backs are not getting ball...it's very much kick and chase..gatland et al have made a bollocks of this fine sporting tradition
I hope the Legacy of what has transpired in the past will outshine the **** and drivel we have been enduring for the past 5 weeks.

.ak

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

But if what is in front of you is inferior, you will always look better then you are.

The opposition can't make handling skills look better than they are.

Poor defending may make attackers look better, but that's another story.

Anyway, regardless, I still very much enjoyed the warm up games. At least they tried to play rugby.

The tests have been poison.

TheKeenMachine

moby2101 wrote: »

The entire tour has been dire tbh...
When you look at the quality of of the opposition in the mid week games compared to NZ and SA (..Taranaki Maori ...Emerging Springboks Southern Kings etc etc)

Management has been poor as has the gameplan, backs are not getting ball...it's very much kick and chase..gatland et al have made a bollocks of this fine sporting tradition
I hope the Legacy of what has transpired in the past will outshine the **** and drivel we have been enduring for the past 5 weeks.

The Brumbies and Reds matches were far from walkovers.

Micky Dolenz

.ak wrote: »

The opposition can't make handling skills look better than they are.

They can cos they don't force things or rush you like better opposition would do.

The Aussie team would have waltzed (forgive the pun) through the same opposition.

moby2101

TheKeenMachine wrote: »

The Brumbies and Reds matches were far from walkovers.

I'd wager The Maori or Emerging Boks would wipe the floor with either of them then or moreso now...wallabies are lightyears behind

Bridge93

moby2101 wrote: »

I'd wager The Maori or Emerging Boks would wipe the floor with either of them then or moreso now...wallabies are lightyears behind

The Reds and Brumbies are club sides while the Maori and Emerging Boks are nearly national second teams so yeah its expected they should wipe the floor with them. The big mistake was not playing an equivalent Aussie team on this tour. I'd rate the Wallabies ahead of South Africa at the moment at club and national level.

andrewdcs

Bridge93 wrote: »

The Reds and Brumbies are club sides while the Maori and Emerging Boks are nearly national second teams so yeah its expected they should wipe the floor with them. The big mistake was not playing an equivalent Aussie team on this tour. I'd rate the Wallabies ahead of South Africa at the moment at club and national level.

When you look at the Aussie franchises, they are certainley up their with their NZ counterparts.

.ak

I know it's childish, but read the last part on BOD Lions career here. Sometimes that Irish sense of humour is the best...

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brian_O%27Driscoll&oldid=562666262

neilmulvey

moby2101 wrote: »

The entire tour has been dire tbh...
When you look at the quality of of the opposition in the mid week games compared to NZ and SA (..Taranaki Maori ...Emerging Springboks Southern Kings etc etc)

Management has been poor as has the gameplan, backs are not getting ball...it's very much kick and chase..gatland et al have made a bollocks of this fine sporting tradition
I hope the Legacy of what has transpired in the past will outshine the **** and drivel we have been enduring for the past 5 weeks.

Of the 3 SANZAR unions, the Aussies are weakest in rugby union depth simply because in NZ and SA Rugby Union is the top sport in the country.

In Australia they have AFL, NRL, Cricket and Soccer as serious competition so the 2nd string provincial sides are going to be much weaker.

I like the idea of taking the Lions on a pacific tour in future before the Aus/NZ test series.

Aus - Japan and Samoa
NZ - Fiji and Tonga
SA - Namibia/Zimbabwe/Canada/USA/Argentina?

Use the Lions to try and promote the game in the 2nd/3rd tier nations.

The problem with Gatlands idea of how the tour should be is win at all costs. The Lions should never be about win at all costs.The Lions are meant to be about incorporating the old amateur ethos into the professional game. Most importantly, they should also be about entertainment. This lion tour is all about Warren Gatland. In 2009 under Ian McGeechan it was about England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, not Ian McGeechan.

In the old days the touring side had a distinct advantage because they spent more time preparing together on tour when the game was amateur, but thats now gone so chances of a series win are not great.

.ak

Continuing the theme of childishness... Great PR move by club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJIq5GpITAc

Micky Dolenz

Brilliant

Kiith

Still doesn't justify the decision to drop him completely.

mike65

Some amount of egg on some faces! The coach is judged by results and Gatland can be very satisfied and will no doubt enjoy the plaudits from the scribblers in the morning!

efb

Warren vindicated

I'll just post this here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic

marienbad

efb wrote: »

Warren vindicated

I wouldn't be too sure of that , some begrudging praise no doubt but in the final analysis he will be judging on scraping home on a series that should have been won in a canter.

Anything he could do wrong he did and one of the long term consequences might be that we revert to ''home'' union management and thus rule out the dream of a Joe Schmidt led tour to NZ

efb

1/2p player of the series.

Can't argue with that!

Quint2010

Fair play to Gatland. Vindicated to the last. Well done to The Lions-SOB, Sexton and Murray when he came on were all immense.

efb

Quint2010 wrote: »

Fair play to Gatland. Vindicated to the last. Well done to The Lions-SOB, Sexton and Murray when he came on were all immense.

Sexton and Murray were immense all series

titan18

I still wouldn't say he got it right, Davies didn't do that much tbh. He's also clearly got it wrong in regards the first two tests with SOB, and possibly with Murray too.

TouchingVirus

Gatland would be vindicated if Davies had a cracking game or proved pivotal. He didn't, so the result can't vindicate him on it. It was still the wrong call.

Swan Curry

titan18 wrote: »

I still wouldn't say he got it right, Davies didn't do that much tbh. He's also clearly got it wrong in regards the first two tests with SOB, and possibly with Murray too.

Will you stop with your rational points,the Sky commentators told me Gatland was vindicated and if they said it,it's obviously correct.

Grimebox

I thought Davies' kicking from hand was immense. BOD couldn't do that...

Chucky the tree

All that matters is that Gatland won the series and the final game with 10 Welsh players. For the all the stick he got before this test his team delieved in style. Embarrassing result for a large number of posters here when you look at what they said before the game.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Chucky the tree wrote: »

All that matters is that Gatland won the series and the final game with 10 Welsh players. For the all the stick he got before this test his team delieved in style. Embarrassing result for a large number of posters here when you look at what they said before the game.

So you decided to hop on your high horse and roll over to say that?

What is embarrassing about saying BOD should have started btw?

jamiedav2011

Chucky the tree wrote: »

All that matters is that Gatland won the series and the final game with 10 Welsh players. For the all the stick he got before this test his team delieved in style. Embarrassing result for a large number of posters here when you look at what they said before the game.

Ah right on cue, here he comes!

Rightwing

Gatty's reaction:

Gatland said afterwards: "The last three or four days have been very, very hard. I had to make a tough decision on Thursday in leaving Brian out. You always doubt decisions but you have to make those hard calls sometimes.
"We said 'look, there's going to be a significant amount of fall-out for that and are we prepared to take the flak?' I've taken quite a bit of flak and I don't want to gloat or feel vindicated. It was about the boys today.
"It was an outstanding performance. We started well, came under some pressure and bounced back again. I said all along that Australia were desperate last week and they brought all their emotion. We felt there was another step up we could bring and we showed that tonight.
"We scored some fantastic tries - the four tries tonight. I thought Alex Corbisiero was man of the match and the guys deserve a lot of credit."

Judgement Day

Well I haven't changed my mind one iota. It was a battle between two almost equally miserable coaches (plus some very talented players) and the least bad coach won. If the Aussies had a different kicker on in the 1st test today's result wouldn't have mattered.

I was delighted to see Jonny Sexton score his try, and Conor Murray outshining Philips, but apart from that.........I left the pub 10 minutes before the game ended...only the second time in about ten years. The singing of 'Bread of Heaven' throughout the game really irked me and the next time Wales wish to tour Australia can they please do it under their own flag. BTW I'm in a good mood.