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

Dave_The_Sheep

Anyawys, jokes aside. I think maybe a lot of people needed to take a step back before going online this morning. Facebook is going nuts with people crying\shouting about BOD.

BOD must be gutted, but he's a professional, and he knows there's no room for sentiment in sport. So if Gatland genuinely belives that Davies/Roberts is a better combo than O'Driscoll/Roberts, then so be it. That's his call to make. If it comes off and we win, then fantastic - history will remember him as a series winning manager. If it doesn't, he'll be rightly slaughtered for throwing away a best chance for a series win in recent memory.

For the record, I wouldn't have dropped him, but then again I'm not a highly (still?) regarded rugby coach, and while it saps a little of my enthusiasm for the tour, I'll still be cheering on the Lions on Saturday. Remember, there's still Sexton, Bowe and O'Brien on the pitch, if you're only interested in the Irish contingent. To those of you hoping Australia win, try remember that.

Grimebox

This has really sucked the fun out of it for me. I'm not begrudging as far as to not support the team but it just won't be the same.

.ak

kevtwin wrote: »

You're not alone on here pal!

BOD is unlucky not to feature in the 15 but then so is the only natural 7 left in the squad Tipuric. It could be argued that Gray is unlucky (or Evans) as Parling is hardly inspirational. You could also make a case for Conor Murray as the in-form 9 who is also in the Phillips mould - I'm Welsh but i feel Murray could have pipped Philliips based on how he has played.

Alex Cuthbert is also 'unlucky' but Bowe is a better player - Cuthbert scored with his one attempt and is possibly the most natural finisher of them all.

No, lets concentrate on Brian O Driscoll who's last appearance in the 6 Nations saw him do exactly what everyone has been pilloring Horwill for, stamping a defenceless player.

Lets forget two near interceptions that could have resulted in tries (include the silly under legs pass that saw North flat-footed and having to carry Folau.

So he has tackled well? If you look at the missed tackle stats you will see that he is not the only one.

This board has erupted in indignation and its all based on emotion. This is sport and Gatland has picked a team to win. The Welsh team, like it or not, are the best in the NH, in-form and firing on all cylinders. Every single point in the two tests have come from Welsh players.

If you're all honest, you wanted to see BOD go out in glory, captaining a winning Lions series but in reality this is probably a series too far for him. One of the greatest of all time, but has dropped off his impeccable high standards.

All very nice but he has not shoe'd himself in and as a captain pray tell exactly what he has achieved in the game. An all-time great centre but NOT an all-time great captain.

AWJ is on form and Gatland has always favoured forwards as his captain - so has not changed anything there.

Davies and Roberts were good enough to be in a RWC Semi-final, win a Grand Slam and a Championship together and Wales' defence was by far the best in the last 6 Nations - Roberts is the defence captain.

So you can look at Davies' errors and say he is not up to the job? He has achieved a hell of a lot in a short space of time in the game.

Im upset that Tipuric got the bench instead of the start, but thats rugby and Gatland carries the can if it goes wrong.

To all the idiots hoping the Lions lose, this......

If Ireland had only one representative in the starting 15 and it was BOD, you would all be behind him, but he is not, so get behind your other players.

BOD is the past, and should have called it a day in the 6N but chose to come on tour. His days as a first choice are over and if you lot dont get used to life without BOD i warn you, you will end up like the Welsh middle-aged fans of the 70s who still remember the golden years.

I was a youngster in the 70s and i remember the great of way back when, but 3 Slams and a Championship plus a WRC semi-final we would have won with 15 players suggests our golder era is back.

If you bunch of moaning minnies want Ireland to win things you need to look forwards not backwards.

BOD WAS a great, he is not any more......like our own Gareth Edwards or JPR, he got old.

Live with it.

The problem with your argument is that you're using emotion as the basis for the outcry for BOD being dropped, when infact you're doing the same yourself.

Cuthbert wasn't unlucky to be dropped, he was awful. Tipuric has been good but he's not powerful enough in the tight for this level. Heaslip was decent but Faletau offers new legs. Philips on his day is one of the best NH scrumhalves around.

Davies over BOD makes no sense whatsoever. Davies has been absolute poison in the two test games and was directly at fault for Australia winning the game last saturday. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Also drop the dickish attitude and read the charter.

Gambas

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Anyawys, jokes aside. I think maybe a lot of people needed to take a step back before going online this morning. Facebook is going nuts with people crying\shouting about BOD.

BOD must be gutted, but he's a professional, and he knows there's no room for sentiment in sport. So if Gatland genuinely belives that Davies/Roberts is a better combo than O'Driscoll/Roberts, then so be it. That's his call to make. If it comes off and we win, then fantastic - history will remember him as a series winning manager. If it doesn't, he'll be rightly slaughtered for throwing away a best chance for a series win in recent memory.

For the record, I wouldn't have dropped him, but then again I'm not a highly (still?) regarded rugby coach, and while it saps a little of my enthusiasm for the tour, I'll still be cheering on the Lions on Saturday.

It's all going a bit Thierry Henry for me. I'm just waiting for the IRFU to make a plea for an extra player to be added to each team so BOD can get a game.

AudreyHepburn

Ok really not understanding what's so wrong with being annoyed/angry/upset/disappointed etc that BOD's been dropped?

Can we not be confused about Gatland's decision? Can we not be angry that such a great player and leader has been denied his rightful place?

Grimebox

JagerScout

Frank Black wrote: »

I'll be supporting the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

You can pull your BOD duvet set over your head, have a good cry and we'll let you know the result at 1pm.

Supporters like you we can live without.

congrats on being a Lions supporter, must be enjoyable supporting one team every 4 years.

I'm an Irish supporter and frankly the Lions has nothing to do with Ireland.

Hope Johnny, Tommy and Seanie have good games and don't get injured next weekend...

but I would love for an Oz win because I can't support a Warren Gatland lead side.

Daz_

Frank Black wrote: »

I'll be supporting the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

You can pull your BOD duvet set over your head, have a good cry and we'll let you know the result at 1pm.

Supporters like you we can live without.

An arrogant piece of work aren't you? Bet you feel like a really big man now don't you ?!
Look at you getting all worked up about the lions , hilarious !:)

She bangs She bangs

This is the biggest mind sexual intercourse Gatty has ever done. BOD dropped, Auz rejoice, last second JD gets "injured" BOD back in, Auz rattled, Lions by 15.

(Clutching at straws here)

Rezident

While of course the lions could still win, I will be betting heavily on oz now.

.ak

Frank Black wrote: »

I'll be supporting the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

You can pull your BOD duvet set over your head, have a good cry and we'll let you know the result at 1pm.

Supporters like you we can live without.

MOD: Banned.

Okay folks as per sticky enough is enough. We're starting to hand out bans. If you can't discuss things like adults then we don't want you around here.

Gambas

.ak wrote: »

Davies over BOD makes no sense whatsoever. Davies has been absolute poison in the two test games and was directly at fault for Australia winning the game last saturday. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Completely unfair to judge Davies at 13 with Roberts along side him on the basis of 2 tests at 12 with BOD alongside him.

Gambas

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Ok really not understanding what's so wrong with being annoyed/angry/upset/disappointed etc that BOD's been dropped?

Can we not be confused about Gatland's decision? Can we not be angry that such a great player and leader has been denied his rightful place?

There's your problem right there.

.ak

Gambas wrote: »

Completely unfair to judge Davies at 13 with Roberts along side him on the basis of 2 tests at 12 with BOD alongside him.

And likewise, completely unfair to judge BOD when he has a misfiring 13 beside him. Anyway he was defending the 13 channel when he let AAC skin him.

Also going on all the midweek games Davies has been the poorest of the centres.

This call is based on what Gatland thinks he knows about his players. He's going with tried and test (and failed) combos.

fitz

Gambas wrote: »

Completely unfair to judge Davies at 13 with Roberts along side him on the basis of 2 tests at 12 with BOD alongside him.

Completely unfair to judge BOD at 13 on the basis of being outside a woefully misfiring Davies.

Oh, and who was at 13 for the AAC try again?

SlickRic

Colm Tobin ‏@colmtobin

If Enda Kenny isn't ringing Warren Gatland and threatening to send out John Hayes in a helicopter gunship then he's no leader of mine.

.

WorldRugby99

well i called it a few days ago on here ,that gatland would go welsh and bod to be controversially dropped,so im not surprised its actually happened.big call from gatland,not just over o driscoll,but over hibbard,faletau,lydiate,phillips,roberts,davies-hes backed his welsh players-now they have to perform.
2 english,3 irish,10 welsh-its how i imagined the test team,under gatland,was going to be from the start.

Leslie91

Don't get me wrong Davies is a decent player, in fact he played very well in the last match before the 1st Test, against the Waratahs was it?, so he deserved his spot on the 1st test team but he has been a huge disappointment in the 2 tests culminating in the missed tackle last week.

He should not be playing over BOD. We all saw how well Roberts and BOD play together so it is not a case of the 2 welsh lads being too much more familiar.

I simply can't get over this decision.

It's almost like we need the IRB to come in and appeal it FFS!!.

.ak

WorldRugby99 wrote: »

well i called it a few days ago on here ,that gatland would go welsh and bod to be controversially dropped,so im not surprised its actually happened.big call from gatland,not just over o driscoll,but over hibbard,faletau,lydiate,phillips,roberts,davies-hes backed his welsh players-now they have to perform.
2 english,3 irish,10 welsh-its how i imagined the test team,under gatland,was going to be from the start.

In fairness there's a decent case for all of the above to start. Just not Davies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deg1bQt1rzQ

wadacrack

Gatland Welsh bias has been ridiculous.First of all bringing in Shane Williams and now dropping BOD for an all welsh partnership.I think it should have been Tuilagi and O Driscoll .Roberts has been in very poor form.I thought the Lions would try and play with some skill in the back line but no just going for physicality . Australia will be delighted with the news

Gambas

.ak wrote: »

And likewise, completely unfair to judge BOD when he has a misfiring 13 beside him. Anyway he was defending the 13 channel when he let AAC skin him.

Also going on all the midweek games Davies has been the poorest of the centres.

This call is based on what Gatland thinks he knows about his players. He's going with tried and test (and failed) combos.

Davies had a cracker of a game against the Waratah's - the last time he played 13?

LeeroyJones

razorblunt

Scotty Gibbs must have been checking his phone like a mad thing all night!

I could stomach a dropping to the bench at the very most, but keeping davies in there is an awful decision. Tuilagi on the bench is an indicator that the DOC and his one leg won't hold up for the game.

Let's hope the Welsh don't let their weakness to Gold jerseys get to them!

.ak

Gambas wrote: »

Davies had a cracker of a game against the Waratah's - the last time he played 13?

It was decent run out, but nothing compared to what the other 13s (Barritt aside) had put out in the warmup games.

AudreyHepburn

Gambas wrote: »

There's your problem right there.

Does he not have a right to be on the team?

.ak

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Does he not have a right to be on the team?

Well nobody has a right to be on a team. That's just silly in fairness.

kevtwin

Gambas wrote: »

Well argued. Still think BOD deserves his place in the 15, but won't know until Saturday which is the right call.

thanks pal,

I'm not anti-BOD in any way, quite the opposite i'm a fan but, not being Irish i can watch him dispassionately.

Shane Williams was one of our greats, and seeing him turn up on tour not being able to deliver was sad. Players HAVE to know when to call it a day. If BOD had not toured, he would have retired without any of this hullaballoo.

As someone alluded to earlier, JD2 is not a patch on BOD two years ago, but theres not so much between them now and thats entirely down to BODs age.

AudreyHepburn

.ak wrote: »

Well nobody has a right to be on a team. That's just silly in fairness.

Ok let me rephrase; Has he not earned his position on the team?

Hanno83

I've long been a lurker on this forum and don't post. However, this is a topic I feel stronly about.

I'm disgusted with the way BOD has been treated. He made twice as many tackles as Davies last week. It was Davies who made the defensive error for Ashley-Cooper's try.

The selection smacks of a Welsh bias and Gatland has proven himself to be what many of us suspected him to be.

I've been away supporting the Lions on previous Tours, but this decision has taken away my interest. It would gall me to see Gatland win a Test series. I'll be fully behind the Aussies on Saturday morning.