Lions 2017 [MOD WARNING IN OP]

Nift

Dog Botherer wrote: »

He is a centre though. A Six Nations winning, All Blacks beating centre.

He's a fullback being played in centre. He is no longer needed at 13 because of Ringrose emergence. Besides he has no chance now of making Lions.

Dog Botherer

Nift wrote: »

He's a fullback being played in centre. He is no longer needed at 13 because of Ringrose emergence. Besides he has no chance now of making Lions.

He's a centre though.

CMOTDibbler

Nift wrote: »

Lols...Payne!! Not a chance. 1) He hasn't played any 6 Nations 2) only person who thinks he's an outside centre is you and Joe

Eh, and Pat Lam and whoever the Northland coach was when he played for them.

irishbucsfan

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Eh, and Pat Lam and whoever the Northland coach was when he played for them.

And basically every coach he's ever played for except possibly his Crusaders coach where he played 14.

launish116

Graham Rowntree joins the coaching ticket, so Rory Best chances are looking slimmer.

The real mccoy 91

sting60 wrote:

I see all this sweet talk about Ringrose for the Lions,I don't get it whatsoever.Imo he is extremely lucky to be playing for Ireland as his tackling is woefully inadequate and big centres will carve him up big time.

Anyone who thinks he is an international centre after watching that might need to rethink

thomond2006

The real mccoy 91 wrote: »

Anyone who thinks he is an international centre after watching that might need to rethink

You're writing off a lad who turned 22 two months ago.

RugbyLover123

Tbf to Ringrose I actually didn't think he played to badly tonight, one of the few Irish players that looked like a genuine threat when he got the ball.

Best blew his chances of captaincy and any conversation of him starting a test match tonight. Throwing in line out under pressure can't be trusted. Some of his calls were questionable too.

razorblunt

Liam Williams had a great performance there, decent carries and some brilliant hits.

.ak

Thought the two best wingers on the pitch tonight were North and Earls, Williams had one of his more quiet games, butchered some chances.

Halfpenny is playing his way out of the sqaud...

wp_rathead

Great for the Lions to see North play like that, shame he decided to turn it on tonight though
For me, North is still behind Williams, Daly, Nowell and Seymour for a starting spot on Test side but will see how he goes v France

AbusesToilets

.ak wrote: »

Thought the two best wingers on the pitch tonight were North and Earls, Williams had one of his more quiet games, butchered some chances.

Halfpenny is playing his way out of the sqaud...

Earls is awful in defense, and is not physical enough. Excellent burst of acceleration and good eye for a gap, but he is not great passing or linking up. Very mixed bag imo.

irishbucsfan

Halfpenny will travel off the quality of his hair alone.

.ak

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Earls is awful in defense, and is not physical enough. Excellent burst of acceleration and good eye for a gap, but he is not great passing or linking up. Very mixed bag imo.

Mixed bag tonight? Really? Thought he was superb.

If you're talking about his 'tackle' attempt on North that's unfair, as a winger you'll never make that hit, the damage is done.

.ak

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Halfpenny will travel off the quality of his hair alone.

Fair point, never really thought of that.

Kiwi_knock

Williams is wasted on the wing. He seems to stick out there rather than come searching for the ball like when he is at fullback.

swiwi_

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Earls is awful in defense, and is not physical enough. Excellent burst of acceleration and good eye for a gap, but he is not great passing or linking up. Very mixed bag imo.

Yeah I don't get the Earls love. His defence remains poor. Be highly surprised if he makes the plane.

Thought Warburton & Tipuric got the better of the backrow.

I expect some bleating about Gatland favouring Wales but you'd struggle to push too many Irish faces based off this 6N. Even McGrath has faded a bit.

Murray & Sexton are the only Irish certs at the moment but I expect the props to travel, Stander, possibly SOB if Gatland thinks he can get the best. The rest will be sweating their places or hoping to put in a substantially better shift against England.

twinytwo

swiwi_ wrote: »

Yeah I don't get the Earls love. His defence remains poor. Be highly surprised if he makes the plane.

Thought Warburton & Tipuric got the better of the backrow.

I expect some bleating about Gatland favouring Wales but you'd struggle to push too many Irish faces based off this 6N. Even McGrath has faded a bit.

Murray & Sexton are the only Irish certs at the moment but I expect the props to travel, Stander, possibly SOB if Gatland thinks he can get the best. The rest will be sweating their places or hoping to put in a substantially better shift against England.

off this 6 nations the lions would be mostly scotland... everyone else has been kak.

Former Former

Good night: Webb, Warburton, Tipuric, AWJ, North

Bad night: Biggar, Halfpenny, Liam Williams

irishbucsfan

Former Former wrote: »

Good night: Webb, Warburton, Tipuric, AWJ, North

Bad night: Biggar, Halfpenny, Liam Williams

Good night: Jake Ball, Simon Zebo

Bad night: Jack McGrath, Tadhg Furlong

Biggar v Sexton is far from being decided as well after that.

Tigerandahalf

I think SOB is in danger of missing the tour. He was really poor tonight dropping a few crucial balls.

You do have to question why he has been pushed back into the team so early as he has missed a lot of rugby over the last couple of years. Too often he takes the ball standing and gets chopped down at the ankles. His fitness just isn't there and I think he could do with losing a few pounds.

I thought Ken Owens was very solid again tonight. Does all the basics really well.

McGrath again look shattered tonight. The Ire coaching setup haven't protected him enough playing him until 70 mins in many games.

Furlong had his first poor game and again looked to be affected by the heat in the closed stadium. Has he been rested enough over the last year? Played until the 70th minute again last night.

Toner struggled big time and looks out of the frame now.

Best had his usual wobbles when the pressure comes on in the lineout. Why throw to the back when you are struggling there? Throw to your best catcher at 2 or throw a quick one to the prop. No variety. He could struggle to get on the plane. Is Ford a better option? Owens, Hartley or George?

Stander looks safe and I thought Heaslip did well against Wales. He won't make many yards but he very rarely coughs up the ball. He has a great workrate. Is that good enough?

I keep hearing that Murray and Sexton are the best combo in rugby. Maybe they are at kicking the ball up into the air and defending but in terms of tempo and attacking the line they are very limited. Rhys Webb again showed tonight that he is a more rounded scrumhalf and understands how to put tempo into the play. Murray just slows things down too much. Great defender and box kicker but for me he will never get the backline moving quick enough.

Halfpenny struggled with high balls again but he won't face that too much in NZ.

Great to see George North return to old form. Hard to leave him out if he plays like that.

By the way can on call players be called up if a player gets concussed down in NZ and is put out of action for 1/2 weeks?

Sexton again took a hit and looked in trouble.
I thought Biggar played well. He is also excellent in the air.

Overall looking at the backlines of a combined Wales/Ire I don't think NZ have much to fear. Very little flair, pace or creativity among them.

pickarooney

Former Former wrote: »

Good night: Webb, Warburton, Tipuric, AWJ, North

Bad night: Biggar, Halfpenny, Liam Williams

Strange, I thought Liam Williams was one of the best players on the pitch and Webb made a bunch of mistakes.

.ak

pickarooney wrote: »

Strange, I thought Liam Williams was one of the best players on the pitch and Webb made a bunch of mistakes.

Thought Williams was fairly anonymous by his standards.

As I said earlier, Earls and North were by far the best backs on the pitch. Great to see both of them back into form.

wp_rathead

wp_rathead wrote: »

For me Farrell and Henshaw start for Test side
Either 10/12/13 of:
Sexton/Farrell/Henshaw or Farrell/Henshaw/Joseph

Atm it's
Farrell/Henshaw/Joseph

Joseph running riot v the Scots

bilston

wp_rathead wrote: »

wp_rathead wrote: »

For me Farrell and Henshaw start for Test side
Either 10/12/13 of:
Sexton/Farrell/Henshaw or Farrell/Henshaw/Joseph

Atm it's
Farrell/Henshaw/Joseph

Joseph running riot v the Scots

Could be Farrell/Williams/Joseph

Watching Joseph here my new axis is Sexton/Farrell/Joseph.

wp_rathead

Iv feeling Gatland will want a battering ram at 12 so Farrell there won't suit his style, but can't see Farrell not starting
Could be Farrell - S Williams-Joseph alright though

Clegg

Finn Russell has had a mare of a first half. More poor games than good ones this 6N. Don't think he'll travel.

razorblunt

I don't think Russell was every travelling, he's as dumb as a box of rocks.

Good game for Huw Jones.

Bad game for Jonny Gray.

AbusesToilets

.ak wrote: »

Thought Williams was fairly anonymous by his standards.

As I said earlier, Earls and North were by far the best backs on the pitch. Great to see both of them back into form.

Earls defense is atrocious, both in terms of positioning and ability to stop some in the tackle. Wouldn't call yesterdays performance a ringing endorsement of his value.

wp_rathead

M.Vunipola - George - Furlong
Itoje AWJ
Stander Warburton
B. Vuinipola
Murray
Farrell
Henshaw Joseph
L. Williams Daly
Hogg

16- Nick Owens
17-Jack McGrath
18-Coles
19-J Gray
20- Haskell
21- Webb
22- Sexton
23- North/Seymour/Nowell

My 23 atm