MATCH PREVIEW & THREAD: B&I Lions vs NZ Provincial Baa-Baas

swiwi_

MATCH PREVIEW & THREAD: B&I Lions vs NZ Provincial Baa-Baas



Kia ora, g'day, and a warm Kiwi welcome to the boards.ie rugby whanau for this, the opening match of the British & Irish Lions 2017 tiki tour downunder (7.30 Saturday arvo Irish time). The tour gets under way in Whangarei, not quite the wop-wops, but a bit off the beaten track all the same. Fittingly, for a country full of sheep, the first opponents are the Baa-Baas.

Pre-match, if you have a squiz, you'll see the ground looks in pristine condition, so in the best Baa-baas tradition, I expect both teams to give it heaps and chuck the ball around. The Lions will be hoping they are not too knackered after the long flight over, and that no key players are left munted ahead of the bigger more important matches in a tour that’s pretty chocka.

You probably don’t recognise any of the Baa-Baas players, but no worries bro, neither do I. Actually, we do have 2 blokes worthy of mention: Warren’s son “Bryn”, playing at first-five for the locals, and NZ’s latest bit of poaching: we have hopped on the bandwaka with our very own project player Oliver “Ollie” Jager. Sweet as! Ollie’s supposed to be a bit of a dag, a real hard case according to his Crusaders team-mates.

Rumour has it that post-match the Lions will be treated to a big traditional NZ feed and a piss-up: greasies, snarlies on the barbie, Lamingtons, pavlova and pikelets, all washed down with kegs of L&P. And they won’t even have to bring a plate, eh. The teams can mingle on friendly terms and have a bit of a yack. Hopefully the lads ease back a bit on the steinies, can’t have them chundering everywhere.

I expect the Baa-Baas to give it a good whirl, but can they win? Yeah, nah. It’s unlikely to be a piece of of piss for the Lions, but I doubt they’ve got the willies and it shouldn’t be too much hard yakka. If things are a bit hairy at half-time, Warren can always give them a bit of a rark up. And at night, to ease the aches and pains, the lads can always take a hottie to bed...

Erik Shin

Counties players and super rugby squad members.... the only easy game the Lions will get and should put in excess of 20 points on them

pickarooney

Arvo? I need to recalibrate this antipodefish.

sydthebeat

Lions by 30

Not much to glean from this game other than to shake the cobwebs off, get some moves practised.

The lions only easy game of the tour.

swiwi_

It's all a bit surreal for NZ coach Steve Hansen...

stephen_n

Nice graphic, Molloy must be very jealous.

Though unlikely to lose, failing to perform will not go down well. The lions have a lot to lose if they don't click and win comfortably. With nothing to gain if they do. Be interesting to see how physical this game gets.

[Deleted User]

Looking forward to this. Gonna make a big pot of coffee and some eggs and watch some quality rugby before 9 bells.

irishbucsfan

What are the breakfast plans then?

Being the provider of Sky sports I am having breakfast provided by the interlopers. I'm having a bottle of lucozade, because thats what I have always drank while watching the Lions since I was a kid. My dad would get me a lucozade and it'd keep me happy for the match. So there's a bit of a nostalgia connection there. For some people the Lions is no longer about tradition but for me, and the wonderful people at Lucozade, these are still the things that count. So why don't you do the same?

Lucozade.

bilston

Tomorrow morning I will be a great husband and a terrible father...

A lie in for the missus while I get the kids up...just being a gentleman...and 2 hours on the IPad for the kids with a hastily prepared bowl of Cheerios each...father of the year stuff...

Buer

bilston wrote: »

Tomorrow morning I will be a great husband and a terrible father...

A lie in for the missus while I get the kids up...just being a gentleman...and 2 hours on the IPad for the kids with a hastily prepared bowl of Cheerios each...father of the year stuff...

You know it.

I've got the large play pen (baby cage) filled with toys and ready to go. I have Sky Sports lined up. An iPad sitting just outside the baby cage with an hour long playlist of nursery rhymes lined up. A bag of snacks in my hand that I can throw into the cage to feed them when the inmates get restless.

A dirty protest is expected. It will be ignored temporarily. I will not negotiate with terrorists.

molloyjh

I'm so luke warm about this series I'm not sure I could bring myself to get out of bed early for this one. I can see myself missing the first half and catching the second.

Interested Observer

Match is at 830am (arvo?) not 730am Irish time, right?

irishbucsfan

This just in from our correspondant in the future: Buer's children during the match tomorrow morning

elefant

Arvo means afternoon, no?

Interested Observer

elefant wrote: »

Arvo means afternoon, no?

I honestly haven't the faintest idea.

Yourself isit

It is an 8:35 am kickoff.

awec

irishbucsfan wrote: »

What are the breakfast plans then?

Being the provider of Sky sports I am having breakfast provided by the interlopers. I'm having a bottle of lucozade, because thats what I have always drank while watching the Lions since I was a kid. My dad would get me a lucozade and it'd keep me happy for the match. So there's a bit of a nostalgia connection there. For some people the Lions is no longer about tradition but for me, and the wonderful people at Lucozade, these are still the things that count. So why don't you do the same?

Lucozade.

For this match I'll just sit with a pot of tay, but for the better matches breakfast will be beer.

Guinness is high in iron I hear, good way to wake you.

SlickRic

Awful team.

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

NZ will be licking their lips at coming up against WarrenBall.

irishbucsfan

SlickRic wrote: »

Awful team.

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

NZ will be licking their lips at coming up against WarrenBall.

It's very much not that type of team on paper. The opposite if anything. The only player in the backs who fits that criteria is Te'o.

Buer

SlickRic wrote: »

Awful team.

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

NZ will be licking their lips at coming up against WarrenBall.

What team was he supposed to select?

It's made up almost exclusively of the players who were available to train from the start of the training camp. The only guys starting who weren't at involved in training from the start are AWJ and Sexton and that's because there are no other options who were involved from the start.

Regardless, it's a team made up of attacking players who are good in the loose and can handle the ball even in the front five with guys like Henderson and Sinkcler.

Webbs

SlickRic wrote: »

Awful team.

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

NZ will be licking their lips at coming up against WarrenBall.

Thats an insightful comment on the team! The back 3 or 4 if you include Joseph have serious gas and finishing ability. This is a team chosen from a limited pool and yet still looks good to me, including a dynamic second and backrow. Bench has real impact and should result in a fairly expansive second half (weather permitting).

And what exactly is Warrenball? He had a style with Wales that used their strengths, with Wasps he had a completely different style. If it means will the game plan be relatively simple, then of course it will they have only been together for a few sessions

irishbucsfan

Webbs wrote: »

Thats an insightful comment on the team! The back 3 or 4 if you include Joseph have serious gas and finishing ability. This is a team chosen from a limited pool and yet still looks good to me, including a dynamic second and backrow. Bench has real impact and should result in a fairly expansive second half (weather permitting).

And what exactly is Warrenball? He had a style with Wales that used their strengths, with Wasps he had a completely different style. If it means will the game plan be relatively simple, then of course it will they have only been together for a few sessions

Well unfortunately with Howley as attack coach I fear the style will be fairly derivative of what Wales have been doing.

Interested Observer

Tbf to Warren he wanted Townsend as his attack coach but Townsend said no.

swiwi_

elefant wrote: »

Arvo means afternoon, no?

Yeah in kiwi lingo arvo means afternoon.

ScrubsfanChris

hey must be bored in the press office thismorning :P

stephen_n

molloyjh wrote: »

I'm so luke warm about this series I'm not sure I could bring myself to get out of bed early for this one. I can see myself missing the first half and catching the second.

This about you?

Le Bruise

bilston wrote: »

Tomorrow morning I will be a great husband and a terrible father...

A lie in for the missus while I get the kids up...just being a gentleman...and 2 hours on the IPad for the kids with a hastily prepared bowl of Cheerios each...father of the year stuff...

That's a carbon copy of my household come Saturday AM....although we're a rice krispies family.

molloyjh

stephen_n wrote: »

This about you?

Yes. Yes it is. Good to see they were protecting my identity though.

Zzippy

Swiwi, we have a one-language policy on the forum. Can you repost that in English please? Thanks!


Anyone know can you get Sky Sports for a month? When I log in I'm only seeing a cut price offer for 6 months and full price thereafter...

ScrubsfanChris

Zzippy wrote: »

Anyone know can you get Sky Sports for a month? When I log in I'm only seeing a cut price offer for 6 months and full price thereafter...

If you have a NowTv box you can get a one month pass for £33.99.

Sky Sports Mobile is €12.99 per month.
http://www.skysports.com/mobile/apps/9653846/sky-sports-mobile-tv

swiwi_

Zzippy wrote: »

Swiwi, we have a one-language policy on the forum. Can you repost that in English please? Thanks!

Kia ora (Maori) = hello
Whanau (Maori) = family, in a sort of general sense
wop-wops = back of beyond
squiz = have a look
give it heaps = throw everything into it, try really hard
munted = ruined, destroyed, damaged
chocka = full, overflowing
first-five = flyhalf
sweet as = great, cool
bit of a dag = amusing, good for the craic
hard case = see bit of a dag
greasies = fush 'n' chups
snarlies = sausages
barbie = BBQ (not an annoying American doll)
Lamingtons = sponge cakey thing
Pavlova = meringue (sort of)
Pikelets = a bit like pancakes
L&P = soft drink, a bit like 7 UP.
Bring a plate = bring some food to share
Yack = talk
Chunder = vomit
Give it a whirl = attempt
Piece of piss = easy
Have the willies = scared
Hard yakka = tough
Rark up = stern talking, bollocking

and

Hottie = hot water bottle.