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

Royal Legend

I have turned off the commentary on Sky and turned on RTE Radio and the radio is about 30 secs ahead of my stream and still its better

Tigerandahalf

No injuries so far which is good. Despite the score some impressive performances from lesser squad players like Sinckler who has shown lovely hands and Moriarty who is getting over the gainline.

These guys are only off the plane 3 days.
Be interesting to see how the Lions' fitness levels cope with the pace that the super sides play at.

Clegg

Sexton has been poor. When the passes are sticking he's putting men into space. But so many are going to ground before they make it to the receiver. Joseph has been crap as well. Not making his tackles.

swiwi_

Well, this is quite enjoyable actually, compared to the rabble of the Australian provincial sides in 2013, the NZ Baa-baas have some nice structure on attack and defence, albeit look a bit vulnerable out wide.

For the Lions, Sinckler and Teo have stood out (good) and Hogg (fairly awful).

But. How. Good. Has. The Baa-baas. Scrum. Been? Like a rock. Jager has made a couple of knock-ons round the field, but as a TH he can be mighty proud.

The Baa-Baas look like they are tiring, will need to roll out the subs.

wp_rathead

testtech05 wrote: »

Falateu teo and best playing pretty well but pretty awful besides that. Few bad errors from Hogg and Sexton too!!

Moriarty and Sinckler playing very well too

ScrubsfanChris

At least 3 tries left out on the field in that first half.

Sexton is playing his way out of a test start at this rate too.

sydthebeat

I love that hail mary from gatland... We don't see enough of that these days.

Paul Smeenus

Best good.
Henderson mixed bag.
Sexton will be lucky not to be put on the plane home.

Dog Botherer

Laidlaw needs to be hooked ASAP. Slows everything down to a crawl. Impossible to get anything going when the defence has 5 seconds to reset at every ruck.

Erik Shin

Don't think anyone will play themselves into the test side today...but a few are looking to play themselves out of contention

bilston

Clegg wrote: »

Sexton has been poor. When the passes are sticking he's putting men into space. But so many are going to ground before they make it to the receiver. Joseph has been crap as well. Not making his tackles.

Sexton has been poor but Laidlaw's passing is so slow. That doesn't excuse all Sexton's errors but it stopping the Lions getting momentum in attack. Maybe it's to be expected given most of the players haven't played together before.

sydthebeat

wp_rathead wrote: »

Moriarty and Sinckler playing very well too

Moriarty been strong but a bit headless to be honest.
Sexton put him through a good line but his link play is lacking.

swiwi_

Dog Botherer wrote: »

Laidlaw needs to be hooked ASAP. Slows everything down to a crawl. Impossible to get anything going when the defence has 5 seconds to reset at every ruck.

It's awful IMO. NZ teams play at speed. Now I'm not saying the Lions need to try and copy NZ rugby, there are different strengths, but he takes an absolute age to clear at times. Just allows less talented sides like the Baa-baas the time to re-organise.

awec

Sexton has been poor but I don't think this game is really going to count for much regarding the tests, it's too early.

Laidlaw is poor but he's never getting near the tests anyway barring injury.

swiwi_

molloyjh wrote: »

Dear Stuart Barnes,

Dublin is not in the U.K.

Regards,
Ireland.

Are you not out doing the gardening molloy, or mowing the lawn?

Thought you had no interest in the Lions tour :P

The Lost Sheep

Clegg wrote:

Sexton has been poor. When the passes are sticking he's putting men into space. But so many are going to ground before they make it to the receiver. Joseph has been crap as well. Not making his tackles.

sexton hasn't been fantastic but guys around him not helping him. Laidlaw terrible which isn't doing anything for us game.

swiwi_

sydthebeat wrote: »

I love that hail mary from gatland... We don't see enough of that these days.

I'm listening to commentary and they loved it too! "Old school" attacking bomb in the 22.

sydthebeat

swiwi_ wrote: »

I'm listening to commentary and they loved it too! "Old school" attacking bomb in the 22.

Your boys did well this morning

bilston

awec wrote: »

Laidlaw is poor but he's never getting near the tests anyway barring injury.

Yeah but he is damaging the hopes of others. The media won't go to town on him because let's face it the Scots are pretty sensitive about the Lions at the moment but he just isn't giving his teammates a chance to get going. When you think of Gareth Davies and Richard Wigglesworth who aren't there...

.ak

The good:

Sexton
T'eo
Sinckler
Faletau
Best

The rest have been poor, the Scots especially

Clegg

Johnny with the customary knock.

sydthebeat

.ak wrote: »

The good:

Sexton
T'eo
Sinckler
Faletau
Best

The rest have been poor, the Scots especially

Sexton has mixed good with very poor.

I wouldn't have him on that list

Dog Botherer

Yeah Sexton has been far more bad than good.

Wee Greig knocks over a gimme.

.ak

We had a 5 on 1 and picked and goed in the last few min of the 1st. Laidlaw needs to listen to his 10 more.

LuckyGent88

Some terrible passing from Johnnie

bilston

.ak wrote: »

The good:

Sexton
T'eo
Sinckler
Faletau
Best

The rest have been poor, the Scots especially

Sexton?

wp_rathead

.ak wrote: »

The good:

Sexton
T'eo
Sinckler
Faletau
Best

The rest have been poor, the Scots especially

Nah, Sexton hasn't been good for me in first half, not being helped by Laidlaw who seems to be in a different timezone

Warburton has been rather anonymous

.ak

Aside from a missed penalty and missed cross field how has sexton been poor? Hes linking up well with teo and putting players thru space. Defending really well also. Think he's having a tidy game considering the ****e going on around him.

Erik Shin

Think ak was just trying to see if everybody was paying attention when slipping in Sextons name

molloyjh

swiwi_ wrote: »

molloyjh wrote: »

Dear Stuart Barnes,

Dublin is not in the U.K.

Regards,
Ireland.

Are you not out doing the gardening molloy, or mowing the lawn?

Thought you had no interest in the Lions tour :P

True to my word I didn't get up early to watch it. Had only just turned it on at that point.