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Lions Tour

ec18

Hi,

Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a lions tour with a package company?
or can recommend one?

Ec

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TomsOnTheRoof

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Perhaps there's a welcoming township somewhere around Johannesburg that Jones could be dropped off in for a few nights.

The poor bastards are suffering enough already

Teferi

awec wrote: »

Think the players are going to be bored off their face for the next month or so, and I think it'll affect performances. Probably the same for the Springboks.

Hope I'm wrong but I think this might be a fairly dull series.

There's only so much messing they can get up to in the hotel. I wonder what sort of activities the team has planned - maybe they'd sneak a safari in? Outdoors and could be distanced. I don't envy the events committee.

jacothelad

prawnsambo wrote: »

Stephen Jones. In a tent. Outdoors in South Africa. What could go wrong?

Not enough......

TXPTGR1

Teferi wrote: »

There's only so much messing they can get up to in the hotel. I wonder what sort of activities the team has planned - maybe they'd sneak a safari in? Outdoors and could be distanced. I don't envy the events committee.

A traditional South African brai with loads of petrol hopefully

Larbre34

In the circumstances, history will not look kindly on this tour.

SA may well go into the test without a single warm up fixture.

The Lions wearing them down in empty stadiums while outside in Jo'Burg and Pretoria people are dying in droves, could be the worst optics in the history of Rugby.

As of tonight, there are zero ICU beds in the Gauteng province, population 15,000,000, median annual income 3,500 US dollars.

If the Lions Committee care a jot about the future of the team, the brand, even the game, they should approach the SARU and tell them they are cancelling the tour and returning to Europe. SARU should then be brought into talks to tour next year, if appropriate, or to design a solidarity fund from the 4 nations to SA rugby, until the tour can be refixed for 2025, delaying each scheduled visit to Aus and NZ by four years thereafter.

Podge_irl

Not sure how not playing the tour helps anyone

Former Former Former

Podge_irl wrote: »

Not sure how not playing the tour helps anyone

It doesn't. The optics of cancelling are much worse and the consequences for SARU are definitely much worse.

Larbre34

Former Former Former wrote: »

It doesn't. The optics of cancelling are much worse

How so?

sprucemoose

Larbre34 wrote: »

If the Lions Committee care a jot about the future of the team, the brand, even the game, they should approach the SARU and tell them they are cancelling the tour and returning to Europe.

if it were going to be cancelled it should have been back in march/april when the decision was made. the squad etc are already over there so why would they return? unless their presence would pose a great danger to either themselves or the public then they should stay and since they are vaccinated (to my knowledge), the risk is greatly reduced.

There has also been ridiculous inequality in SA, should the lions have pulled out of the 2009 tour? should ireland have not toured in 2016?

Larbre34 wrote: »

SARU should then be brought into talks to tour next year, if appropriate, or to design a solidarity fund from the 4 nations to SA rugby, until the tour can be refixed for 2025, delaying each scheduled visit to Aus and NZ by four years thereafter.

also never going to happen

FlubberJones

lawrencesummers wrote: »

That’s just what they are telling him hoping he will leave.

Why the wanting of Jones to leave?

OldRio

Larbre34 wrote: »

In the circumstances, history will not look kindly on this tour.

SA may well go into the test without a single warm up fixture.

The Lions wearing them down in empty stadiums while outside in Jo'Burg and Pretoria people are dying in droves, could be the worst optics in the history of Rugby.

r.

The Lions don't care about optics and South Africa. It never bothered them in the past why worry now?

Former Former Former

Larbre34 wrote: »

How so?

Well, SA have not played a test since RWC 2019. They're out of Super Rugby and the Currie Cup is going on behind closed doors. The financial hit must be absolutely massive. How would the IRFU be doing if we hadn't played eleven tests since the pandemic started?

Now, if the Lions pull the plug and force SARU to hand back whatever TV and commercial money they had budgeted for, where does that leave the hosts? Even though pro rugby is being played in Joburg and Pretoria anyway? Like, Georgia are rocking up there at the weekend, are people outraged about that? The Boks would (rightly) say that if they'd had notice, they'd have arranged a money-spinning tour somewhere else.

If they pull out, the same critics would be saying that the Lions left South Africa in the lurch when they needed them most, thus proving that the Lions is a dead concept only driven by greed, they had no problem touring SA during apartheid but NOW it's an issue?

Larbre34

Good counter argument.

I still think the callousness of playing these games, while an explosion of Delta V cases is underway, with daily deaths at 250 and rising, will be its undoing. I get what you're saying about the SARU, but in the context of the health of millions, that's a bit irrelevant and can be fixed at a later stage.

We shall see.

Podge_irl

I don't know what its like on the ground in SA, but all experience I have from Europe is that people couldn't wait to have live sports again.

At worst playing the games has no adverse consequences, at best it brings benefits. What on earth would be the reasoning for cancelling it?

TRC10

Rosko Specman is making his debut for the Boks on Friday.

Wouldn't be every day you see a 32 year old debutant winger.

sydthebeat

TRC10 wrote: »

Rosko Specman is making his debut for the Boks on Friday.

Wouldn't be every day you see a 32 year old debutant winger.

im more excited to watch fassi on the other wing.....

swiwi_

OldRio wrote: »

The Lions don't care about optics and South Africa. It never bothered them in the past why worry now?

If it’s all about optics then having Specman on the wing is a good start.

Sheep Shagger

A reminder the €15 sky sports monthly pass in Now ends tonight. Use code SPMUNOWQAXWD

I'll cancel it towards end of July to be offered another cheap rate for the remainder of the tour.

Gets you access to all 11 Sky Sports channel including the pop up Lions one.

Boscoirl

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

A reminder the €15 sky sports monthly pass in Now ends tonight. Use code SPMUNOWQAXWD

I'll cancel it towards end of July to be offered another cheap rate for the remainder of the tour.

Gets you access to all 11 Sky Sports channel including the pop up Lions one.

Legend. Thought I had missed the offer. Was resigned to paying the full amount for the month.

liosnagceann75

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

A reminder the €15 sky sports monthly pass in Now ends tonight. Use code SPMUNOWQAXWD

I'll cancel it towards end of July to be offered another cheap rate for the remainder of the tour.

Gets you access to all 11 Sky Sports channel including the pop up Lions one.

Just took the offer there. Sound for that

theVersatile

LIONS v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

15, Stuart Hogg – captain (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) #783

14. Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby, Wales)

13. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland)

12. Owen Farrell (Saracens, England) #780

11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby, Wales) #836

10. Finn Russell (Racing 92, Scotland) #835

9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) #843

1. Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales) #842

2. Jamie George (Saracens, England) #819

3. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, England) #814

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) #825

5. Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, England)

6. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) #826

7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland)

8. Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales) #779

Replacements:

16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England)

17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England) – Prop #787

18. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland)

19. Iain Henderson (Ulster Rugby, Ireland) #808

20. Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, England)

21. Gareth Davies (Scarlets, Wales)

22. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby, Ireland) #837

23. Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) #822

sydthebeat

who was it that was saying LCD was injured????

Ciaran-Irl

The South Africa Lions franchise is a bit of a garbage team. The likes of Finn Russell & Zammit could like superstars against them, but that won't tell us much. We could (and probably should) put a massive score up against them.

RugbyLover123

Interesting that Hogg and not Farrell is captain.

Looking forward to seeing how Finn and Farrell get on at 10/12!

Clegg

Both of Farrell's appearances on this tour so far will be from 12. So it looks like a shootout between Biggar and Russell for the 10 jersey. If that's the case I think Aki had a good chance if starting the actual test matches.

Faletau needs a big game at 8. Looked very tired last weekend against Japan and didn't really make an impact.

TRC10

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

Interesting that Hogg and not Farrell is captain.

Looking forward to seeing how Finn and Farrell get on at 10/12!

Yeah that should be interesting alright.

Although I'm not sure how well it will work.

Farrell and Ford/Sexton have quite similar skillsets and play the game in a similar way so they compliment eachother.

Farrell and Russell are vastly different fly halves.

It also means Farrell won't be playing 10 in any of the first 3 games, which is a big indication that he's not been brought as a 10.

aloooof

Clegg wrote: »

Faletau needs a big game at 8. Looked very tired last weekend against Japan and didn't really make an impact.

I'm not so sure, tbh. As recently as the 6 Nations, he was in the running for Player of the Tournament and he has tonnes of credit in the bank with Gatland. I think it's unlikely the No 8 selection will come down to form across these games.

arsebiscuits1

Clegg wrote: »

Both of Farrell's appearances on this tour so far will be from 12. So it looks like a shootout between Biggar and Russell for the 10 jersey. If that's the case I think Aki had a good chance if starting the actual test matches.

Faletau needs a big game at 8. Looked very tired last weekend against Japan and didn't really make an impact.

From a wanting Conan to be the starting 8 in the Tests I was glad to see Faletau so off the pace

But in fairness to Faletau he had to cover 7 which is somewhere to my knowledge he has never played and he was a late call up to the bench. Not surprised he was poor.

I don't think he's the player he was 4 years ago but he's still a bloody excellent player

TRC10

I'm really hoping that Hogg has a good tour. I think he's a good choice as captain, Farrell is a great leader but that doesn't mean he's a great captain.

He was the frontrunner for the 15 jersey in 2017 before he got that terribly unlucky injury. Watching his interview afterwards, you could could see how emotional he was and how much it meant to him, national rivalries aside it was difficult not to be gutted for him.

IMO having 2 playmakers/decision makers in the backline makes any team stronger. If Farrell isn't at 12, Hogg should be at 15 for the playmaking and tactical kicking he offers. Williams is the stronger defensively and aerially, but there's a lot to be said for Hogg and what he brings to a backline. Especially if Farrell isn't in the centre.

TRC10

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

From a wanting Conan to be the starting 8 in the Tests I was glad to see Faletau so off the pace

But in fairness to Faletau he had to cover 7 which is somewhere to my knowledge he has never played and he was a late call up to the bench. Not surprised he was poor.

I don't think he's the player he was 4 years ago but he's still a bloody excellent player

He played there v SA in 2011, but yeah it's unfamiliar to him.

But a No.8 playing flanker shouldn't make him sluggish and off the pace. I've no doubt Faletau's form will pick up, he's a world class player and he has enormous credit in the bank.

But there's no doubt Conan got one up on him last week. Now I know it's not that black and white and Faletau is still the frontrunner, but there's no doubt he needs a good game on Saturday.

If Conan continues to play like he did v Japan and Faletau's form doesn't pick up, Gatland has a decision to make. He's not afraid to make big calls and leave out world class players if someone else is playing better (Drico, Halfpenny, Heaslip, North to name but a few)