Lions 2013 Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

SuprSi · 10-07-2013 02:55PM

AlanConroy wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To2UFcCCTOA

Roundup of best tries of tour. Some great ones their, especially Norths

Try C - WOW! I missed that one but what an individual effort.

Buer · 10-07-2013 02:56PM

The standard high jink that is the Rala experience. I genuinely think that, when they're selecting the squad, he might be one of the first names on the sheet. Multiple players have spoken of how great he is to have around on tour with Ireland and the Lions too.

.ak · 10-07-2013 02:57PM

Garseys wrote: »

Didn't they do the same thing to him after the Grand Slam win in 09' ( IIRC he said it on the last lions dvd)

I think he loves the attention!

Maybe he's just... into it.

Loves a cuppa tho.

Buer · 10-07-2013 03:00PM

Garseys wrote: »

Didn't they do the same thing to him after the Grand Slam win in 09' ( IIRC he said it on the last lions dvd)

I think he loves the attention!

In the RWC in France, the Irish squad locked him in a laundry cage and threw bananas in at him (when I say squad, I, of course, mean DOC). He was then wheeled behind a curtain in a conference room. EOS brought them all in for crisis talks to the room not knowing Rala was trapped there.

EOS was raging with how things were going on tour and reading them the riot act when Rala began to make noises and EOS discovered this middle aged man, sitting in a cage, surrounded by bananas at the back of his team meeting. He was not impressed.

.ak · 10-07-2013 03:14PM

Hahaha, jesus I'm in tears here...

bilston · 10-07-2013 04:20PM

Didn't Sexton and Roberts combine well in the third test.

Anyone else really looking forward to seeing them in action together next season:D

.ak · 10-07-2013 04:21PM

And Lydiate!

Their pool in the Hcup will be immense.

Lightbulb Sun · 10-07-2013 05:53PM

Just wondering does anyone know if Hector and Risteard Cooper recorded another Chasing the Lions this year?

CatFromHue · 10-07-2013 06:36PM

Lightbulb Sun wrote: »

Just wondering does anyone know if Hector and Risteard Cooper recorded another Chasing the Lions this year?

Hopefully not!

I like Hector on the TG4 travel programs and Cooper can be funny too but their Rugby DVD's are offensive and usually only bought by Grannies and Aunties as presents cos sure doesn't little CatfromHue love Rugby.......

10-07-2013 07:14PM

CatFromHue wrote: »

Hopefully not!

I like Hector on the TG4 travel programs and Cooper can be funny too but their Rugby DVD's are offensive and usually only bought by Grannies and Aunties as presents cos sure doesn't little CatfromHue love Rugby.......

Dont complain. Better than another Beatles Best of.

its_phil · 10-07-2013 07:14PM

Lightbulb Sun wrote: »

Just wondering does anyone know if Hector and Risteard Cooper recorded another Chasing the Lions this year?

I saw him in Galway on the day of the first test. So probably not

who_me · 10-07-2013 07:30PM

Apologies if already posted but... Zebo phones from Aus, demanding to be Munster captain

I remember that moment in the game, and thinking that was a bit sloppy from Murray. Something like that could be enough to get you dropped out of the Test squad.

Lelantos · 10-07-2013 07:47PM

who_me wrote: »

Apologies if already posted but... Zebo phones from Aus, demanding to be Munster captain

I remember that moment in the game, and thinking that was a bit sloppy from Murray. Something like that could be enough to get you dropped out of the Test squad.

Eh? No it wouldn't. It would probably stop Zebo from playing a test though

10-07-2013 07:48PM

I love the guy, but that was a bit much. Deserved two roles of the dice tbh!

Lelantos wrote: »

Eh? No it wouldn't. It would probably stop Zebo from playing a test though

I think he meant if he had done it by mistake himself.

CatFromHue · 10-07-2013 11:48PM

Just watched the Living with Lions from 2001, it was a good DVD and I still found it interesting.

Buer · 11-07-2013 09:22AM

CatFromHue wrote: »

Just watched the Living with Lions from 2001, it was a good DVD and I still found it interesting.

It's an underrated one. I thought the involvement of Dawson was very interesting in particular. His comments which made him a pariah with the coaching staff and then his redemption against the Brumbies. He showed a huge amount of character on that tour. Completely idiotic for the article but really did come across well, I thought.

I'm not sure if it was on the extras of in the main feature but, whilst Healey is clearly the clown of the squad, I got the impression he was not popular at all with the other players. I think it might have been Hendo who passed comment on him that he was just a pain in the arse.

It's frightening how good BOD was though when he came on the scene. He simply scythes through the Wallaby defence repeatedly and played with no fear at all. The chip and catch in the build up to Back's try in the second test was brilliant.

bilston · 11-07-2013 09:37AM

Buer wrote: »

It's frightening how good BOD was though when he came on the scene. He simply scythes through the Wallaby defence repeatedly and played with no fear at all. The chip and catch in the build up to Back's try in the second test was brilliant.

I wonder about this sometimes. Do you think that if BOD was 21 years old today he'd still be as effective. I wonder if defences are so much better nowadays that the fact is we'll just never see another O'Driscoll emerge in the way he did and that's something we should probably think about when trying to find his predecessor.

Buer · 11-07-2013 09:42AM

bilston wrote: »

I wonder about this sometimes. Do you think that if BOD was 21 years old today he'd still be as effective. I wonder if defences are so much better nowadays that the fact is we'll just never see another O'Driscoll emerge in the way he did and that's something we should probably think about when trying to find his predecessor.

I agree. Modern defence coaching was only being introduced at the time. The gaps wouldn't appear and the cover would be much sharper to close him down. He opened them up again and again. If someone had done that in the most recent series, we'd have watched open mouthed.

I don't think we'll ever see people run the ball in such a manner again at top level.

.ak · 11-07-2013 09:43AM

bilston wrote: »

I wonder about this sometimes. Do you think that if BOD was 21 years old today he'd still be as effective. I wonder if defences are so much better nowadays that the fact is we'll just never see another O'Driscoll emerge in the way he did and that's something we should probably think about when trying to find his predecessor.

I dunno, but BOD did so well because of his ability to come onto ball at such pace over short distance, and be able to spot a shoulder to run at. Players have often commented on how difficult he was to tackle because of his centre of gravity. Was it Smith who said he's impossible to tackle because he's always running past your shoe laces?

BOD still cuts open defences now adays anyway, but I reckon the defences have gotten better, yes.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 11-07-2013 12:03PM

POC with some staunch comments on BOD being dropped:

It wouldn’t even be a case of letting anyone down; Brian would have been one of the best players on the pitch. That’s just the way it is.
“I thought Brian was playing well. If you look at the first two Tests there wasn’t a whole lot of quality ball given to the back-line.

“Apart from George North, who had a ball kicked down his throat and created an unbelievable try there wasn’t [sic] any backs that stood out. So it’s hard to fathom the logic behind the decision, certainly from my point of view.”

Teferi · 11-07-2013 12:20PM

I think we'll see a few more of those comments now the Tour has ended.

phog · 11-07-2013 12:22PM

A mate of mine went down under for the last two tests brought me home the two programs, scannin through them last night I see Williams is listed as a 2013 Lion but no mention of Cian Healy who was selected in the squad and played for them. As I said at the time of Williams' selection, for me it devalues the jersey.

BTW, Court is also listed as a 2013 Lion but at least he stayed witht he squad after his callup for the one game.

.ak · 11-07-2013 12:22PM

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out the Irish contingent weren't happy with BOD being dropped, but ofcourse they wouldn't. They're hardly biased. I'm a tad surprised by POC's last comment. There was plenty of logic in the decision. It was wrong, or as it turned out, had no bearing on the game, but there was logic involved. Fairly scathing comment on Gatland imo.

Lelantos · 11-07-2013 12:25PM

POC won't be on any more Lions tours, so he can speak freely as to his true feelings on BOD's non selection. I have a feeling there will be some more little snippets coming out over the next days & weeks

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 11-07-2013 12:28PM

I'm not surprised. What has surprised me is the giant media **** fest over what was a very poor tour, won by a team playing boring rugby against a very average poorly coached Aussie side

Not to mention the amount of players screwed over by "Gatty"

Oh but they won don't ya know, so all the above is just begrudgery

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience · 11-07-2013 12:47PM

whiffofcordite mentioned that had Quade Cooper started the first two tests the third would have been a dead rubber and I'd tend to agree

Lelantos · 11-07-2013 01:10PM

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

whiffofcordite mentioned that had Quade Cooper started the first two tests the third would have been a dead rubber and I'd tend to agree

"If, ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be lots of work for tinkers"

If Stephen Ferris had started he'd have been like an exocet missile on Cooper everytime he got a sniff of the ball.
we can all play cordites game

Buer · 11-07-2013 01:13PM

Exactly. The Lions didn't select someone like BOD who many considered to be a massively influential player that should have been in the side. They also suffered injuries to guys that were going to be starting such as Bowe, POC, Healy, Warburton, Phillips and Roberts. You play what's in front of you. The Lions were the better side over the three tests. They won the series which is all they wanted to do.

Tox56 · 11-07-2013 01:19PM

Deans shot himself in the foot spectacularly by not actually playing a 10 throughout a 3 test Lions series, presumably WoC is just highlighting the stupidity of that decision

Buer · 11-07-2013 01:25PM

Tox56 wrote: »

Deans shot himself in the foot spectacularly by not actually playing a 10 throughout a 3 test Lions series, presumably WoC is just highlighting the stupidity of that decision

Perhaps but a hell of a lot of people didn't want Cooper anywhere near the team before the series either. He hasn't exactly been the clinical, steady outhalf they've needed and didn't do the business when he played the Lions for the Reds.

Lions 2013 Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

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