it was a close call but we deserved this win.

Commemnt by Sars, What are your thoughts on Quade, and is Deans in danger of going the way of Julia Gilliard

My comments on Quade right at the start of the thread, good individual, not a team performer.

Deans was already on the nose before this series, contract up for review after next week, I think he'll go

Duo - yeah. Wouldve been unfair had we won the tour with a performance like that. You were better than us in most areas. Next week should be amazing.... If I have the nerve to watch it!!

On Deans, Ye i think his bags are already packed. but he's going down picking the team he wants and not giving into the pressure of picking Cooper. I respect him a lot for that!

Well SARS we got our wish to have a dramatic finish.... but will we regret it

it was a good game. what is rugby a lovely sport if it is a close and a competitive game.

if link is appointed as the wallaby head coach O'connor will be replaced with cooper. O'connor is not a playmaker like QC is.

link(ewen mckenzie) has builded his side around quade cooper and will genia.

We need to sort out the line out. The Wallabies have us sussed out in defence but they haven't seen any back play from us because we can't get clean lineout ball. However i don't think we are going to be able to sort out the lineout.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=598053993560015&set=vb.113208555377897&type=2&theater

See ya next week lads

Tut tut fair weather fan ^^

I guess its a good thing i don't use facebook.

Am I the only one who gets "this content is currently unavailable" when I click that?

What a terrible advert for the Union code . The State of origin game is how rugby should be played . I dearly wish there was only one code of rugby ie : league .

Couldn't open the link? Sorry, was just a lighthearted offering, try this one http://sport.uk.msn.com/rugby-union/lions-tour-2013/post--rooting-for-the-wallabies

Joecos

Wum much? we are not interested in wums on this board. We don't go to the league board and complain. That would be petty and childish. And no one asked the question about which code you prefer. Each to their own.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Hey - lads don't even reply to the WUM - it's what the sad little loser wants.

Anyways on to the game. Obviously I'm gutted by the result. From where I was the ref butchered the scrum calls again. The SH needs to sort themselves out and learn to ref the scrum because it's a joke right now. The Aussies were collapsing on the hit and getting Mako pinged for hingeing. Of course you're going to hinge if your oppo goes straight to ground...Hingeing is actually where you take the hit then bend at the hips because you cant take the strain...it looks totally different to what happened in the game...FFS!!!

Anyways fair play to Australia - they didn't look like scoring but seemed to will it over the line at the end there. Real gutsy performance.

I'd keep the team the same apart from bringing in Manu for Davies...0 line breaks just isn't good enough, you need the power Manu has to suck in defenders or beat the 1 v 1s.

Also bring in Corbs if fit otherwise start Mako again.

Sporty i know ur the scrum expert and all that but Mako got demolished a few time and to be fair there are not many who are sticking up for him. If he wasn't folding up he was turning in. I don't like to disagree with you mate, but i saw it differently. And his face and the reactions Jones and Youngs telling him what he was doing wrong only confirm that for me.

Anyway. I saw Oz not binding must of the time as well so it could have went either way.

Ding it's cool - I'm generalising as the camera didnt show Mako's side for one of the penalties but 100% for the one they showed clearly the Aussie front row collapsed during the hit...I suspect on purpose. Paul Wallace said the same thing after the match and he knows his stuff. In fact he said both penalties were incorrect - but as I say I didnt get a good view of one of them.

To be fair the scrum is really hard to call unless you're there...I just wish Refs would be brave enough to reset rather than guessing and getting it wrong.

Well definitely the Oz 3 was not binding half the time! And im no expert but not binding happens before a scrum collapses so i would say thats the first infringement no?

Anyway. Poite next week??? hoping for the best

The Lions won 9 points via the scrum, Aus won 6. While it may not have been the same level as last week with Corbs and Jones (no shock), it wasn't a disaster some are making out. I agree Sporty the penalty where Aus hit and flop was complete BS (the first penalty).

Just drives me insane! The scrum takes so much training and practice to master then it gets completely undermined by inept refereeing.

Anyways Poite tends to be pretty good on the scrum so indeed lets hope it's not an issue and I can enjoy the game!

I think its difficult all round with the current wy the scrum is set, the refs have to take split second decisions on issues that are hard to spot and left open to individual interpretation. I'd prefer to see a scrum set properly before a command of engage when the pushing would begin and the scrum half could feed in the ball, that way we could see packs in action and proper hooking

Anyway, I think Vunipola did so well early on that the Aussies went for him a bit propaganda wise, though being around the likes of Adam Jones could be of huge benefit and Corbisiero should cover these issues I'd say

My concern would be the backline, even Phillips less, didn't fire. Would you see Tuilagi and O'Driscoll, or is it more a change of tactics to let Youngs and Seton really fire up?

The backs is hard to say, I think Youngs would have been much better if he played in the first test. The set piece was poor especially the lineout and our forwards (Warburton aside) didn't really help him out too much. As a result Sexton didn't get great ball both but half backs kicked more than I want to see. Not great for either. Davies was poor I thought and I really hope Manu comes in because he will smash Genia and O'Connor every time he can. The back three didn't get much ball but I thought Halfpenny was average, but I am not having a go at him missing kicks. The lad has been almost perfect before now.
I think Croft should come back, if only for the lineout option he is almost 100% safe. Corbs back in, maybe Faletau for Heaslip. Lastly and perhaps most importantly Manu in for Davies.

I've got a sneaky feeling we'll see Falotu in for Heaslip with Croft coming back in.

Would definitely put Manu in there as well for Davis. I really hope the Lions click this time and show again what they can do...they'll have to be immense because the Aussie defense is superb

I think the backs issue is 2 fold. First the Oz defence is great. Credit where its due. And as was said numerous times during the game. Without the lineout there is no platform to get the backs running at them. Particularly the lack of any ability to throw the ball to the tail of the lineout is killing any kind of back play.

As for the scrum Aristo made a good point. we scored 9 points from the scrum to their 6. Perhaps there is more being made of it that is necessary. Perhaps its disappointment thats talking. After all. Before this tour even got going people were talking here and there about the power the Lions were going to have at scrum time. And the build up games showed us that the Lions were really strong in the scrum. Maybe we are all just surprised that Oz are much better than we had expected.