First player that losing will actually make us significantly weaker imo, I'm a big fan of Binny, the guy is class. Faletau with Stander at 6 will still bring good ball carrying though to put us on the front foot. Such a shame, Haskell can count himself lucky to get on a tour.

Agree about Haskell, and the Scottish back row must be wondering if they are invisible to Gatland. I'd have gone with Barclay or Wilson, both superb against the two back rows which are going.

comment by theresgonnaebeashow - John, you're immortal now. (U5686)
posted 6 days, 19 hours ago
As for the squad itself, here goes.

Halfpenny is very lucky to be Welsh and to have Gatland's confidence. Kearney, and even Brown, are better full backs and there are plenty of kicking options elsewhere to render him quite redundant.

Apart from maybe Joseph I'm not seeing too many dancing feet in the centre. Hopefully the compensation will be that they create spaces for Hogg to hit at pace. I honestly didn't expect Seymour to be called on but I love the element of surprise he brings to a game.

Russell, and especially Ford, must me wondering how many more Welsh kickers who underperform in their position could get selected. Biggar doesn't warrant his slot any more than Halfpenny.

The back row is a very Gatland back row. Enough said.

Second row was always going to be the most difficult to call but Henderson is there on the strength of one storming game against England and AWJ is there because he is AWJ. He could have been captain but blew that in the 6N. I'm not saying Henderson and AWJ are bad players and not worthy, but Launchbury and Jonny would be at least as good an option. Many would say they are better.

My big worry is at prop. Those selected are probably as good as any available. They will carry and rampage all day long, but who is going to steady the set piece. Nel would surely have walked in at 3, but in his absence I fear a mullering in the scrum.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
The ABs will be without Coles in the front row though. A hugh loss. Maybe more in the loose but stoll he's an important presence in that team.

Not a definite coles will be out, still 4weeks almost until 1st test, Hansen on record saying he will be in the mix

Read also saying he might well be fit.

so the tours nearly here, a nice run out for the lions this weekend before the real stuff starts next week against a free flowing blues team, think the lions will do well if the can get a 6-4 split over these 10games and win one of the tests in that

underwhelming 1st half for the lions,

Sexton not looking great and when Farrell came on for him things instantly looked better. Still very early in this tour but Farrell is an absolute shoe in to start in the big ones.

You have to say though, this performance has not been great against the 1 side they were expected to walk over. Plenty to learn from this - let's hope it's just a rusty performance before the real games start.

yh this was basically against part time players which is a worrying sign, i'm sure they will improve, a lot of quality to bring in but not the best of starts at all

Very poor start but no one will remember this in a month or so. It's all about hitting form at the right time in the tests

they will if the lions go 1-8 or 2-7 in their next 9 games, make no mistake the lions were supposed to batter these lot today

Only caught the last 15 minutes of this. All looked very pedestrian and it wouldn't have been a shock if the had beat us. Very poor for what was supposed to be a livener.

Anyway, more important matter to deal with today. Attending this fantastic event.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/witneyrfc/news/international-wooden-spoon-festival-for-players-wi-1722668.html

Pretty shocking performance outside of Sinckler, Te'o and Faletau. Let's hope it was a one off on the tour because we won't beat any other team playing like that.

comment by Aristodemus (U3765)
posted 1 day, 15 hours ago
Pretty shocking performance outside of Sinckler, Te'o and Faletau. Let's hope it was a one off on the tour because we won't beat any other team playing like that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
looks as if they're not improving

That was some pathetic non imaginative rugby. Driving mauls in own 22 to try to get a penalty is as shocking as it can get. Should have lost by more even

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

worst possible game for the lions, they dominated the set piece lineouts/scrum(until that last one) and still couldn't win with that platform, so where do they go from here?

Im sorry but As above pointed out mauling out from your own 22 looking for penalties is just horrible to watch, every time the blues started to move the ball the lions looked in trouble, AT THIS RATE I CANT SEE THEM WINNING ANOTHER MATCH ON TOUR, sorry caps, good luck aginst the best super rugby team at the weekend

Can't wait to see what we'll (Hurricanes) do to them later on even without the All Blacks. We'll still have Laumape, Aso, Jordie Barrett, Cory Jane, Proctor and probably Nehe Milner Skudder. Forward pack will pretty much be intact apart from Ardie and maybe Shields.

its a shame the likes of laumape, aso and j barrett may not be selected, tours maybe come a year early, probably wont ever get to play the lions, tbh I think by the time the hurricanes play the lions the way its going the lions will be in a shambles

If you see a player like James Lowe who is an absolute world class player can't get a cap, then you really understand how hard it is to make the AB team. They will all get their chance eventually but they need to keep working hard and be too good to ignore like BOdin Barrett and Matt Todd have done.

Also, I hope Hansen calls up James Lowe for one test just to put a spanner in the plans of the Irish to make him a project player.

he more than deserves it this year, I think j savea has coasted on reputation a little recently despite his amazing strike rate, a bit of a liability defensively as well but can turn the game on its head in a instant

also gatland saying they played some positive stuff? I know he has to put a positive spin on it but nothing the lions did today minus the set piece was positive stuff, slow lumbering play with high kicks wont get you win in nz

Having watch a lot of super rugby (I try to catch al the kiwi teams) that wasn't a flawless performance by the blues. It was enough and was good to see them get over the line, which they've struggled to do this season. Surely gats has to put out s proper first XV against the crusaders? Starting a tour losing 2 of your first 3 is really not great, especially given the style of rugby they've been playing