Rugby - Six Nations, S14, Lions, Can't Wait

[finbar]

Delete the bit about heart and you could have been watching England.

[Havak]

Very true.

Lions preliminaries now over. Todays Bok mob had muscle up front and tested the Lions pack big time. The test team will be much as we have speculated.

Monye, with all his weaknesses, will now partner Bowe. Sorry to disagree with taff legends but Shane is too big a gamble now.

[finbar]

I missed yesterday's match. Thought it was last night. Sounds like a tough old game and O'Gara didn't like it. Get used to it, son. Bakkies Botha is just around the corner.

[Havak]

The thing about the last game before the first test is that most of the starting XV know it means bench at the very best for that Test.

There were plenty of late and high tackles. But RSA is not a kindergarten tour.

we have largely nailed the test team I think. I see with amusement various Welsh contributors to BBC comments saying Croft lacks physicality to compete at the breakdown (proving they have no idea how strong he is for a lean man) and that Powell should start as the Boks cannot mark both him and Roberts.

Roberts has had a strong tour. Powell has spent his being stopped dead on the gainline.

And the Saxons get Ireland A in the main final (Churchill has three finals - half the teams there win).

Still pick on England all you like (and many will) they do contribute to these developmental tournaments.

[finbar]

That's why I chuckled at O'Gara's grizzle. What did he expect? They'd got off very lightly until yesterday. And there's more to come in the Test matches.

Roberts has had a strong tour. Powell has spent his being stopped dead on the gainline.

I still think Roberts, while immensely powerful, doesn't do enough beyond crashing through. Still, he crashes through well, and opens doors for others. Better him at #12 than, eg, Flutey. Powell would be a liability against the Bok back row - stopped in his tracks and turned over ad nauseum.

they do contribute to these developmental tournaments

Yes, they do. And picking more than a few players who actually should be in the national team.

[Havak]

Great credit also must go to England and Australia for what they have agreed to in order to help Fiji rugby this autumn. From beating a massively over-rated Welsh side at the RWC to near bankruptcy right now.

We got the Lions almost nailed. Wallace is the surprise - more physical than Williams.

British and Irish Lions team to play South Africa in the first Test in Durban on Saturday:
L Byrne (Wales and Ospreys); T Bowe (Ireland and Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Ireland and Leinster), J Roberts (Wales and Cardiff Blues), U Monye (England and Harlequins); S Jones (Wales and Scarlets), M Phillips (Wales and Ospreys); G Jenkins (Wales and Cardiff Blues), L Mears (England and Bath), P Vickery (England and Wasps), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales and Ospreys), P O'Connell (Ireland and Munster, capt), T Croft (England and Leicester), D Wallace (Ireland and Munster), J Heaslip (Ireland and Leinster).


Replacements: M Rees (Wales and Scarlets), A Jones (Wales and Ospreys), D O'Callaghan (Ireland and Munster), M Williams (Wales and Cardiff Blues), H Ellis(England and Leicester), R O'Gara (Ireland and Munster), R Kearney (Ireland and Leinster).


Williams aside that is a weak set of forwards on the bench.

And let us not forget that this genius Lions management did not originally select Croft to tour. It reminds me of Corry in 2001 (late call up, played every test).

[finbar]

I wasn't surprised to see Wallace for the physicality reason. And Williams has missed some rugby on tour. I would also have had the other Irish winger in front of Monye. I think there are two big weaknesses - locks and back row. Two of the Boks' stronger points. I was underwhelmed by the Welsh lock the other week and POC is too one-dimensional. In fact, given that POC has to play, I'd've gone with Shaw for his experience and mongrel. I'm amazed he's not on the bench. And what happens if either centre comes to grief? Where's the cover? Given that the big Welsh lump's shoulder is clearly an ongoing niggling problem.

[Havak]

There should have been a question mark after Williams rather than a full stop.

Do you mean Fitzgerald - he isn't a specialist winger. Such a shame Halfpenny wasn't able to get fit.

I believe Kearney has played IC but yes it is anorexic cover.

Also Murrays injury presumably let Jones on the bench - he has done nothing to warrant it IMO.

I do like the cut of Jenkins right now - he looks the mean tenacious menace I first saw in him in the 05 Slam season.

Heaslip and Wallace are no mugs but I concede your point. An outfit that can beat the ABs will sorely test these Lions. So that would be France then?

Yep I am still enjoying that result.

[finbar]

You could get to enjoy it all over again this weekend. Unless the French are overcome by an attack of Frenchness and blow it.

I'd've called Fitzgerald a winger who has had a couple of shots at #12. Anyway, I'd have him in front of Monye. More brains than Monye.

[LDiCesare]

Unless the French are overcome by an attack of Frenchness and blow it.

Which is quite likely.
There's been 3 changes in the French team. Mas starting as prop is for the better. Chabal starting as lock with Papé not even on the bench is more questionable, as the second row had a great game last week. Mermoz instead of Bastareaud as center looks interesting too and can provide some new inventive attack options. On the other hand, the blacks have Kaino in the back row and a stronger midfield, and they are warned that French will try to use mauls. They'll probably lift their game a notch. The French can still defend very well, but will we be able to attack and create danger is another question. The second half last week was rather in favor of the kiwis.

[Havak]

I'd have Matt Smith ahead of both of them personally.

Help me out here Finbar - I don't see any Scots in the side....Murray was their best hope with Hines behind him but the former is coming home and the latter is an Aussie anyway. Although he has been better on tour than Donacha.

Seriously ditch one of the welsh wannabees - Ford is no worse a hooker than Rees (both are pretty poor after all).

[Havak]

No No No - optimism is needed.

2-0 to France.

[finbar]

On the other hand, the blacks have Kaino in the back row and a stronger midfield, and they are warned that French will try to use mauls. They'll probably lift their game a notch. The French can still defend very well, but will we be able to attack and create danger is another question. The second half last week was rather in favor of the kiwis.

Yes, they have Kaino back, and this week they have actually selected an openside flanker in Latimer. Last week they didn't select a genuine openside but a plethora of blindsides, meaning a back row with nearly everyone playing out of position. Latimer is a good S14 player, whether he's up to this level and the intensity the French will bring is a different matter. The ABs won the second half last week, certainly, but mainly because they avoided breakdowns where they were getting murdered. They remain suspect in the forwards. If the French care to be as discipined as they were last week - which is my big worry - they can do it again.

Help me out here Finbar - I don't see any Scots in the side.

I'd overlooked that. I thought there was supposed to be at least one from each nation. Or is that a myth? Presumably Murray would have been at least on the bench. Blair shouldn't even be on the tour - and has played accordingly - so there was no hope for him. Ditto Hines in terms of being there, but he hasn't been the worst on the tour. Hullo Shane.

[Havak]

I think tradition is that each nation should be represented. But that was actually broken in 2005 by Super Clive who also picked no Scots in at least one test.

As long as France win I'll be happy anyway - oh and the Saxons of course.

[Andydog]

NZ 14-10 Les Frogs.

That was a decent effort from the ABs and a considerable lift from Dunedin. I thought that some of the young guys did very well - Latimer, Read, Ross, Evans for his time on. Loosies much better, and defense generally more organised (allowing for that excellent French try!)

That was a good French side, and they went out confident they could beat us again. I thought we deserved the win, and perhaps it should have been by a greater margin, but given the conditions, we'll take it.

This has been a good series for NZ, even with the loss last week. It will be the making of several fine All Blacks, and that's how the depth re-grows. Suddenly lock looks stronger, loosies more convincing. When the big guns are fit and back, our squad is much stronger from how the new players handled themselves under real pressure. They've learned a great deal. Shame about Donald.

Now to watch the Bokke spank the Lions.