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

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Yes, shame that Donald just ain't up to it. Hasn't got a tactical brain cell in his head and his kicking is poor. He must just about have used up his chances.

It was a better AB effort, particularly amongst the forwards at the breakdown, even if another ref would have penalised the bejeeeeesus out of them for constantly diving off their feet. One ref's penalty is another ref's play on. The French suffered for it, and for some poor handling in admittedly terrible conditions, and for starting Chabal. They should have left well enough alone after last week. I also think that big lump of a #13 would have been more effective in the conditions than Mermoz. That said, if Donald could kick, the scores wouldn't have been so close.

Wallabies B cruised against Italy. Very lacklustre, particularly for most of the second half. Directionless and leaderless. The scoreboard flattered. Craig Gower has a future in Italian rugby terms. He's the first Italian #10 with the ability to create chances for eons. The young #9 showed something too.

Oh, and go Boks!

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Not a bad Bok effort for their first rugby in a couple of months. They ran out of steam and the Fruit Loop coach made some astonishing substitutions. They're only going to get better. Not sure that the Lions are going to. Big game from Roberts, BOD was excellent, POC isn't a skipper's bootlace, Vickery was embarrassing.

[Havak]

and Tom Croft is a superstar.

I always saw the Boks as favourites but what a surprising game. One of the few times I think you have read a game somewhat wrongly. The Boks were almost as lucky as NZ earlier.

Power. Control. Some classic mauling. For fifty mins. Then headless wonders under pressure. Ultimate display of English rugby from the Boks in fact. Pity it simply isn't very attractive. Absolutely all the creative rugby from the Lions, which surprised the hell out of me. And but for three squandered finishes (two involving great defensive work) it should have been a fairly easy win for the Lions too.

I tend to agree with the taffs - an in form Williams would have scored Monye's chances. sadly he isn't in form.

But you are right of course Finbar - no way back for the Lions from here I feel.

Big up to the monstrous Bok loose head Mtawira. An average player at the very best, did you notice he didn't scrummage legally once all the time he was on the field? Boring in and under Vickery he couldn't do the same to the smaller Jones (and was quickly taken off ). But her deserves respect for totally hoodwinking the ref. And you it seems?

I wonder what the legal ramifications are of the ref not hearing the French TV official correctly and giving a scrum the wrong way? I can understand French English (being a European) but clearly the antipodean ref could not.

But then there is an endless succession of antipodean refs who don't understand the scrum either, Bryce Lawrence simply the latest. I actually knew the Lions were doomed when I saw the woeful Dickinson on touch.

Rees was stupid to throw a punch (which is a card not a penalty offence Mr Lawrence!). Du Plessis was trying to hurt players all game and wasn't even warned. I can't figure out why they were treated so differently (Dickinson penalised Rees but stood over Du Plessis threatening a prone BOD and did nothing).

I said back in 2005 that SH officials were starting to threaten the very existence of the Lions. I stand by that. Oh for a French referee!

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Yes, I forgot Crofty. How could I? Great game. Boggles the brain that he wasn't originally selected. He's done on tour exactly what he was doing for Leicester and England. There was something seriously rotten about some of the original selections.

I've also had to revise my view of the Welsh lump of a #12. He can do more than crash through. And, as you said, why on earth would anyone consider selecting Gav at #12 when the lump is available?

The Boks weren't lucky to win. They so dominated the first hour that they should have been out of sight. Then two things happened - their lack of match fitness finally found them out, and the Fruit Loop coach made silly subs. The Bulls Boks haven't played a game of rugby for seven weeks, the Sharks and Cheetahs Boks for nine weeks, the others - if there are any - even longer. That was the coach's decision, obviously, and it could have been costly. Today was the Lions' big chance. They were let back into the match and couldn't manage it.

It was the centres - the Welsh lump and BOD - who created nearly everything for the Lions. That poses a challenge for the Fruit Loop coach. De Villiers has had next to no rugby this season because of injury, and there have always been question marks about Jacobs' quality at #13. That, and the lack of a specialist full back in the squad, should give the coach pause for thought.

[Havak]

I don't consider 12 points scored via incorrect penalties at scrums to be domination. Which is where we differ. Bottom line the Boks should have lost and lost handsomely because as you pointed out the Lions found and exposed serious problems in the Bok mid field defence.

But the Boks will certainly improve.

Wallace is a problem I think. He never countered the bulk and power in the way hoped. A ferret like Williams might have been better. And the lions are weak at hooker - Mears had a nightmare and Rees was worse. Vickery was being consistently cheated but as an experienced man he could have countered the beast far better.

What has happened to POC? Give the armband to BOD. We all see it belongs there!?

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POC isn't an inspirer of men, a general, et al. He's a leader by example. It's what he does for Munster. McGeechan thought he was getting another J****, which POC has never been, and McGeechan should have known better. Witness POC giving away consecutive penalties within about 10 metres against that Bok driving maul by quite obviously joining from the side. And then complaining. I don't know POC, but I suspect he's not overly bright. J**** was. Leading by example was only one of the strings to J****'s leadership bow. BOD, of course, is a natural leader. He's lost his overdrive but his guile and canniness is lovely to watch. I'm constantly astonished when I read that he's only 5' 9".

Wallace did struggle. As did Heaslip, though, to be fair, neither #8 was all that visible. Tommy Bowe disappointed me, too, almost as though he was stage-struck. On the other hand, the Boks have no one like Croft.

Williams might have done better against Brussow who was doing the Lions a lot of damage. Williams is similar to Brussow though not as rugged. And subbing Brussow when he did was the Fruit Loop's first mistake. He subbed Brussow, Bakkies and de Villiers all within five minutes with around half an hour to go. de Villiers might have needed a rest given the little rugby he's played, but there went three key strong defenders. Back came the Lions through the midfield. He subbed Smit - a real skipper, unlike POC - with fifteen to go when the trouble was happening. Then, of course, he had to manufacture a way to get him back on again when he realised the damage he'd done. The guy is an idiot.

But Lions supporters can sleep easy tonight. Tim Payne is flying out to save the day.

[LDiCesare]

I'm afraid some kiwi supporters are total morons.
Bastareaud (the big French 13 who played the first match) was attacked in Wellington when coming off the taxi to enter his hotel. I can admit there may be drunkards everywhere, but by the players' hotel in the middle of the night, after the behaviour of the supporters in Dunedin, it's not really good news.
I certainly hope the New Zealanders will learn either to behave or to provide safety to the players in the years to come.
Given the weather, it's a pity we didn't field Beauxis. His boot's awesome and he could have slotted some points and put more pressure on the All Blacks. Although the lack of back-row jumpers was definitely bad for the French in the lineouts.

[Havak]

That kind of behaviour is unacceptable in any country. No one can defend it. Sadly all countries have idiots, I'm not entirely convinced it couldn't happen here.

Tim Payne?

Flatman is with the Saxons and is a better player (he has had fitness issues for a few seasons).

One of my big disappointments was how poorly Jenkins did against Smits (a better man and better hooker than the animal they actually played there). I expected more.

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There are indeed idiots all over the world. The further shame is that Bastareaud has gone home. I was hoping he'd start against the Wallabies. Stirling Mortlock -v- Bastareaud would have been worth seeing.

I can't believe there is speculation that Rees might replace Mears. Mears had a poor day across the board but he's capable of better, even if on the small side. I'd call Rees a poor man's Mears. The pre-tour injuries struck the hooking department the hardest. And, of course, there's speculation that Andy Powell will get a gig. Please Rugby God, no.

And it looks like someone has hacked the Lions Tour website. Unless it has already been fixed, scroll down to Phil Vickery:

http://www.lions-tour.com/the_lions/the_squad.asp

EDIT. Just saw the Churchill Cup final scoreline. Cripes. Cipriani on the bench, too. Did he get any game time during the series?

[Havak]

Ahthe curse of havak strikes again. 13 wins in a row, I praise them and they immediately get hammered. And they were very thoroughly beaten. Best looks back to his 'best' (with apologies), the young fly half who plagued Tigers in the Euro final controlled the game beautifully and there is a new young fullback who looks the real deal. Ireland may have more depth than I appreciated.

Cipriani got a sulky 12 mins toward the end. No doubt he then told all who would listen he would have won it. Myler did have an off day - but our converted Kiwi is a more humble lad than Cips and I therefore prefer him anyway.

The lions thing must have been fixed.

Rees and Powell? I have nothing to add to your accurate observations!

Who is currently coming out of the tour with increased stature? Croft, BOD, Roberts and maybe Phillips? Not too great out of 37?

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Croft. Roberts. Byrne, till injured. BOD's stature was in place.

The Irish kid Sexton? He looked like real quality against Leicester. Good to see him keeping it going.

Shame they fixed the Lions site. Phil Vickery's photo was replicated about 30 times with captions advertising the sort of stuff that's advertised in spam emails. Including Viagra. Bryce Lawrence probably turned hacker.

[Havak]

Poor Phil - he wasn't as bad as he has been painted. He got stitched by continuous foul play that wasn't pinged.

I see the lions management have asked for clarification on the scrum before saturday. Wonder who the ref is?

Sexton yes - and the fullback was Felix Jones I think. All sorts of Tigers (and ex Tigers)scored tries - Johne Murphy for the Irish, Woods and Varndell for the Saxons.

Byrne I forgot - yes he has done well.

tomorrows side:

Backs: K Earls (Munster and Ireland); S Williams (Ospreys/Wales), R Flutey (Wasps/England), G D'Arcy (Leinster/Ireland), L Fitzgerald (Leinster/ Ireland); R O'Gara (Munster/Ireland, capt), H Ellis (Leicester/England)

Forwards: T Payne (Wasps/England), R Ford (Edinburgh/Scotland), J Hayes (Munster/Ireland), D O'Callaghan (Munster/ Ireland), N Hines (Perpignan/Scotland), J Worsley (Wasps/England), M Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales), A Powell (Cardiff Blues/Wales).

Replacements: L Mears (Bath/England), P Vickery (Wasps/England), S Shaw (Wasps/England), D Wallace (Munster/Ireland), M Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland), J Hook (Ospreys/Wales), U Monye (Harlequins/England).


Last chance for Shane W. The bench is full of people being given a chance to retain test places. Hopefully it scotches the Powell rumour for saturday. Hopefully!

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And the Boks have swapped Burger for Brussow. Burger isn't a practised scavenger, Brussow is, and he did a lot of damage. I'd've thought it would make Martin Williams a shoe-in to start the Test. Except he's starting tonight.

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I only caught the last half an hour of last night's match. Yet another meal made of a match against promising but uncapped talent. No one seemed to cover themselves in glory. Shane took one good catch under pressure but also seemed to make an unfortunate defensive blunder; Hook seemed to run sideways a lot; Ellis seemed to handle poorly; Powell seemed to run straight into contact, upright, one arm out, ball under the other arm, a sitting shot for the defence; Simon Shaw seemed to make an impact when he appeared. The commentators seemed to have been impressed by Fitzgerald's efforts, none of which I saw.

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Strange developments in the Bastareaud-bashing-in-Wellington story. The Kiwi police seem to have doubts about Bastareaud's version of events. CCTV footage shows him entering the team hotel with two other players and a couple of girls and showing no signs of injury. He says he was attacked from behind at a cab rank on his way back to the hotel. Very odd.