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Name your Lions team
- Thread starter Uppercut
- Start date
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Nice euphemism there. Think I saw 3-4 hands at rucktime.
Mind, Sheridan collapsed about eight scrums, so makes it even.
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Also, from yer Guardian
Yeah, come back when any non-finals in the northern hemisphere draws 23,000, thanks
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
True. Went a tad OTT. Was Munster v Leinster though, which is essentially a title match.
Still think it's a bit too much "ooh, the big empty ground doesn't look good on telly" tbh. Oh well, I suppose we all have to find things we don't like.
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Well his hero is Richie MaCaw.
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Vodacom Park isn't full when the Boks even play there, only in a Currie Cup final have I ever seen that ground full.
And the ticket prices are ridiculously overpriced for a game where the opposition is trying things out and the Cheetahs are void of their two 'star' players.
Only 24,000 at the Shark tank tomorrow which is very poor as along with the Stormers/WP, the Sharks are the best supported side in the SH.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if even some of the test matches are not sold-out, as tickets are costing over 100 pound sterling!
Nice work by South African rugby in attracting new fans to the game and changing the demographic support of the game. Its no wonder clubs/franchises such as the Lions are going to the dogs; they can’t even get a quarter full stadium in city which has only one rugby side and over 3 million people.
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Another good showing by the Lions against a good Sharks pack (backline Terblanche and Kock aside was Vodacom Cup standard). I know a lot of people who lumped heavily on a 3 zip to the Boks but I fancy the Lions might take a game and who knows maybe win it.
The Boks won't have played for over a month before the first test and if de Villiers plays silly bollocks, they could get some real egg on their face. The real first test for the Lions will come against the Emerging Boks, the rest of the warm-ups are against heavily depleted provinces and a side which has 38 year old, Mike Catt in it.
The Boks won't have played for over a month before the first test and if de Villiers plays silly bollocks, they could get some real egg on their face. The real first test for the Lions will come against the Emerging Boks, the rest of the warm-ups are against heavily depleted provinces and a side which has 38 year old, Mike Catt in it.
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
75 % possession, at least. Sharks just had no go-forward (probably related to that appalling backline and no desire to kick whatsoever)
Can't say Terblanche applied for a Test spot either. Maybe de Villiers and TT got that one right.
Can't say Terblanche applied for a Test spot either. Maybe de Villiers and TT got that one right.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Our lack of a cutting edge was disappointing in the first half, as was the way BoD was hunted down after the breakaway. Three years ago that'd have been a try. & Don't wanna whinge, but Kaplan didn't do us any favours at the breakdown either. Sharks offside more or less constantly.
Byrne & Phillips have inked their names in now tho. Dare say the backline is pretty much settled now, save fly-half and (maybe) one of the wings.
9) Phillips
10) S Jones (probably)
11) Monye (probably)
12) Roberts
13) O'Driscoll
14) Bowe
15) Byrne
Byrne & Phillips have inked their names in now tho. Dare say the backline is pretty much settled now, save fly-half and (maybe) one of the wings.
9) Phillips
10) S Jones (probably)
11) Monye (probably)
12) Roberts
13) O'Driscoll
14) Bowe
15) Byrne
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
All the Shark backs were poor. Kock who had a fantastic Super14 was ****. Poor tactical kicking, no breaks, just seemed like he was on a mission to piss off the opposition, that was it.
Deysel was the only player who came out of it with any sort of credit. A beast with ball in hand.
Strong rumour that Burger will miss the first test. Few years back that would have been a huge blow but he hasn't been hot since cutting his hair and the Boks have a plethora of quality flankers.
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Yup, agreed. Only two people who played flanker in the Super 14 in the squad though...would be Dinosaur with Juan and Kankowski?
TT Boy
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah just those and I’m not sure how many starts Dinosaur has had as flanker for the Bulls. Usually bench warmed and played second fiddle as lock this year. Though, he did play in Burger’s position during the contact session yesterday.
They are given Burger as much time as possible but if he is ruled out, I can’t see them overlooking Brussow given the way he has performed this year. Though, Jean Deysel still has another shot at the Lions and whilst he usually plays 8 he can play 7 as well. And Jean has the advantage over Brussow in having 10kg of more muscle and 10cm. There is a notion in some circles that Brussow is too small to play for the Boks. Former coach, Jake White would never have touched a player as diminutive Heinrich and flatly hated fetchers (Luke Watson). He thought the only thing they were good for is pulling beers out of the fridge.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
& Ryan Jones out. Rumours of the hokey-cokey still to be confirmed.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Bit of a curate's egg against WP. Scrum functioned pretty decently, wings took their chances, Williams (M) linked the forwards with the backs and Powell carried the ball well, but Jones (S) I think may've played himself out of a test slot. Kicking from the tee and the hand was ordinary, decision making poor and handling worse. He has a physicality that O'Gara lacks, but if the coaches think wee Ronan's too little he shouldn't be there.
I'll hazard a guess at the team, going with who I think will be picked rather than who I would necessarily.
1) G Jenkins (Wal)
2) L Mears (Eng)
3) P Vickery (Eng)
4) P O'Connell (Ire)*
5) AW Jones (Wal)
6) T Croft (Eng)
7) M Williams (Wal)
8) J Heaslip (Ire)
9) M Phillips (Wal)
10 R O'Gara (Ire)
11) U Monye (Eng)
12) J Roberts (Wal)
13) B O'Driscoll (Ire)
14) T Bowe (Ire)
15) L Byrne (Wal)
The positions I struggled with most were second lock, blindside flanker & (as per my previous equivocation) fly-half. I think Martyn Williams did enough to secure openside so, with his relative lack of bulk, I could see Worsley being preferred to his younger, more athletic compatriot at 6. Similarly with Hines maybe partnering O'Connell in the second row; if we go for a cracking heads approach the Australio-Jock might start.
&, as I said, O'Gara should now start, but if his size and/or defence is seen as an issue Jones might get an (underseved, IMHO) reprieve or Hook could come in.
I'll hazard a guess at the team, going with who I think will be picked rather than who I would necessarily.
1) G Jenkins (Wal)
2) L Mears (Eng)
3) P Vickery (Eng)
4) P O'Connell (Ire)*
5) AW Jones (Wal)
6) T Croft (Eng)
7) M Williams (Wal)
8) J Heaslip (Ire)
9) M Phillips (Wal)
10 R O'Gara (Ire)
11) U Monye (Eng)
12) J Roberts (Wal)
13) B O'Driscoll (Ire)
14) T Bowe (Ire)
15) L Byrne (Wal)
The positions I struggled with most were second lock, blindside flanker & (as per my previous equivocation) fly-half. I think Martyn Williams did enough to secure openside so, with his relative lack of bulk, I could see Worsley being preferred to his younger, more athletic compatriot at 6. Similarly with Hines maybe partnering O'Connell in the second row; if we go for a cracking heads approach the Australio-Jock might start.
&, as I said, O'Gara should now start, but if his size and/or defence is seen as an issue Jones might get an (underseved, IMHO) reprieve or Hook could come in.