Lions tour 2025

[the big bambino]

That’s some top level whinging going on there.

23-5 and all the talk about the last minute penalty that wasn’t.

What rubbish. We can all see the commentary and how different it is to what you saw. The commentators presented an argument and the law and showed evidence how it was broken. And they took pains to praise the Lions and not blame them. Totally opposite to what you say they said.

However you came on here whingeing didn't you? Btw both sides were warned about offside before the Lions guy was marched. The Lions got the controversial call that won the game and suddenly the ref is good. It puts your opinion into the context of fan jingoism and competence of refs determined by how much yours or the other side benefits.

 

[Skipper Pup]

What rubbish. We can all see the commentary and how different it is to what you saw. The commentators presented an argument and the law and showed evidence how it was broken. And they took pains to praise the Lions and not blame them. Totally opposite to what you say they said.

However you came on here whingeing didn't you? Btw both sides were warned about offside before the Lions guy was marched. The Lions got the controversial call that won the game and suddenly the ref is good. It puts your opinion into the context of fan jingoism and competence of refs determined by how much yours or the other side benefits.

That poster is a troll and gaslights regularly, I wouldn't even worry about it.

 

[GotSpin]

Considering the state of RU in Australia, this series has been desperately needed.

I went to the Reds v Lions game a few weeks back and that was the first union game I've been to in over 10 years. Even just seeing the crowd at that game (albeit mostly Lions fans), this tour has been great to generate interest and get eyes on the Wallabies.

Not really bothered about the officials or the results or whatever, they just need to find a way to keep this momentum going or the sport will be irrelevant again in 12 months time.

Well they have the WC to prep for now

 

[James]

Australia have done much better than I expected, I expected 13+ to the Lions in all 3 games. For a Lions series you ideally want close hard-fought mid-week games as well which hasn't happened.

It's obviously another 12 years before the Lions are scheduled to visit Australia again. Will be very interesting to see what state the game is at then within the country.

 

[Ali TT]

Seems like all the Aussie commentators are outraged Morgan wasn't a penalised and all the British commentators are adamant it was fair play.

If that is a penalty though, won't the rule just permit players to step over rucks with their heads on the ground and kill the ball?

 

[Molehill]

What rubbish. We can all see the commentary and how different it is to what you saw. The commentators presented an argument and the law and showed evidence how it was broken. And they took pains to praise the Lions and not blame them. Totally opposite to what you say they said.

However you came on here whingeing didn't you? Btw both sides were warned about offside before the Lions guy was marched. The Lions got the controversial call that won the game and suddenly the ref is good. It puts your opinion into the context of fan jingoism and competence of refs determined by how much yours or the other side benefits.

I never said the ref was good at all, even highlighted what a farce the scrums were all game. I think there were many mistakes.

We just disagree on this point.

 

[ripper868]

Yeah, let’s be real this tour & the RWC was given to Australia in an attempt to revive the game here

The Lions visit Aus every 12 years, on a 4 year rotation with NZ and Sa, its not like this tour was a decision in a pub 2 years ago.

Rugby has been dying or on its knees in some way or the other for 20 years. But yet, 100k were at the G, they lost by 8 and 3 points to the best of Britain, an yes, people are talking about the game again, it may not be everyone talking about it again, but it's stirred something in some of those who perhaps had walked away or were about to.

Rugby will keep dying in Aus for the next 20 years, it'll keep being the 'silver spoon' sport for double barreled surname lawyers sons and be completely inaccessible for 'working class' people and have stupid law changes to make the game hard to follow.

But it'll still survive, because it is an international game, and it has the capacity to bring millions of pounds to the economy every 12 years, it has people from Rugby countries who have moved to Australia, and it has good people at the grassroots still who will never get acknowledged. If you think the game is dead, fine, bury it. But it's still there.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Rucks are always massively open to interpretation.

I'm pretty sure, were a ref so minded, (s)he could award a penalty or a free kick at every one.

The Morgan/Tizzano thing is pretty much the perfect example.

Tizzano was at the tackle first and rule 15.2 (and yes, I had to look it up) states a ruck is only formed when at least two players from the opposing teams are in contact over the ball, so before Morgan arrives we're still in tackle territory and Tizzano can attempt to gather the ball.

However, as soon as Morgan arrives a ruck is formed and rule 15.3 states "Players involved in all stages of a ruck must have their heads and shoulders no lower than their hips. Sanction: free kick".

So, by the letter of the law, the correct outcome should have been a free kick to the Lions, however that means literally every loose forward who's first to a tackle should concede a free kick as soon as the oppo bind on to him, so there's got to be a little give and take.

 

[Heboric]

Rugby has been dying or on its knees in some way or the other for 20 years.

Then why are the French and Irish pumping so much money into the game ?

 

[ripper868]

Then why are the French and Irish pumping so much money into the game ?

My post relates to the game in Australia. As the common line rolled out by anyone wanting to bash the game is that it's dying etc.

The French and Irish are dumping money into because it's a great ****ing game.

 

[Heboric]

My post relates to the game in Australia. As the common line rolled out by anyone wanting to bash the game is that it's dying etc.

The French and Irish are dumping money into because it's a great ****ing game.

Okay got you

 

[Molehill]

My post relates to the game in Australia. As the common line rolled out by anyone wanting to bash the game is that it's dying etc.

The French and Irish are dumping money into because it's a great ****ing game.

The real money is in France really, Ireland have just put all theirs into 4 teams (you could argue it’s only really 2 and even one of those is not as remotely competitive as they were).

But pleasantly surprised to see Aus more competitive than I expected if only to annoy Burgey.

 

[Shady Slim]

But it'll still survive, because it is an international game, and it has the capacity to bring millions of pounds to the economy every 12 years, it has people from Rugby countries who have moved to Australia, and it has good people at the grassroots still who will never get acknowledged. If you think the game is dead, fine, bury it. But it's still there.

i'm not a rugby guy or anything but this is unequivocally true. rugby is much smaller in terms of fanbase here than the afl or the nrl. in terms of *television ratings*, i'm told the first lions game got beaten out by the women's state of origin match. BUT, and this is a crucial but, the fanbase of rugby here, as small as it is compared to the major codes, are passionate as heck. people go to shute shield games in droves to an extent that nobody does to nrl or afl reggies. the wallabies still manage to sell out stadiums whenever they play

the game is hardly universal and far from beloved here but it's a sport whose fanbase will keep it kicking along

 

[GotSpin]

The Lions visit Aus every 12 years, on a 4 year rotation with NZ and Sa, its not like this tour was a decision in a pub 2 years ago.

Rugby has been dying or on its knees in some way or the other for 20 years. But yet, 100k were at the G, they lost by 8 and 3 points to the best of Britain, an yes, people are talking about the game again, it may not be everyone talking about it again, but it's stirred something in some of those who perhaps had walked away or were about to.

Rugby will keep dying in Aus for the next 20 years, it'll keep being the 'silver spoon' sport for double barreled surname lawyers sons and be completely inaccessible for 'working class' people and have stupid law changes to make the game hard to follow.

But it'll still survive, because it is an international game, and it has the capacity to bring millions of pounds to the economy every 12 years, it has people from Rugby countries who have moved to Australia, and it has good people at the grassroots still who will never get acknowledged. If you think the game is dead, fine, bury it. But it's still there.

If the Wallabies actually started winning for once then you’d probably see a ton of fans come back anyway.

I know we’ve slugged our way into a few deep WC runs and a Rugby Championship win 10 years ago but our state and national teams just get pummelled year on year out

 

[ripper868]

No ****.

And if the call at the death went the wallabies way last night we'd be having very different discussions.

 

[Ali TT]

So is the decline in Australian RU akin to the Windies in cricket, ie from time to time they'll have some success, often in single games but generally they will continue to get worse? Or will they bottom out and then start to improve? When I was a kid they were generally the dominant SH side until the ABs finally got their arse into gear again in the mid-2000s.

 

[Furball]

So is the decline in Australian RU akin to the Windies in cricket, ie from time to time they'll have some success, often in single games but generally they will continue to get worse? Or will they bottom out and then start to improve? When I was a kid they were generally the dominant SH side until the ABs finally got their arse into gear again in the mid-2000s.

Isn't their 'decline' more that they had an unusually good side in the 90s and haven't been as good since, rather than any sort of structural issue with the game?

 

[social]

Isn't their 'decline' more that they had an unusually good side in the 90s and haven't been as good since, rather than any sort of structural issue with the game?

Combination of things

Golden generation of talent hard to replicate

Totally inept management which squandered the benefits of same

Massive competition from other, stronger sports

Declining appeal of game itself with parents who are worried about the risks

etc

Basically a perfect storm

 

[Ali TT]

Well, I've watched the game now and fundamentally just a fantastic rugby match. It had brilliant attacking play, dogged defence upfront and a dramatic come from behind victory. What you want in international sport.

Still not seeing quite what the Aussies are around the Morgan clear out. 50-50 decision at best, and that's stretching it. Play acting WAF too

Isn't their 'decline' more that they had an unusually good side in the 90s and haven't been as good since, rather than any sort of structural issue with the game?

Maybe, but their period of strength lasted quite a while - throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s. They were pretty decent in the early 2010s as well, albeit not as strong as at their peak

 

[ripper868]

On the play acting, Tizzano actually falls backwards the way he does as Morgan grabs his legs as Tizzano steps out to go back to the defensive line, grabs his head sure as he falls, but it's a little dark arts in there from Morgan.

For me, obvious penalty with the gold glasses on. Tizzano is first on the ball, so needs to be legally removed from the ruck, Morgan arrives with arm on floor, so isn't a legal clean, and never has his feet. Super slow mo you can see Tizzanos head bend back to his chest before Morgans shoulders make contact with Tizzanos, which would indicate direct contact to head, which is foul play, and overrules any argument of Tizzanos head being below his hips or a side entry. For me it's clear they don't arrive at the same time as Tizzano has his hands clearly on the ball. If Morgan slightly misses Tizzanos head/neck Tizzano doesn't move and wins the turnover penalty.

But again, that with my gold glasses on, and the refs made the right or wrong decision to say play on and kill off the series. Wallabies own worst enemy letting the Lions score 5 tries in the first place, and blowing what should of been an 18 point half time lead.

They gave the opportunity for a 50/50 call to not go there way when they should of already had the door nailed shut.

I'm not angry, just disappointed.

(Insert bit about 4 nations beating the lowly wobs in the last minute, NH rugby in shambles etc etc)

I dont hold much hope of Les Kiss continuing the good work Mr Schmidt has done though, but I guess we'll see.