Lions tour

[SteveR]

Screwed the Pooch today....
I had thought the midweek game was Wed morning, our time, so I agreed to have a day out with SWMBO in the Peaks. Poor call that.
Sounds a bit as if the Lions need a Ref that understands the Scrum, where was the Frenchman when we needed him?? :whistle:

[gbags]

So Gat-bland has taken five more Welsh players...from the team that lost 3-nil to the Kiwis last year.
And although we have one week till the first test, two weeks to the second and three weeks to go to the final test, has taken no English players due to 'geographic' and 'jet lag' considerations. No English players from the team that beat Wales all last year, three-nilled the Ozzies in Oz, won back to back Six Nations and equalled the All Blacks record winning run.
Don't think I'm being anti-Welsh. Wales are brilliant when they're up and have some outstanding players, but they've been off form for two years (after knocking the English out of RWC 2017) and Gatland choosing, I think, 16 Welsh players shows him to be a fool. Wales came FIFTH in the Six Nations this year, ffs!
Taking all his own boys is going to cost us (the British and Irish) the series and will cost him any chance of heading the All Blacks one day.

[SteveR]

Well, in his defence, they will be "midweek" players, which is a bloody shame for them, as well as the Lions.
England have finished their tour and EJ has said Gatland could have pulled a few England lads last week to fly in and get over jetlag, the likes of Launchbury for starters....?? Genge is a beast and can break the line, but is probably superflous, Robshaw is firing again and Ford has looked brilliant in Argentina behind a good pack.
I guess we will find out come Saturday, I hope Faz is fit, as he and Sexton look a nice combo, and it is obvious Sexton likes having Murray at 9 and they are totally at home with each other

[Andy A]

"Sulky brown "is luck to get to get in the England side with he quality they have scattered in the premiership ,
Baffles me how he's the 1st choice at 15 ,
Don't get me wrong he's a decent player , crap temprament , but better 15s out there
Nowell a winger ,,,, but would be better at full back ,,,,

Just been watching the wonderfully entertaining Pumas v England and I saw nothing from Brown that convinces me he is the 1st choice full back. Brown gets ball, runs into Contact, falls over... (OK, gets tackled but same result!) The idea of a good offload to a man running off his shoulder is anathema to him :silly:

The game on telly was super to watch with some sublime running from Argentina, but good defence and good in the breakdown from England. You couldn't predict a result until 81minutes!

I thought Brown had a decent game in the second test, he must have been reading this thread (thumbs)

[SteveR]

"Sulky brown "is luck to get to get in the England side with he quality they have scattered in the premiership ,
Baffles me how he's the 1st choice at 15 ,
Don't get me wrong he's a decent player , crap temprament , but better 15s out there
Nowell a winger ,,,, but would be better at full back ,,,,

Just been watching the wonderfully entertaining Pumas v England and I saw nothing from Brown that convinces me he is the 1st choice full back. Brown gets ball, runs into Contact, falls over... (OK, gets tackled but same result!) The idea of a good offload to a man running off his shoulder is anathema to him :silly:

The game on telly was super to watch with some sublime running from Argentina, but good defence and good in the breakdown from England. You couldn't predict a result until 81minutes!

I thought Brown had a decent game in the second test, he must have been reading this thread (thumbs)

Do not underestimate the power of ABR!

[SteveR]

Watched the Chief v Lions a few mins ago as I was out on the bike at 8.30.... Some nice play and wonders of wonders, players were keeping up and running lines when there was an attack. (thumbs)
Nowell looked sharp, and that break from Daly was a joy.... Didn't see how the Forwards went, but I assume well