Lions tour

[oldcolner]

Good win today beating the Chiefs 34-6 and could have been more. Totally dominant.
Good to get back to back wins after beating the Maori All Blacks convincingly.
Now for the big one on Saturday.

[alfinyalcabo]

Alfie's tour has just started ,a week or so in sunny,hot and lovely Otley..Shame about the Yawkshire folks though..lol

[malwayne]

Alfie's tour has just started ,a week or so in sunny,hot and lovely Otley..Shame about the Yawkshire folks though..lol

Yes. Two comfortable wins in succession which will do their confidence a world of good. Saturday's game should be interesting but I still think the all blacks will win the series. Maybe even 3-0.
This Saturday will be a big step up to what's happened so far. They will be playing a team that is not only talented,but intelligent to go with it. Gatland could be the greatest ever or his reputation will be torn to shreds. I somehow think it's going to be the latter.

[malwayne]

Yes. Two comfortable wins in succession which will do their confidence a world of good. Saturday's game should be interesting but I still think the all blacks will win the series. Maybe even 3-0.
This Saturday will be a big step up to what's happened so far. They will be playing a team that is not only talented,but intelligent to go with it. Gatland could be the greatest ever or his reputation will be torn to shreds. I somehow think it's going to be the latter.

all blacks team pretty much as expected with the welcome comeback of inspirational captain Kieran Read. A team based on craft ,power and explosive pace. I see the lions losing by about ten points.

[sinkov]

The Lions team just illustrates the current strength of England, five of the seven English players chosen aren't even regular starters for Eddie Jones. Add to that we've just beaten Argentina with 30 players unavailable and it's clear the balance of power in world rugby is tilting our way.

I wouldn't be putting money on it but I think the Lions have a chance, Gatland knows the time of day, the All-Blacks will know they've been in a game. I hope !!

[NZClaret]

Would love to see the Lions put one over on the ABs just to shut that lot up at work. But can't really see them getting within 15 points. 3 -0 whitewash is on the cards I'm afraid.

[oldcolner]

We're off and a good start nearly a try but TMO rules out

[oldcolner]

First scrimmage goes ok
lots of open play

[oldcolner]

ABS starting to dominate, penalties conceded one kicked one run for try 10 -0, with 20 mins gone

[oldcolner]

Penalty to lions 10-3 with 30 mins gone

[oldcolner]

13-3 then amazing run from own line by Liam Williams sets up a great try for Lions Farrell misses kick 13-8 38 mins gone

[oldcolner]

53 mins still 13-8 lots of open play now with Itojo on.

[oldcolner]

AB scrum pushes Lions back ball moved to wing for a try in opposite corner 18-8 converted from line 20-8

[oldcolner]

Ends 30-15 with a last minute try from Lions.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

It is very difficult to fathom how a nation with a population of just over 4.5 million people can keep on producing rugby players of this standard. Dan Carter leaves and they replace him with someone who is probably even better. :confused:

Unbelievable Jeff!

[malwayne]

It is very difficult to fathom how a nation with a population of just over 4.5 million people can keep on producing rugby players of this standard. Dan Carter leaves and they replace him with someone who is probably even better. :confused:

Unbelievable Jeff!

And so it proved. There is no substitute for real quality. Kieran Read lead from the front. You wouldn't have known he'd been out for the past two months. The way he picked up that ball which lead to the try in the corner was oozing with ability. In Reiko Ioane the All Blacks ave found yet another gem of a player. The way he left Daly for dead for the second time on this tour was brilliant. From one to fif**** they were simply unstoppable even though SOB scored an absolutely fantastic try to finish off a move of genuine quality. Speed of thought , accuracy and direct finishing is their hallmark. And yes Bedlington Terrier in Beauden Barrett they have a player who will turn out to be better than Dan Carter. the test series will be all over by 10.30 next Saturday morning and even the Hurricanes could upset the odds on Tuesday as well. The best we have to offer will not be good enough and if the Lions choose to throw the ball around it will come back at them with interest.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I'm not really a great fan of Rugby Union, but I know genius when I see it! Ye Gods!

[malwayne]

I'm not really a great fan of Rugby Union, but I know genius when I see it! Ye Gods!

Genius is the word. 15 of them !!! I have been watching all of these players since the super rugby season started in february and some of the quality I have seen since then had to be seen to be believed. Unlike other rugby playing countries their production line of emerging great players never seems to stop. As you correctly point out it is uncanny how they keep on producing these top players for a country similar in size to Wales. I don't think there is any real secret to doing it. Maybe they just do it better than everyone else. The black shirt with the silver fern means everything to any youngster with any talent.
I will give you another example of progress. The "baby blacks" won the World Junior Championships last week in Georgia beating anyone and everyone including a good England team in the final. Scoring points for fun in the process.in the final they had a youngster who had played for Auckland Blues against the Lions two weeks previously and they had no hesitation putting him in despite his tender age. Somehow don't think that would happen over here or anywhere else in the northern hemisphere.

[sinkov]

Hmmm, I was thinking maybe these ABs aren't quite as good as they think they are, not quite as good as the pundits say they are. I'm not thinking that now.

[oldcolner]

There were flashes of Lions brilliance to offer some hope for the future, a try in the opening minutes inches was away, the best try of the match and the final moments, but the territorial domination of the ABs strangled the life out of the Lions most of the time. If we aren't in their half we aren't going to win. We also need to avoid giving penalties away, the ABs hardly conceded any.
They seem to make ordinary players brilliant. I think full back Best played in Gloucester for a few years without setting the heather on fire. We need to find whatever they do to make the rough diamonds brilliant and do it ourselves,
Looking forward more in hope than expectation.

[oldcolner]

Now for the Hurricanes - will they blow us away?

[oldcolner]

That was going well 31-17 up and a penalty given for a 17 point lead, but advantage played and we had a player yellow carded, the penalty was reversed they kicked for the corner got a try, then got another to end up 31-31.
Some advantage that was!!

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Beat the All Blacks? Not on this sorry showing!

[malwayne]

Beat the All Blacks? Not on this sorry showing!

Don't write them off just yet. The Tuesday team has never been as good as the test team anyway. Today they played a team who have arguably the most flair in New Zealand rugby. Only Lawes and Henderson( until the yellow card) look as though they could be taking part on Saturday. Dan Biggar also earned my respect by the way he never ducked out of a challenge especially when he tried his best to stop the try in the corner when he took a right battering.I honestly though he'd won it with the last kick of the match too. In the end, a fair result and great entertainment for the armchair viewer. Saturday is going to be another great occasion and although I expect the All Blacks to win, it may just be closer than what people think. I am going for an All Blacks win 22-18.

[oldcolner]

Do or die day approaches.

Warburton replaces Peter O’Mahony in a starting line-up showing three personnel changes from the XV that started the first Test.

Maro Itoje comes into the second row for George Kruis, Johnny ***ton is at fly-half and Owen Farrell shifts to inside centre instead of Ben Te’o.

Will it work?

[oldcolner]

24-21 is good enough, all set for a decider next Saturday. Thank goodness they couldn't kick all their penalties or score a try and had a man less for an hour.
Vunipola was a nightmare giving them four penalties and getting a yellow.

[malwayne]

Good win today beating the Chiefs 34-6 and could have been more. Totally dominant.
Good to get back to back wins after beating the Maori All Blacks convincingly.
Now for the big one on Saturday.

Last week I went on record stating the All Blacks would wrap up the series yesterday. I was wrong. The lions deserved their win taking their chances well even though they played against 14 men for almost an hour. The referee Jerome Garces made the correct decision in giving a red card to Williams. What he didn't do was give a red card to Vunipola for a similar offence. He had previously given away two penalties and took out Barrett leading with his arm to his opponents head when he was nowhere near the ball and rolling away. If you are going to apply the laws of the game which have been changed recently. then you have to be consistent. A yellow card was not the right decision. I am really surprised no one even mentioned the incident during or when the experts were summing up afterwards.
Next Saturday will be a titanic battle for sure. Eden Park is a fortress for the home team and the All Blacks rarely lose two games in a row. The lions will have plenty of confidence going into this game but as yet the All Blacks have not played to their capabilities. Strangely enough i forecast a lions win yesterday, but can't see them repeating their win next Saturday.
It promises to be a fascinating 80 minutes of top class rugby. The lions will have to play better than they did yesterday.Whether they are able to do it again remains to be seen.

[oldcolner]

Some good news
British and Irish Lions flanker Sean O'Brien is free to play in Saturday's third Test against the All Blacks after being cleared of dangerous play. He was alleged to have struck New Zealand wing Waisake Noholo during the second-Test win. He denied the offence and the claim was dismissed by a three-man panel.

[oldcolner]

Crunch time approaches and Lions unchanged

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Really looking forward to this one.

6 cans of Stella and a couple of homemade egg and bacon sarnies and a famous win for the Lions at Eden Park.

Can life really get any better? :D

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Phew! That was some game!

[oldcolner]

Probably we were lucky again, in that they had missed goalkicks and dropped the ball or knocked on a few times at crucial moments. The downgraded penalty to a scrum at the end was a great relief.
We lived on scraps and competed well, but blew all of our chances of getting a try. We didn't make much of the 10 mins yellow either like last last time. An exciting game from start to finish and yet another great comeback by the Lions.

Overall we should be pleased and like BT relieved. Well done boys.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I call that a result! :D

[oldcolner]

Yes though all players seem perplexed at the end. The ABs certainly were disappointed.
Two of our kicks crept over the bar Daly from our own half and the last penalty from Farrell certainly was a pressure kick.

[sinkov]

An absolute joy to watch. And once again I'm left wondering why football referees are unable to control the game and the
players in the way they do in RU. They have the same authority as Rugby refs but they just won't use it, god knows why not.

Also impressive was the downgrading of the last minute offence to accidental offside, meaning if the ABs wanted to win the game and series, they'd have to earn the win by their own efforts, and not by a penalty from a technical offence. Would a football ref have been able to think on his feet like that and change his decision. And if he had, the reaction of some of the players would have been wonderous to behold.

[Supersub6]

sinkov, I honestly think that the players and management in rugby accept the decisions made by the referees and there is also much less disrespect from the fans because they are willing to accept their authority and this is the big difference between rugby and football.
Football referees are disrespected by some manangers, some players and the majority of fans and yet they do a really good job in spite of all this. I am pleased to say that I think that the Clarets conduct themselves really well in these matters and that reflects very well on our management team -- other clubs do not show the same respect --sadly!

[sinkov]

They do accept the ref's decisions SS, but only because they know they will be severely penalised if they don't. Footballers have no such worries, they can treat the ref with contempt and get away with it. Football refs could, like Rugby refs, refuse to accept this behaviour, but for whatever reason they put up with it, to the detriment of the game.