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British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa 2021

I think he has a tendency to overdo things for Scotland, try and win it all by himself, as he’s had to carry the team so many times. He’s also someone who makes a few too many unforced mistakes for a supposedly top-class player.
Him & Finn.
 
Warrenballs last stand, 5pm Saturday, as 4 Welsh players brought back in. Can’t see any lineout being won with Owens on darts. Lowest number of Scottish players starting for a while. Sanjay Williams and Josh Adams in, Aki starts, Price is back. Beard and Simmonds on the bench. Russell too so scapegoat lined up already.

Williams; Adams, Henshaw, Aki, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Price; Jones, Owens, Furlong, Itoje, A Wyn Jones (c), Lawes, Curry, Conan

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola, Sinckler, Beard, Simmonds, Murray, Russell, Daly
 
Warrenballs last stand, 5pm Saturday, as 4 Welsh players brought back in. Can’t see any lineout being won with Owens on darts. Lowest number of Scottish players starting for a while. Sanjay Williams and Josh Adams in, Aki starts, Price is back. Beard and Simmonds on the bench. Russell too so scapegoat lined up already.

Williams; Adams, Henshaw, Aki, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Price; Jones, Owens, Furlong, Itoje, A Wyn Jones (c), Lawes, Curry, Conan

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola, Sinckler, Beard, Simmonds, Murray, Russell, Daly
Owens' inclusion and Van der Mediocre's retention instead of Watson (or LRZ for that matter) the only significant talking points, imo. The former clearly the worst of the three hookers so perhaps included due to national combos wrt lineout jumping (Wyn Jones and AWJ) to give way to Vunipola and LCD. VdM I genuinely don't understand any way you want to skin it but, as you've mentioned before, Warren likes his lumps out wide. Beirne can count himself unlucky but I guess Lawes is there to do exactly his job in the two positions and is considered to have done better over the course of the series.

Interested in Beard's inclusion - he provides a lot of ballast, has good hands and, more importantly, is a maul disruptor par excellence. He has also been quietly decent since he was called up.

Centre and SH remain the major achilles of this side, but at least the 12-13 axis is bedded in and in its respective best position. Also wonder if having no openside cover could come back to bite us on the arse. I'd have Navidi over Simmonds, but there you go.
 
Owens' inclusion and Van der Mediocre's retention instead of Watson (or LRZ for that matter) the only significant talking points, imo. The former clearly the worst of the three hookers so perhaps included due to national combos wrt lineout jumping (Wyn Jones and AWJ) to give way to Vunipola and LCD. VdM I genuinely don't understand any way you want to skin it but, as you've mentioned before, Warren likes his lumps out wide. Beirne can count himself unlucky but I guess Lawes is there to do exactly his job in the two positions and is considered to have done better over the course of the series.

Interested in Beard's inclusion - he provides a lot of ballast, has good hands and, more importantly, is a maul disruptor par excellence. He has also been quietly decent since he was called up.

Centre and SH remain the major achilles of this side, but at least the 12-13 axis is bedded in and in its respective best position. Also wonder if having no openside cover could come back to bite us on the arse. I'd have Navidi over Simmonds, but there you go.
I feel Beirne is a bit hard done by, but maybe a case of Lawes does the unseen graft and Beirne has the flashy highlights and Warren loves a grafter.

Beard deserves his place on the bench, he’s impressed me. It also suggests he may bring off AWJ or possibly shift Itoje to 6 at some point. South Africa are playing a lock at 6 - Faf is out as well, Reinach starts who has gas.

I’m not so sure about Simmonds who I feel is a bit of a flat track bully, albeit one who could conceivably play flanker.
 
I feel Beirne is a bit hard done by, but maybe a case of Lawes does the unseen graft and Beirne has the flashy highlights and Warren loves a grafter.

Beard deserves his place on the bench, he’s impressed me. It also suggests he may bring off AWJ or possibly shift Itoje to 6 at some point. South Africa are playing a lock at 6 - Faf is out as well, Reinach starts who has gas.

I’m not so sure about Simmonds who I feel is a bit of a flat track bully, albeit one who could conceivably play flanker.
I would be amazed if either lock is subbed. They, along with Furlong, have been the standout players in both tests. Itoje will replace Lawes at 6 as you suggest, imo
 
The lack of Faf, Du Toit, Vermuelen and Ox in that Bokke side makes it look very beatable. I think this selection can do it whereas the second test XXIII never looked like it could
 
The lack of Faf, Du Toit, Vermuelen and Ox in that Bokke side makes it look very beatable. I think this selection can do it whereas the second test XXIII never looked like it could
I know what you mean, but also, it’s the hope that kills you.
 
I don't disagree 🙂
You can't really disagree with his achievements or him as a player. He's right up there in the pantheon of the greatest players ever produced in his position in any era. Not the greatest, but up there. He is, without doubt, the best forward Wales has ever produced. Arguably he's in the top three locks Britain and Ireland have ever produced. IMO in the professional era only Johnson could claim to be better, but given his longevity and consistency of performance, and his Lions' pedigree, AWJ could plausibly claim the crown as the greatest. It's all moot and obviously national bias plays a part but he is an absolute phenomenon.
 
You can't really disagree with his achievements or him as a player. He's right up there in the pantheon of the greatest players ever produced in his position in any era. Not the greatest, but up there. He is, without doubt, the best forward Wales has ever produced. Arguably he's in the top three locks Britain and Ireland have ever produced. IMO in the professional era only Johnson could claim to be better, but given his longevity and consistency of performance, and his Lions' pedigree, AWJ could plausibly claim the crown as the greatest. It's all moot and obviously national bias plays a part but he is an absolute phenomenon.

I have no issue with AWJ, great player and captain and to see his longevity in this pro age is pretty amazing. I doubt many with have careers half that long given the way the game is going. His biggest fault of course is that he's not English 😋
 
I have no issue with AWJ, great player and captain and to see his longevity in this pro age is pretty amazing. I doubt many with have careers half that long given the way the game is going. His biggest fault of course is that he's not English 😋
I know I’ve posted it here before, but the most amazing statistic is that AWJ has played in over 21% of all the games that Wales have ever played in 140 years! 😱
 
Bledisloe game 1 this morning has proved more entertaining than both Lions tests so far
 
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Russell on. Gatland must be delighted as he’s got a built-in excuse. I would rather the Lions go down fighting with a Finn Russell maverick performance, than another turgid match like last week.
 
My main takeaways

If only Russell had been fit throughout the test matches. This felt like a back line that was firing finally.

Lions left at least 2 tries out on the field.

I wonder how many scrum penalties given away by Mako in crucial moments.

Unusually for test rugby the team ahead at half time lost the game, rare for that to happen 3 times on the spin.

Townsend not convincing as an attack coach, not coach in 2025 please.

Gatland coached teams tend to play in 3 point increments, not 7 points. This isn’t really enough in the modern game. If you aim to score 30 points in each game you will rarely lose. They seek to make every match a tight arm wrestle (an “alpha test” to use the shit catchphrase Sam Warburton was using in the 6 nations). The tactics probably work for a Wales team in the 6 Nations but generally come up short at the higher levels (see his fairly dismal record with Wales v Southern Hemisphere teams), and if there’s one team you can’t out arm wrestle it’s South Africa.
 
My main takeaways

If only Russell had been fit throughout the test matches. This felt like a back line that was firing finally.

Lions left at least 2 tries out on the field.

I wonder how many scrum penalties given away by Mako in crucial moments.

Unusually for test rugby the team ahead at half time lost the game, rare for that to happen 3 times on the spin.

Townsend not convincing as an attack coach, not coach in 2025 please.

Gatland coached teams tend to play in 3 point increments, not 7 points. This isn’t really enough in the modern game. If you aim to score 30 points in each game you will rarely lose. They seek to make every match a tight arm wrestle (an “alpha test” to use the shit catchphrase Sam Warburton was using in the 6 nations). The tactics probably work for a Wales team in the 6 Nations but generally come up short at the higher levels (see his fairly dismal record with Wales v Southern Hemisphere teams), and if there’s one team you can’t out arm wrestle it’s South Africa.
How about Curry being responsible for - 7 Lions points, 3 Bokke points and another pen to cap it off. Total liability today, as was Price. Russell excellent.
 
How about Curry being responsible for - 7 Lions points, 3 Bokke points and another pen to cap it off. Total liability today, as was Price. Russell excellent.
You should know that it’s compulsory to only criticise players from other home nations ;)

Agree he had a poor tour. Captain next time round though?
 
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