WILKO GET ON THAT PLANE

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Maybe next time Faz

Wilko
Biggar

Hook utility centre.

45 m is the top of his range for certainty although he does and has kicked longer than that and just missed ( but with plenty of distance) a 50+ m one recently

You just show your lack of understanding of how good he is as a place kicker. NOt the longest but not a short range kicker either and the most accurate around.

would you rather have a 75% kicker with a 50 m range or a 95% kicker with a 45 m range?

fa0019 wrote:

TJ wrote:Why? why does the 10 have to take the place kicks? Its only recently in #rugby this has become the Norm. Hastings at FB used to take them. I recently watched a 70s game and the scots 8 was taking the kicks.

Hastings took them because he was far superior to Chalmers who wasn't a class place kicker. Montegomery took them when Butch James was in the side because his successs rates were at near amateur levels.

If you have 2 players of equal quality, one a fullback, one a flyhalf then you give it to your 10, everytime.

Halfpenny is a good kicker but Sexton is far better... he hardly ever misses and from what I recall has been the most accurate kicker in test rugby for the last couple of seasons... better than Morne, better then Peter Grant.

Whoever is the best goal kicker takes the kicks non dependent on position.

Indeed and if 1/2 plays then he should be taking the kicks I believe - no natter who is at 10

I did state earlier I'd have Morne Steyn over Peter Grant. Peter Grant has been the best kicker in SR percentage wise for a while now with an ave. of over 86-87%... which would be tough to top but his range is similar to Laidlaw.

Morne comes in just below 80%... but what he does have is range and teams know if they foul in their own half... he's going to score.... and the bigger occasion the better he does... I've seen him tear us (WP) apart on numerous occasions. A kicker like that terrifies players into thinking twice about committing penalties or competing in the grey area of the law.

samuraidragon wrote:No other 10 in the NH would have landed that drop in such a high pressure game.

You know he missd an earlier drop goal, don't you?

TJ wrote:Indeed and if 1/2 plays then he should be taking the kicks I believe - no natter who is at 10

It's great to have options but as a Lions fan I would agree with you. I have more trust in Halfpenny's goal kicking than any other potential goal kicker that might tour. Sexton does not fill me with confidence as a goal kicker.

We could potentially have Halfpenny and Sexton as two options and Hook or Biggar to come off the bench. That's a pretty good selection of top class kickers.

Laidlaw was 93% in the 6N - the top % over 1/2 p with 86%

Can you afford to give away the missed kicks for the possible greater range?

TJ wrote:Laidlaw was 93% in the 6N - the top % over 1/2 p with 86%

Can you afford to give away the missed kicks for the possible greater range?

If Laidlaw was playing 10 over Sexton then yes on an overall game level.... I wonder what the other players stats would be like if they excluded kicks from beyond the 10m line?

Laidlaw might be a decent kicker but IMO he then becomes 10th choice as a 9 or 10

Laidlaw won't be playing 10 - unless there is injury. He simply did not show enough in the 6N to deserve a place at 9 or 10. He might go as a utility back

I simply and trying to show the above poster that actually laidlaw is one of the best around as a kicker and it is an interesting Q- someone with a 55m range and a 80 % sucess rate or someone with a lessor range but a higher %

I would imagine the kicks the guys like Halfpenny/Sexton/Wilkinson are most likely to miss are those which Laidlaw doesn't even attempt... i.e. ones at the end of their range. It keeps his numbers up and theirs down. That said, there is no doubt he is a very good kicker within his own range.

Greig Laidlaw should definitely tour, but as a scrum half who can cover ten if needs be.

I actually hope Farrell Jr and any Sarries players don't go.

Let the Welsh circus have their fun in the sun.

beshocked wrote:I actually hope Farrell Jr and any Sarries players don't go.

Let the Welsh circus have their fun in the sun.

We will - Cheers

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Greig Laidlaw should definitely tour, but as a scrum half who can cover ten if needs be.

Not even sure about that. the laidlaw of last year yes but he seems to have lost a bit of his attacking play this year. I am disappointed in him as he could / should have been a main man for the lions but didn't show the form this year he has in the past.

50/50 call for me

ha ha Ruby. Let's hope it's a dry tour....

Getting back to subject I think most Aussies would love for JW not to tour... esp. if guys like Biggar/Laidlaw/Hook/Flood/Priestland went in his place.

Certainly Priestland... one of AUS' favourite players last year.

I see your point, TJ. I haven't seen much of him for Edinburgh this season, but for Scotland it's true that he hasn't been making many breaks; on the other hand, his tactical kicking has been excellent. He's one of those players who knows what to do and when. Such a canny player.

Wilco Should go, purely to wind the aussies up. Sit him on the bench and bring him on for the start of the 2nd half and watch some of the Aussie players head back to the changing rooms to change their pants.

damage_13 wrote:Wilco Should go, purely to wind the aussies up. Sit him on the bench and bring him on for the start of the 2nd half and watch some of the Aussie players head back to the changing rooms to change their pants.

Even Jonny would laugh at that? The Hype, The Hype *attempted in my best wacko Brando accent*

lol I jest, but there WOULD be a niggle in the back of their minds!

This'll wind the rest up though ...

Wilkinson for Lions captain if he wants it, makes sense, he'd be the only one on tour who's won a World Cup.

TJ wrote:Laidlaw was 93% in the 6N - the top % over 1/2 p with 86%

Can you afford to give away the missed kicks for the possible greater range?

I don't see the comparison as such, as Halfpenny took six more kicks (I think). I don't think it's fair to compare stats, unless they both attempted the same number of kicks.

I'm not knocking Laidlaw as a kicker mind you.

Thats why the % is key - not the number of successful kicks - the % shows the accuracy

Does the % show where the kicks were taken from and at what stage of the game and against whom?

Risca Rev wrote:

TJ wrote:Laidlaw was 93% in the 6N - the top % over 1/2 p with 86%

Can you afford to give away the missed kicks for the possible greater range?

I don't see the comparison as such, as Halfpenny took six more kicks (I think). I don't think it's fair to compare stats, unless they both attempted the same number of kicks.

I'm not knocking Laidlaw as a kicker mind you.

Risca,I agree but would take it a stage further.To be valid they would have to kick from the same spot,the same score line and the same weather conditions to have any validity as a comparison otherwise it is apples/oranges.Totally pointless comparison.People who throw stats around as conclusive proof of anything do my head in!

Wilkinson kicks penalties while having an armchair ride.

Is this really news?

Wilkinson is better at being Wilkinson than Farrell. Never I don't believe it.

Jonny is Jonny, not my cup of tea, never has been, but if they want a Jonny then why not take the real thing?

I wouldn't personally but its not a car crash decision

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Greig Laidlaw should definitely tour, but as a scrum half who can cover ten if needs be.

God is this Laidlaw bandwagon still rolling. He is not in the top 3 9s or the top 20 10s. Yeh he can cover 10 as long as you have someone covering him as they run over the top of him

A complete liability, if he tours it will only because they are trying to balance the squad. Not in a million years on merit

We'll have to agree to differ, Dragonbreath.

I am a big Laidlaw fan but I don't think he showed enought this 6N to get on the plane. he is however better than Phillips He can actually get the ball from the ruck and pass it without waiting for a new ice age.

I

TJ wrote:I am a big Laidlaw fan but I don't think he showed enought this 6N to get on the plane. he is however better than Phillips He can actually get the ball from the ruck and pass it without waiting for a new ice age.

I

I think we have danced this dance before TJ. Laidlaw better than Phillips is just comical. Thanks for the chuckle on a Monday

Phillips is the comical one


Just teasing

Shame for Farrell that he had such an awful game two days before the announcement, and we're now looking pretty average at 10 if Sexton isn't fit.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Shame for Farrell that he had such an awful game two days before the announcement, and we're now looking pretty average at 10 if Sexton isn't fit.

I guess it will work in his favour that he was behind a beaten pack and Gatland will be hoping for at least parity from ours (more than parity, I expect).