Lions V NSW Waratahs

First topic message reminder :

This is obviously a very important game in the overall context of the tour. Gats should use it primarily as a tough run out for his test team 1 week before the test series begins. But will he still want to give some players a chance to put up their hands? Are there certain positions still up for grabs and if so will he try and use this game as a winner takes all shoot out. It is not ideal to still be asking players to play the Brumbies game and then appear in the 1st test, although not impossible.

For me it should be:

Adam Jones - nailed on
Hibbard - almost nailed on
Grant - experiment
POC - nailed on
AWJ - trial V Parling
Lydiate - needs to prove himself
Faletau - needs to prove himself
Warbs - needs to prove himself
Phillips - nailed on
Sexton - nailed on
North - nailed on
Roberts - nailed on
BOD - nailed on
Maitland - experiment
1/2P - nailed on

Bench:
Cole.....purely for some hard match practice as I see Jones as nailed on
T.Youngs....could challenge for a starting spot if he excels as a replacement - worth a look
Vuni.......originally viewed as an impact sub so interesting to see how he goes compared to the highly rated (by the Scots) Grant who is deserving of a start
Parling.....worth another look to see if he is worth a starting or bench spot
Croft....another who deserves a run out to see if he is worth a bench spot
Heaslip....given an opportunity could take the starters spot
Youngs....assuming he will be the test sub so let him see what impact he can make
Farrell....ditto as for Youngs

Is a 6/2 bench split a bit risky?

Who would you like to see run out on Sat and do you just want the test side to play or do you still see this as a chance to experiment and give players a fair crack?

Update with actual team.
Lions team: Leigh Halfpenny; Sean Maitland, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Simon Zebo; Jonathan Sexton, Mike Phillips; Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell , Tom Croft, Sam Warburton (capt), Jamie Heaslip
Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Dan Lydiate, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Rob Kearney

Zebo starts well!!!

Nope, he's in touch

That should have been a try somewhere I feel, JD2 and Zebo were both through

Superb from Davies.

Great work sexton and Davies lovely Roberts line too

Morning All.

What a start for our lads though.  Very promising.

Dodgy tackle, but a penalty is given.  Halfpee kicking...

0-3 at 3:27

Halfpenny wants to show off his long range kicking

From halfway

And he nails it

0 - 3

Sam Warburton mouths " trust me mate, you don't want to tackle like that...!"


Great kick from the amazing halfpenny.

He is young enough to be an illegitimate child of Neil Jenkins, just saying...!

Big workrate from the Lions second rows so far

oof!  If HP had caught up with that.  What a chargedown that would've been.

SEXYTOES!!!

Zebo-Davies-Sexton. Great play!

JD2 having a SCREAMER!

Sexton, Zebo and JD2 do it this time

Wonderful line from Sexton

Excellent counter

0 - 8

A bit easy this one.

I think the whole team are playing well so far...some great team work going on.

0-10 at 7:17  Beautiful conversion kick.

I love old Leigh knocking over these kicks for us, but why does he wear that ruddy scrum cap! Then if he has to wear it, why does he have to take it off for a kick!!!

ANOTHER touchline conversion from Halfpenny

He has to be the best place kicker in the world at the moment

Could yet see Davies in test 23...

wales606 wrote:Zebo starts well!!!

Nope, he's in touch

That should have been a try somewhere I feel, JD2 and Zebo were both through

I thought it was a real poor effort at finishing after being given a clear run in. Good tackle by Mitchell, but poor effort by Zebo.

Good try by sexton, love the way he told JD2 what to do.

Halfpenny should actually play in cottonwool, nevermind be stored in it

Roberts likes a defensive challenge

JD2 and Sexton loves each other passing game at the moment

But my favourite part so far is that POC and AWJ are all over the pitch

Butcherd chance there.

Sloww hands

This will be the most intense Lions performance since the final 20 mins of the 1st test 2009.

Bit sloppy from roberts - wasn't enough space though, and I think he got caught in two minds

Ah shame Dr Robs lost that.  Could've been another try there.  Ah well...

100 up lads!

BamBam wrote:I love old Leigh knocking over these kicks for us, but why does he wear that ruddy scrum cap! Then if he has to wear it, why does he have to take it off for a kick!!!

I'd assume when practicing over and over on his own on the training field...he doesn't wear a cap. He's more comfortably in his zone as a kicker without it.

Lions scrum was unlucky then, didn't think they were early

Drew Mitchell has so far stopped two tries on his own...

I notice Alywynjo has given up his scrum cap these days...

NO SEXYTOES IS HURT!

Ok we are rubbish..

Not sure the quick throw for the try was actually legal

SecretFly wrote:

BamBam wrote:I love old Leigh knocking over these kicks for us, but why does he wear that ruddy scrum cap! Then if he has to wear it, why does he have to take it off for a kick!!!

I'd assume when practicing over and over on his own on the training field...he doesn't wear a cap.  He's more comfortably in his zone as a kicker without it.

Makes sense .. Backs are a strange bunch

Wow...that was a classy try.

Great start by the lions. Jonathan Davies is superb

Gatland will pick Cuthbert and North because he will want big powerful wings to score in the corner and not get pushed out. Zebo too light. 

Bad tackle from Maitland.

To be fair, the Lions were down to 14 there...

Maitland just lost his chance at a test place there.

Oooh

Not good, Maitland get a black mark

Sexton injured!?

Cari wrote:To be fair, the Lions were down to 14 there...

One man down, illegal quick throw and a poor tackle - and suddenly it is game on.

What a try waratahs

Late tackle on sexton?

Superb try from NSW.  Maitland showing why we need Bowe desperately.  Zebo is in with a real shout for the Test team at this rate.

Also, I'm not a fan at all, but Croft is having a very good game so far.

Well at least Sexy's OK...but I think he should come off.  He's running a bit uncomfortably...

7-10 at 15:42

That was cute, Zebo...

How many times is Phillips going to missing when we need quick ball!

Zebo didn't have the ball in the right arm, which in this case was his left. Costly mistake perhaps seeing as NSW coming back into the game. Good to see the Lions being tested though 1 week out from the first test match. Got an atmosphere at this game that seems to have been missing so far.

If Zebo makes all his tackles he is in the test team

Lets hope he is ok. Had smelling salts apparently

Cari wrote:Well at least Sexy's OK...but I think he should come off.  He's running a bit uncomfortably...

7-10 at 15:42