Player Ratings - Lions

Surprised this isn't up yet - sorry if I've missed a thread.

Halfpenny 7 - decent enough and good goalkicking other than one poor miss
Cuthbert 7 - gets an extra mark for his try. Looked a bit shaky at times and not at his best but did take that try really well
BOD 6 - Not his best, seemed a bit unlucky for the penalties he conceded (certainly 1 of them) and didn't see much of him in attack
Davies 6 - Solid but not spectacular. Didn't get much of a chance to impress going forward but solid in defence
North 9 - Superb going forward and never shown up in defence. Ironic that of the 3 tries they scored, him and Folau never had to take each other on
Sexton 6 - Decent but never brilliant. Don't know what happened for their second try as he could hardly have been further away from Folau if he'd tried
Phillips 5 - A real disappointment, never made much ground round the fringes, box kicks were too long and will be disappointed with his effort for their first try
Heaslip 6 - I was disappointed in him but others thought he was outstanding. Has to take some responsibility for the back of the scrum. Good in lineout
Warburton 6 - Never really shone but didn't do a lot wrong either. Good rapport with ref early on but needed him to stand up as a leader more, especially near the end
Croft 6 - He is obviously told to play out wide, he doesn't ignore instructions! Good in lineout and didn't do a lot wrong but, again, never really shone
POC 7 - Good lineout and scrum went well for most of game. Not quite at his best but good, solid performance.
AWJ 7 - Similar to POC, think they will be reunited next weekend
Jones 8 - Caused them problems in the scrum and the difference when him and Corbs went off was huge
Youngs 8.5 - Good game and pushing for MOTM. Hit all his lineout throws, made some carries and good tackling. Really impressed and pleased for him
Corbisiero 8 - Like Jones, showed up well in the scrum and involved around the park. Showed Gatland was right to pick him.

Subs

Overall 5 - none of them were particularly bad but their impact was negative and not at all what was expected/hoped for

From the Irish Times:

Leigh Halfpenny: Kicked 13 points, missing only one shot at goal, and his consistency proved in stark contrast to woeful Wallabies accuracy. 8/10
Alex Cuthbert: Scored a try on his Lions Test debut, finishing with trademark aplomb early in the second half. 7
Brian O’Driscoll: Made it two Lions Test wins from two attempts 12 years apart in Brisbane. Tireless in attack and defence. 7
Jonathan Davies: Made his physical presence felt from the opening minutes. Relished the occasion. 7
George North: Scored a breathtaking 60-metre solo try, and underlined his reputation as pure box office material. 9
Jonathan Sexton: Dipped in and out of the game. When he was good he was very good, but not always accurate. 7
Mike Phillips: Outplayed by his opposite number Will Genia and was unable to consistently stamp his authority on the game. 6
Alex Corbisiero: Delivered a strong 50-minute contribution in all phases of the game, particularly his scrummaging work. 7
Tom Youngs: Did little wrong, and was part of a potent Lions scrummage that gave Australia plenty to think about. 7
Adam Jones: Departed 10 minutes into the second period following a solid evening’s work, particularly at scrum time. 7
Alun-Wyn Jones: A typically workaholic effort by the Wales lock. Once again put in more than his fair share of tackles. 7
Paul O’Connell: A colossal worker for the Lions in tight and loose exchanges. Showcased all his experience. 7
Tom Croft: Gave the Lions a quality lineout option, and he roamed around the field in trademark fashion. 7
Sam Warburton: The Lions captain marked his first Test in charge by leading them to a nerve-tingling victory. Led from the front. 7
Jamie Heaslip: A tireless worker in the backrow battle between two breakaway units that went hammer and tongs at each other. 7

Independent:

Leigh Halfpenny: His goal kicking was once again vital to the Lions cause but he will be unhappy with a couple of defensive lapses and did not have the impact he would have wanted in attack ;7

Alex Cuthbert: A try from a set move gave him the opportunity to shine but he was not as influential as a man of his speed and power should be and needs to increase work rate; 6

Brian O’Driscoll: Early penalties meant he did not compete over the ball and was largely used as a defensive buffer to try and halt the Wallabies. Needs to up his game for second test; 5

Jonathan Davies: Good early run suggested he would be a major force but he was unable to make the kind of  yards a player of his ability can achieve and more is needed next weekend;5

George  North: Could have had two tries but what a finisher. The man who can win the series for the Lions and amazing powers of recovery gave him the chance to impress; 8

Jonathan Sexton: Sat too deep in the pocket, did not put big enough hits in defence and may lose his place to the more combative Owen Farrell unless he bucks up his ideas; 5

Mike Phillips: Had a torrid time because the break down was  a mess and ended up going down blind alleys and being caught by the defence. Kept battling and will keep his place;5

Alex Corbisiero: Was busy around the pitch but missed a key tackle for one of their tries. Scrum was more solid with him on board but a calf problem hampered him late on; 6

Tom Youngs: Put in a good shift at scrum and line out where his throwing was very good. Tackled well and is the kind of work horse every team needs and will get better;6

Adam Jones: Helped to really put the pressure on the Wallaby scrum but tired as the second half progressed and keeping him on for longer is vital in the next match;6

Paul O’Connell: Does what he always does in a Lions jersey – battles to the very end and puts his body on the line. Hard graft is his stock in trade and he delivers; 7

Alun Wyn Jones: Was a willing tackler and added good power in the scrum without threatening to overshadow O’Connell. They are a good pair and will  be on duty again; 6

Tom Croft: His line out work is exceptional  and it made up for a less than dynamic performance as a ball carrier. Was closed down early and threw a one handed pass forward;6

Sam Warburton (capt): Led from the front and hit plenty of rucks without stealing that much ball due to the need to stay on the right side of the referee. Is getting back to his best;7

Jamie Heaslip: Not the best we have seen from him on tour but good enough to warrant another outing in Melbourne when he needs to find space in mid-field to hurt the defence; 6

Sydney Morning Herald:

1. Alex Corbisiero - the surprise starter was as mobile as ever around the fringes, and was quick to throw his body in as second tackler. Missed a key tackle in the build-up to Folau's second try. Kept the scrum steady, and was missed in the set piece when he succumbed to a calf problem after 51 minutes. 6/10
2. Tom Youngs - Gatland will have been very pleased with the hooker's throw-ins at the lineout. Anchored the scrum, and carried the ball strongly when the Lions opted to punch in close. 7/10
3. Adam Jones - the canny Welshman was solid, if not spectacular. Tired badly as the game went on, but was a nuisance for the men in gold. 5/10
4. Alun Wyn Jones - a typically assured game from the big lock, who was busy in the dark areas, and gave good support to his second-row partner who was the preferred lineout option. Bossed the restarts. 6/10
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5. Paul O'Connell - Superb hands under pressure in the lineout - at the middle and the back. A real battler, who looks at home in the red. Played his heart out. A key player for the tourists. 7/10
6. Tom Croft - not a great night for the Englishman with the ball in hand, but a good performance in the lineout. Lions fans would have expected more damaging carries from the man with the long legs and big fend. When he did run, his ball protection was iffy. 5/10
7. Sam Warburton (capt) - still not at his best, the Lions captain hit the breakdown fast and hard, but did not have as much success pilfering the ball as he would have liked. Tackled like a lion. 5/10
8. Jamie Heaslip - aside from a couple of dangerous carries from the base of the scrum, the No.8 had a fairly ordinary night. Did not give an inch in contact, but will expect more from himself. 6/10
9. Mike Phillips - The most disappointing of the touring XV, the towering Welsh halfback was schooled by the untouchable Will Genia. He failed to assert himself, even with front-foot ball in the first half, and was rarely seen on the snipe. 4/10
10. Jonathan Sexton - Came back well after being embarrassed by a stepping Israel Folau on the big winger's second. Shortly after threw a lovely delayed pass to put Cuthbert through to score. His decision making and pinpoint kicking from hand drove the Lions to their victory. 7/10
11. George North - There was no hint of a fitness problem from the big winger. When Barnes made the mistake of kicking down his throat, he gave it back with interest. Only a superhuman hand from Israel Folau prevented his second. 8/10
12.  Jonathan Davies - the replacement for the highly-fancied Jamie Roberts was tidy in the first half, but dropped off as the match wore on. Was guilty of overrunning O'Driscoll a couple of times, but tackled barbarically and even forced a turnover or two. 6/10
13. Brian O'Driscoll - A mixed night for the man who lit up the first Test in 2001. Harshly penalised at the breakdown early on. Almost slipped Jonathan Davies in with a lovely show and draw on halftime. Tackled everything that came down his channel. 6/10
14. Alex Cuthbert - Hit a banana skin under the high ball in the first half, and that told the tale for most of the game. Hit a lovely pass from Sexton hard and straight to score a well-taken try. 5/10
15. Leigh Halfpenny - The metronomic boot of the Welsh fullback proved the difference in a incredibly tight Test. Superb goalkicking under pressure. Answered tough questions in defence, and was the man who took down a rampaging Beale late on. 7/10

Scottish Herald is identical to the Irish times I think:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/rugby/ratings-british-and-irish-lions.1371906555

philps and sexton getting the same rating from independent is hilarious! philips was dire

Sky Sports:

15 Leigh Halfpenny

The Lions full-back was in imperious form. He landed a couple of beautiful shots at goal, finishing with 13 points in total. He also made good yards with the ball in hand and made one crucial tackle to deny Kurtley Beale. 8

14 Alex Cuthbert

Hopefully the winger silenced some of his critics with a delightful display to watch. He showed willingness to get involved at every opportunity and was rewarded for his efforts with a superbly taken try - with Cuthbert leaving three players for dead. 8

13 Brian O'Driscoll

Struggled with the referee's interpretation of the breakdown and was pinged twice early on. His partnership with Jonathan Davies didn't quite work with two ball players in the centres. His tackling, though, was rock solid with only Warburton making more tackles. 7

12 Jonathan Davies

The Welshman had been superb in the warm-up games and he coped well with the step up despite being at 12. There was plenty of endeavour with eight carries and nine tackles but his combination with O'Driscoll didn't quite work. 7

11 George North

Arguably the star man in a red jersey. His try will go down as one of the great Lions tries of all time, while he was only denied a second by a matter of centimetres. He was a threat throughout whenever he got the ball. 9

10 Jonny Sexton

He quietly went about his work but there were some real flashes of brilliance. He carried the ball well although was exposed slightly exposed for Israel Folau's second try. 7

9 Mike Phillips

The Wales No 9 will not be happy with his performance as he was repeatedly caught around the breakdown. Phillips was clearly playing to a game plan but it was one that wasn't working for the Lions. He was completely outshone by Will Genia while Ben Youngs gave the Lions late impetus. 6

1 Alex Corbisiero

He brought into the side purely for his scrummaging and he certainly made an impression upfront. However he also did his fair share of work in the loose, making six carries, including one eye-catching break, and seven tackles. 7

2 Tom Youngs

The Lions lineout has been under pressure throughout the tour, however Youngs was simply faultless. He hit his men with every throw and showed plenty of variety. He was no slouch in the loose, either, with nine carriers and seven tackles. 9

3 Adam Jones

Another whose sole purpose was to stick it to the Australia front row and it was job down for the tighthead prop. The Lions dominated the scrum battle and it was noticeable how they struggled once he was off the pitch. 7

4 Alun-Wyn Jones

A solid shift in the engine room from the Lions lock. He attempted to drive the Lions over the gainline and he got his head down to get through an impressive amount of work. It might not have always been seen but it was appreciated. 7

5 Paul O'Connell

An impressive outing as you would expect from the talismanic lock. His work in defence was immense, with only Sam Warburton making more tackles, while he attempted to slow down the Australian attack. He also made some good yards in attack. 8

6 Tom Croft

A couple of bright moments from the flanker but perhaps didn't get enough attacking ball as he would have hoped. However he linked well with Youngs in the lineout while his defensive effort also deserves mentioning. 7

7 Sam Warburton

The skipper led from the front as the Lions secured a memorable win in Brisbane. He topped the tackled charts as he attempted to drive the Wallabies back, while he edged the battle of the No 7s against Michael Hooper. 7

8 Jamie Heaslip

He took the fight to the Australia's and made useful yards over the gainline for the Lions. He was the top carrier for the Lions, while he weighed in with the tackles too. Also proved to be a good option in the lineout as the Lions mixed things up. 7

I think the front row and AWJ deserved to stay on longer and may have higher scores.

The Independent's rating are hilarious, as are the comments they've made on a number of players.

Whilst I agree that Sexton, BOD and Jonathan Davies were not great for the Indy to give them the same rating as Phillips is bizarre.

Irish Times & Scottish Herald was lazy. Gave everyone 7, then an extra point for 1/2p for slotting his kicks, 2 extra to North for his impression of Superman and 1 of Phillips for being Phillips.

Sydney Morning herald has by far the most accurate ratings. The other ratings are done by bluffers.

Any chance someone wants to spend the time averaging all those scores?

My own ratings are

Halfpenny  - 8 He was the difference between the teams.
Cuthbert   - 6 Took his try well, spilled some ball though.
BOD         - 6 One or two moments in attack but got little ball.
Davies      - 6 Same as BOD.
North       - 8 Great try but the Lions conceded a few easy tries down his wing.
Sexton     - 8 Made some great plays in the second half when the Lions were under pressure. Outside Phillips was limiting.
Phillips      -  3 Awful game for him. He was targeted and so the Lions backline were nullified.

Heaslip      - 6 Tidied up well without being spectacular. 
Warburton - 6 Had a solid game
Croft         - 4 Didn't do anything wrong but he wasn't at the races in the battle of the breakdown. Its not his speciality.  
POC           - 7 Huge workrate as usual.
AW Jones   - 7 Went well in the engine room with POC.
Adam Jones  - 6 Didn't get the scrum dominance but that was down to the Aussies messing it up and the ref.
Youngs       - 7 Had a solid game but the throws were to the front of the lineout. 
Corbisiero    - 7 Done well in the scrums and made some big carries.

profitius wrote:Sydney Morning herald has by far the most accurate ratings. The other ratings are done by bluffers.

You should look at the Brisbane times rating of the Australian team. A lot of 2s and 3s. Rather unfairly they give a 2 to lealifano (sp) who should really have had an N/A

The Brisbane times ratings are probably a bit too dramatic to be taken seriously.

nathan wrote:Any chance someone wants to spend the time averaging all those scores?

Jelly = 6.433
Iris Times = 7.13
Independant 6.066
Sydney morning herald = 6.0
Sky sports = 7.4
Profitius = 6.33

I wonder what the ratings would have been if Beale had got the kick

From the Fail:

15 Leigh Halfpenny 7

Did not get involved in the running game as much as he does with Wales and when he did he was pummelled. He will never lack bravery in defence but he was stepped once or twice by the galloping Wallabies. But he isn’t half bad at kicking.
Mr reliable: Halfpenny scores

Metronomic: Leigh Halfpenny accounted for 13 of the Lions' 23 points
14 Alex Cuthbert 7

A big knock-on off an easy gather invited a lot of pressure on the Lions just at the wrong moment in the first half and if Tommy Bowe is fit then this selection will go down to the wire. His defending still has lapses but give him a runway to a tryline and he is awesome.
On the charge: Alex Cuthbert goes over for the crucial second try

On the charge: Alex Cuthbert goes over for the crucial second try
13 Brian O’Driscoll 8

They should build a statue of him in Brisbane. He still has the guile and the class he showed off here 12 years ago on debut. His work as an extra flanker was inhibited by the referee, but he brings the best out of those around him.
Vintage stuff: Now on his fourth Lions tour, Brian O'Driscoll was sensatiional in Brisbane

Vintage stuff: Now on his fourth Lions tour, Brian O'Driscoll was sensatiional in Brisbane
12 Jonathan Davies 8

His first hit-up showed conclusively that he was Jamie Roberts in disguise, but he also offered much, much more. His interplay with O’Driscoll was delicious and his passing is not only skilful but so, so clever.
Collision course: Jonathan Davies gets to grips with Kurtley Beale

Collision course: Jonathan Davies gets to grips with Kurtley Beale
11 George North 9

The giant wing entered into Test rugby folklore with a 60metre run-in for the Lions' first try. He showed his gas, his step and his balance to recover from a tap tackle. Unstoppable.
Unstoppable: George North's scintillating try will live long in the memory

Unstoppable: George North's scintillating try will live long in the memory
10 Jonny Sexton 8

A truly accomplished performance. A few questioning chips confused the Wallaby defence and for a playmaking fly-half he tackles with a Wilkinson-esque ferocity. Stepped up his game for the big one.
Putting in the hard yards: Jonny Sexton mixed fearsome defence with attacking flair

All-rounder: Jonny Sexton mixed fearsome defence with attacking flair

9 Mike Phillips 7

A mixed night but his impact will always depend on the superiority of his forwards. He is a wildcard for the Lions and a distraction for the Wallabies. He will have bigger nights on this tour.
Mixed evening: Mike Phillips was not at his fluent best and was replaced by Ben Youngs

Mixed evening: Mike Phillips was not at his fluent best and was replaced by Ben Youngs
1 Alex Corbisiero 7

Warren Gatland’s decision to pick a scrummager over a runner at loosehead was vindicated inside 10 minutes when the golden pack reversed about 10 metres off the set piece. In the loose, the England prop was quiet.
Gaining momentum: Alex Corbisiero charges with Tom Croft in support

Gaining momentum: Alex Corbisiero charges with Tom Croft in support
2 Tom Youngs 7

He is a little Rottweiler around the paddock and a complete nightmare to play against. The hooker has such a low centre of gravity that he is so hard to shift off the ball.
A roaring success: Tom Youngs is grabbed by Berrick Barnes

A roaring success: Tom Youngs is grabbed by Berrick Barnes
3 Adam Jones 7

Another quiet night on a quiet tour, but gosh did they miss him when he was gone. The solid platform that is so crucial to the way the Lions play disappeared when he disappeared.
Hair apparent: Adam Jones was replaced Dan Cole - and the Lions missed him

Hair apparent: Adam Jones was replaced Dan Cole - and the Lions missed him
4 Alun-Wyn Jones 8

Such a bright player. For all the physical attributes he offers – plus the unrivalled work ethic – he is always thinking, always reading play, always moving.
Hard as nails: Alun Wyn-Jones stops Digby Ioane in his tracks

Hard as nails: Alun Wyn-Jones stops Digby Ioane in his tracks
5 Paul O’Connell 9

He might not be captain this time around but he has a natural gift as a leader of men in the thick of battle. If the referee hadn’t blown his whistle for full-time the Munster monster would still be running.
Paul O'Connell

Man at war: Paul O'Connell was outstanding at the ripe old age of 34
6 Tom Croft 6

Not quite as eye-catching as his performance against the Waratahs but he is not shy of hard work. Given the ball a couple of times on the back foot which didn’t help him.
Holding on for dear life: Tom Croft will have better performances on this tour

Holding on for dear life: Tom Croft will have better performances on this tour
8 Jamie Heaslip 6

He needs the ball in his hands more to justify his selection as a member of the heavy artillery in the Lion line-up. When he is given the ball he showed he can do damage, but Toby Faletau is biting at his heels. Gave away a daft penalty, too.
Looking over his shoulder: Jamie Heaslip's position at No 8 is under threat

Looking over his shoulder: Jamie Heaslip's position at No 8 is under threat
7 Sam Warburton (capt) 8

He did everything in his power to try to keep abrasive referee Chris Pollock on side. Put in a big shift at the breakdown but it never turned into the Hooper v Warburton show we expected. Made some crucial tackles, too.
Off to the perfect start: Sam Warburton led the Lions to victory

Off to the perfect start: Sam Warburton led the Lions to victory
SUBSTITUTES

16 Richard Hibbard (65min) – took a second to adjust to the pace but solid after that.

17 Mako Vunipola (51min) – a weapon in the loose but a weakness in the scrum

18 Dan Cole (51min) – an undramatic cameo for the England prop

19 Geoff Parling (71min) – never really had a chance to show what he can offer

20 Dan Lydiate (72min) – took no time to get stuck in. He just loves a tackle.

21 Ben Youngs (62 min) - looked sharp but struggled to influence the game.

Literally not sure if they watched the match at all

Dont get me wrong , North is class but he was could defo of stopped the genia kick to Folou try yet gets no criticism. Every other players smallest faults seem to get blasted by everyone but not his.
Also I think Phillips is judged to harshly,sometimes a player gets marked out the game but that gives others space-I thought all our forwards got good hard yards carrying in the tight. Must just be a coincidence.

The averaged out score from the 4 above papers;

Halfpenny 7.5
Cuthbert  6.5
O’Driscoll 6.25
Davies 6.25
North 8.5
Sexton 6.5
Phillips 5.25
Corbisiero 6.5
Young 7.25
Adam Jones 6.25
Alun-Wyn Jones 6.5
O’Connell 7.25
Croft 6.25
Warburton 6.5
Heaslip 6.5

profitius wrote:My own ratings are

Halfpenny  - 8 He was the difference between the teams.
Cuthbert   - 6 Took his try well, spilled some ball though.
BOD         - 6 One or two moments in attack but got little ball.
Davies      - 6 Same as BOD.
North       - 8 Great try but the Lions conceded a few easy tries down his wing.
Sexton     - 8 Made some great plays in the second half when the Lions were under pressure. Outside Phillips was limiting.
Phillips      -  3 Awful game for him. He was targeted and so the Lions backline were nullified.

Heaslip      - 6 Tidied up well without being spectacular. 
Warburton - 6 Had a solid game
Croft         - 4 Didn't do anything wrong but he wasn't at the races in the battle of the breakdown. Its not his speciality.  
POC           - 7 Huge workrate as usual.
AW Jones   - 7 Went well in the engine room with POC.
Adam Jones  - 6 Didn't get the scrum dominance but that was down to the Aussies messing it up and the ref.
Youngs       - 7 Had a solid game but the throws were to the front of the lineout. 
Corbisiero    - 7 Done well in the scrums and made some big carries.

agh, Youngs threw plenty of times to the back...

Yeah Youngs had a stormer, lineout was very good.

SMH had it spot on IMO. How good has North been? I was quite sceptical of him given his end of season form but the lads starting to live up to his early hype. Saints fans must be salivating.....

If only he'd stayed in kings Lynn a few more years..

Breadvan wrote:SMH had it spot on IMO. How good has North been? I was quite sceptical of him given his end of season form but the lads starting to live up to his early hype. Saints fans must be salivating.....

If only he'd stayed in kings Lynn a few more years..

I have to say, I'm not liking the idea of playing against saints next year

nathan wrote:

Breadvan wrote:SMH had it spot on IMO. How good has North been? I was quite sceptical of him given his end of season form but the lads starting to live up to his early hype. Saints fans must be salivating.....

If only he'd stayed in kings Lynn a few more years..

I have to say, I'm not liking the idea of playing against saints next year

And add in Fotuali'i...

No ratings from me but the only shocker was Phillips. Seriously poor. Won't be as bad again though. O'Connell, Wyn-Jones and Youngs were the best out there IMO followed by north and sexton.

If sexton had been there'd 4 years ago I think we would have won the series. He varied things really nicely in attack. Yes, he is partly culpable for the 2nd try but I think Corbs could have gone low although that's probably harsh and maybe green Eyed. All in all I thought the Tight5 were good and the rest mixed.

Standulstermen wrote:No ratings from me but the only shocker was Phillips. Seriously poor. Won't be as bad again though. O'Connell, Wyn-Jones and Youngs were the best out there IMO followed by north and sexton.

If sexton had been there'd 4 years ago I think we would have won the series. He varied things really nicely in attack. Yes, he is partly culpable for the 2nd try but I think Corbs could have gone low although that's probably harsh and maybe green Eyed. All in all I thought the Tight5 were good and the rest mixed.

Can't blame Sexton for the 2nd try, Folau was going to beat anyone in the world with that step. Sometimes tries are due to attacking class not defence messing up

From the Torygraph

British and Irish Lions:

Leigh Halfpenny
Great composure again with his place-kicking, only missing one tough shot just before half-time and looked a threat with ball in hand and made one great tackle on Beale and largely coped with Folau's aerial presence. 7/10

Alex Cuthbert
Showed just how devastating he can be as a finisher by hitting the line to leave three defenders in his way for his second-half try after recovering from a bad knock-on in first-half from a Genia kick. 8

Brian O'Driscoll
Penalised twice in the first half as he struggled with referee's interpretation of the breakdown and limited opportunities with ball in hand. Put in huge defensive shift however with second most tackles. 7

Jonathan Davies
Showed his vision with a clever kick to space in the first half and made eight carries, including the charge that left Leal'ifano knocked out in first minute. Like O'Driscoll was also a key defender when the heat was on. 7
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Forget that defeat: the first Lions Test will be close

George North
His first-half score will go down as one of the Lions' greatest ever tries and was denied a second by the TMO when he looked to have grounded the ball after rounding Genia. Once again the Lions most potent threat. 9

Jonny Sexton
Made the mistake of showing Folau the outside line which the Wallaby wing took for his second try, but overall ran the Lions game with aplomb, testing the Wallabies back three with his kicking and also posing a running threat 7

Mike Phillips
Made a couple of huge tackles, including one on Folau, but struggled to impose his own physicality around the fringes and had to operate in shadow of the impressive Genia 6

Alex Corbisiero
Picked for his scrummaging technique and helped Lions dominate the setpiece before calf injury saw him replaced by Vunipola. Also impressed in the loose, making six carries including one midfield break 7

Tom Youngs
One of the most improved Lions of the tour, he was one of the tourists' stand-out performers. His line-out was flawless but it was his driving play that really caught the eye while his also made seven tackles 8

Adam Jones
His value to the side was emphasised most acutely when he went off. Rock solid in the setpiece, one huge scrum helped settle Lions after rocky start 7

Alun-Wyn Jones
Rivalled Youngs as the Lions most effective forward. Great supply of line-out ball, and his physicality and engine were notable in the loose. Carried effectively and tackled like a lionheart 8

Paul O'Connell
His experience was key when the Lions were hanging on, with only Warburton making more tackles and made his presence felt in the tight exchanges. Will be vital to Lions hopes of clinching the series next week 7

Tom Croft
His line-out agility helped counter the Wallabies' strong defensive plays and he made a huge amount of tackles, his pace important to negating the running threats out wide. Not quite as much ball going forward as in warm-up games. 7

Sam Warburton
Topped the Lions' tackling charts and led by his unflinching commitment. The ability of the Wallabies to edge the breakdown, by disrupting the Lions ball, however must be addressed next week 7

Jamie Heaslip
Helped keep the Lions going forward with some hard-fought carries to take him over the gainline more than any other forward. High tackle count and was another go-to man in the line-out 8

Replacements
While Vunipola made some good carries, he and Hibbard and Cole will have been disappointed at their scrummaging, with two poor scrums at the death could have cost the Lions the match. Ben Youngs in constrast gave the Lions some extra zip at the base and he will put pressure on Phillips for a starting place next Saturday. Lydiate as expected put a huge defensively display while Parling also produced an impressive cameo, making four tackles around the fringes

Australia:

Berrick Barnes
A disappointing night for the full-back, missed tackle on North for the Wales wing's try, missed a kick at goal before getting knocked out by clash of heads with Folau. Likely to lose place to Beale. 5

Israel Folau
A dream debut, scoring two first-half tries and producing a heavy tackle on North to prevent him scoring his second when the Lions were threatening to pull away. Massive aerial presence too. 9

Adam Ashley-Cooper
Appeared to be by-passed in the Wallabies' attacking game plan and was turned over from a high ball by Sexton at key moment in final quarter. Big game defensively though. 6

Christian Lealiifano
A nightmare debut for the unfortunate centre, who had been nominated as his side's place-kicker, when he was knocked out in the first minute by making a brave tackle on Davies 1

Digby Ioane
Generally coped admirable with the Lions aerial assault and was solid in defence but overall didn't impose himself in attack 6

James O'Connor
Appeared to lose confidence with ball in hand having missed with two early penalty shots and a conversion. Lacks Test experience at fly-half and it showed 6

Will Genia
His 50-metre break that culminated in try for Folau was highlight of a stunning attacking display. His speed and vision troubled the Lions all night and linked dangerously with Beale 9

Benn Robinson
Showed footballing skills with a dummy and break in the first half and carried strongly but display was marred by concession of some critical penalties 7

Stephen Moore
Brought a real physical edge to the forward exchanges. Carried strongly and also had a key role in protecting the Wallabies ball and disrupting the Lions 7

Ben Alexander
Struggled to cope with scrummaging power and technique of Alex Corbisiero but adapted well to help neuter that dominance and decent shift in loose 7

Kane Douglas
Guilty of giving away a penalty early but made some massive tackles before fading in the second half 6

James Horwill
The captain led from the front, carrying strongly and helping deny Lions off-the-top line-out ball with defensive presence. Inspirational leadership 8

Ben Mowen
Impressive debut. Proved to be competitive line-out threat and made some big hits around the fringes, including one on Phillips. 7

Michael Hooper
Showed tremendous versatility by switching to centre when Australia lost Leali'ifano and McCabe to head injuries having played a key role in Wallabies breakdown effort in first half 7

Wycliff Palu
Made his physical presence felt but overall outplayed by opposite number Heaslip and faded during second half having only just returned from injury 6

Replacements
Made a big impact than the Lions' bench, with Beale's running game opening up the Lions even if his two penalty misses cost his side the victory. Looks certain to come back into the side. James Slipper was another who had a significant impact, helping the Wallabies turn the tables on the Lions scrum at the death. McCabe made a number of strong carries but was caught defensively by North's wonder try before departing with neck injury. Gill and Phipps given little time to make impact.

I watched the game again and Heaslip was not as bad as I first thought and Phillips not great but not as bad as first thought. I still feel the ref did not allow the Lions to compete but totally different when Aus competed.

I prefer Tipuric playing 7 with fast games coming up but it won't happen, I suspect Lydiate replacing Croft being the only change to the starting 15.

profitius wrote:Sydney Morning herald has by far the most accurate ratings. The other ratings are done by bluffers.

 Totally agree! Sky are a joke at times.

glamorganalun wrote:I watched the game again and Heaslip was not as bad as I first thought and Phillips not great but not as bad as first thought. I still feel the ref did not allow the Lions to compete but totally different when Aus competed.

I prefer Tipuric playing 7 with fast games coming up but it won't happen, I suspect Lydiate replacing Croft being the only change to the starting 15.

When did Australia compete in the rucks? I didn't see them try!

Tom Youngs has been the real find of the tour. Most people thought he was to be the impact player once Hibbard had done the hard work. with Webber showing well in Argentina perhaps we have seen the back of Hartley.

I like Sydney Morning Herald ratings as well.
No English/Welsh/Irish Bias in there

The Aussie Ratings are hilarious though best being-

"12. Christian Lealiifano - Knocked out in the first tackle. At least he took down Jonathan Davies in the process. Gave an impressive thumbs-up on the stretcher. 2/10"

Considering lealiifano would probably have been the kicker out there it was a massive blow IMO

Standulstermen wrote:Considering lealiifano would probably have been the kicker out there it was a massive blow IMO

and a second playmaker too. Lots of people suggested that Deans planned to use both LLF and JOC as first receiver to take the pressure off O'Connor. I thought O'Connor really panicked once Lealiifano was injured, looked like he was trying to compose himself kicking and frustrated that he was failing and putting too much pressure on himself in attack and he looked much much happier when Beale came and took the kicking duties off him, even though he then had a 7 at centre

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Standulstermen wrote:No ratings from me but the only shocker was Phillips. Seriously poor. Won't be as bad again though. O'Connell, Wyn-Jones and Youngs were the best out there IMO followed by north and sexton.

If sexton had been there'd 4 years ago I think we would have won the series. He varied things really nicely in attack. Yes, he is partly culpable for the 2nd try but I think Corbs could have gone low although that's probably harsh and maybe green Eyed. All in all I thought the Tight5 were good and the rest mixed.

Can't blame Sexton for the 2nd try, Folau was going to beat anyone in the world with that step. Sometimes tries are due to attacking class not defence messing up

Sexton was in a bad position by being outside Folau and also having his hips turned towards the touchline, which made him very easy to beat with an inside step. It's hard to really blame him since he's not used to defending out wide, but if he had his hips and body turned towards Folau he would have been much harder to beat.

JOC got a bit of a raw deal with after 18 months out of test rugby rejoins against the Lions at 10- a position he's not familiar with at the level and after one minute has his selected and trained with right hand man off the field and on top gets the kicking duties- all in the first minute...hardly the best start, especially as the stretchers kept coming on...was a surreal first half. Beale righted the ship but as 3rd choice kicker drafted in from rehab to then have to do it all... probably a bit much as well.

But at least it can't get worse, the only way is up ...and every other cliche that certainly applies here. How Oz were in this with every single stat against them i don't know...

Looking through those ratings Sky are an utter nonsense!

 It's bad enough listening to their gushing sycophantic clap trap pre game but the cringe worthy mid game sound bites from Greenwood and that Welsh bloke were horrible too!

Most of the team deserve 6's. Philips a 5. The front 5 and North 7's.

Generally a very poor to average performance by the Lions won by Oz being injured or unable to kick. That a team that hasn't played together in half a year can look so much comfier is worrying for the Lions.

Taylorman wrote:JOC got a bit of a raw deal with after 18 months out of test rugby rejoins against the Lions at 10- a position he's not familiar with at the level and after one minute has his selected and trained with right hand man off the field and on top gets the kicking duties- all in the first minute...hardly the best start, especially as the stretchers kept coming on...was a surreal first half. Beale righted the ship but as 3rd choice kicker drafted in from rehab to then have to do it all... probably a bit much as well.

But at least it can't get worse, the only way is up ...and every other cliche that certainly applies here. How Oz were in this with every single stat against them i don't know...

They'll either have Mogg or LLF or JOC and Beale will be better set and prepared next week. They won't miss those kicks again

ChequeredJersey wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:I watched the game again and Heaslip was not as bad as I first thought and Phillips not great but not as bad as first thought. I still feel the ref did not allow the Lions to compete but totally different when Aus competed.

I prefer Tipuric playing 7 with fast games coming up but it won't happen, I suspect Lydiate replacing Croft being the only change to the starting 15.

When did Australia compete in the rucks? I didn't see them try!

I agree with Chequered the ref was consistently not allowing any defending player to contest the ball. Spoke to an Aussie referee at a dinner party last night and he agreed Mr Pollock's interpretation was incorrect.

Regarding Tipuric he is bench for the game vs the rebels so may well be being rested ready for the second test next weekend.

I would drop Croft and replace him with Tipuric. Keeping either Lyds or promoting SOB to bench.

Australia got a couple of penalties for Lions holding on, when the Aussie defender was in an exact same position as BOD when he was pinged. That was where the inconsistency was, in identical situations Lions were penalised both as the defending team and the team in possession.

Did they? I didn't notice them, as far as I can remember Pollock never once penalised the attacking team

Oh we were screaming at the TV about how he was letting them do what he penalised BOD for.

LondonTiger wrote:Australia got a couple of penalties for Lions holding on, when the Aussie defender was in an exact same position as BOD when he was pinged. That was where the inconsistency was, in identical situations Lions were penalised both as the defending team and the team in possession.

That's not true.


BOD was resting his knees on a tackled player while contesting the ball. The Aussies bridged over the player on the floor.

The interpretation by Mr Pollock was that a player on the floor, is the floor. If your knees touch the floor you can not contest the ball. Therefor you can not touch the player on the floor.


Pollock explained that clearly to BOD and Warbs. I think what BOD was protesting, that has been misinterpreted by many, was not the breakdown but the trip by an Aussie lock afterwards. This was why BOD was asking Mr Pollock to "please look at the video"..!

Shock horror, me and MM disagree. To me the Aussie players were also resting on the body, and at one point fell over the ball.

oh...so its now not that BOD didnt do anything wrong, its cos he did so did others...tunes are a changing...

Taylorman wrote:oh...so its now not that BOD didnt do anything wrong, its cos he did so did others...tunes are a changing...

Ah, the tunes they are-a-changin'. 

Neat play on the words from the old Bob Dylan song.  Funny.
I saw an interview with Bob Dylan some months ago.  He was more incomprehensible than Ozzy Osbourne. 
An 'incomprehensible' brings us back to most referees calls. 
So, why ask for clarification?  Just tighten the laces on your boots and go play.
Understanding referees calls is harder than understanding The Meaning Of Life........
........Which reminds me of a movie.
....................Which also reminds me to Always Look On The Brighter Side Of Life (different movie, I know). 
And the Birghter Side Of Life is the Lions won.

kingjohn7 wrote:Dont get me wrong , North is class but he was could defo of stopped the genia kick to Folou try yet gets no criticism. Every other players smallest faults seem to get blasted by everyone but not his.
Also I think Phillips is judged to harshly,sometimes a player gets marked out the game but that gives others space-I thought all our forwards got good hard yards carrying in the tight. Must just be a coincidence.

That is true. George did well initially placing himself between Genia and Folau preventing the pass, and then inexplicably decided to go for Genia as he was in the act of being tackled by Halfpenny, leaving Folau free. Poor decision making in the end. Lost his composure when had stayed where he was he would have almost certainly prevented the try

My take on things....

Halfpenny 8 - Best place kicker in word rugby...maybe the best 15 too. 
Cuthbert 6 - Excellent try but generally not great. Shaky under high ball and defence.
BOD 7 - Unlucky with the penalties, excellent in defence - showed good hands and linked well with Sexton but doesn't have the pace of old.
Davies 7 - Didn't quite click with BOD and Sexton at times but solid enough.
North 8 - Awesome in attack but caught out in defence a few times. World class.
Sexton 8 - Created Cuthbert's try and gave a master class of attacking 10 play.
Phillips 5 - Well shackled by the Ozzie backrow. outclassed by Genia.  
Heaslip 7 - Some strong carries and good lineout play. Pick of the backrow. 
Warburton 6 - Quietish game and exposed in defence a few times. Communicated well with ref but showed little leadership beyond this.
Croft 6 - Some good carries, strong in lineout.
POC 8 - Massive work rate and lead the forwards. Excellent in lineout. 
AWJ 7 - Strong game alongside O'Connell.
Jones 7 - Very solid in scrum as expected.
Youngs 8 - Very dynamic around the park.
Corbisiero 7 - Scrum noticably weaker when he went off.

doctor_grey wrote:

Taylorman wrote:oh...so its now not that BOD didnt do anything wrong, its cos he did so did others...tunes are a changing...

Ah, the tunes they are-a-changin'. 

Neat play on the words from the old Bob Dylan song.  Funny.
I saw an interview with Bob Dylan some months ago.  He was more incomprehensible than Ozzy Osbourne. 
An 'incomprehensible' brings us back to most referees calls. 
So, why ask for clarification?  Just tighten the laces on your boots and go play.
Understanding referees calls is harder than understanding The Meaning Of Life........
........Which reminds me of a movie.
....................Which also reminds me to Always Look On The Brighter Side Of Life (different movie, I know). 
And the Birghter Side Of Life is the Lions won.

Very true Doc..I'd just hate to see what would have happened if the Lions had lost...Pollock AND Lawreence in the naughty corner...thats not on (and must be a tune for that)...."Hang down your head <enter NZref name> Dooooleeey"