Breaking news: POC broken arm and tom court called up!

First topic message reminder :

Just heard on talk sport, POC broke his arm during the game, kept on playing through. It's not 100 % sure he's going home but looks likely.. massive massive loss!!!

Tom court straight into squad for rebels as was at home in Brisbane and mako pulled as likely start on Sat, corbs nursing a calf injury

CONFIRMED: POC's out, Parling straight replacement being pulled from the Rebels game and shoot out between Evans and Gray for the bench with Gray in the lead. No noises coming from camp for a replacement, and i don't think we need one TBH, I would still get a flyhalf out now, one injury to sexton or farrell and we are stuffed !

funnyExiledScot wrote:If Corbs is out then I think there's a strong case for starting Ryan Grant against Australia and using Vunipola from the bench again. Same rationale upon which Corbs was preferred to Vunipola in the 1st Test - scrummaging nous.

Hopefully Corbisiero will be fit though - I thought he was outstanding in the 1st Test.

I agree, but Mako's withdrawal from the Rebels game suggests that it is unlikely. Maybe a huge game tomorrow can sway the coaches minds, but Gatland reminds me of Maggie thatcher and is not one for turning.

I think that's almost certainly right. Mako not even being on the bench suggests that he's going to start the 1st Test. His ball carrying should certainly cause some problems for the Aussies, but I do worry about his technique at the scrum. He seems to get some scrums very right indeed, but then get caught out at the next scrum. It seems to be concentration as much as anything else.

You can't fault Grant's form and scrummaging pre-Lions, but has he shown that on this tour? There have been questions asked about his scrummaging on this tour so far (in bold and underlined to show that I'm not questioning his form in the lead up!).

He's only had one match, but it's true that he didn't perform to his usual standards generally in that game. Then again, the whole pack performed poorly, and based on that performance Tipuric and SOB wouldn't be involved in the Test either (although both have performed well earlier in the tour).

I guess I'm pretty easy about Grant. I thought he deserved to be there ahead of Corbs initially and yet Corbisiero was outstanding on Saturday. I thought Vunipola was a bold call to tour and yet he's had a great tour as well. I can now happily conclude that I don't know as much about looseheads as Rowntree and Gatland.

Ha! Yes, I know what you mean. I would have taken Grant first time around too based on Pro 12 and 6N games. However, I'm slightly biased as I do not watch much Aviva Premiership so I wasn't really viewing Corbs and Vunipola with the same advantage as the others I championed (Jenkins and Healy). They're certainly proving me wrong thus far.

It's actually quite a refreshing experience for a Scot to see apparently odd selections (to my mind) turn out really well. For Scotland it's usually the opposite. When Frank Hadden and Andy Robinson went off piste with their selections calamity and farce in tandem inevitably followed!

The decision as to which lock to put on the bench will be an interesting one. I'm going to miss the game tomorrow but I suspect Evans and Gray will both know they have a great chance of being involved in the decisive test (be it the 2nd or 3rd Test) if they put in a memorable performance tomorrow.

Gray for me. Evans has not showed much form this tour so far. He could come in and have a blinder, but I'd go for Gray. He's better in the loose too as well as in the tight exchanges.

I think tomorrow will be conclusive, but I'd agree at the moment (based on form this tour) Gray is a shade ahead.

He's also more suited to the impact role in my view. He's a great ball carrier and tackler, and his pace allows him to cover the ground superbly well if the game is opening up. Evans for me is better in the tight (although not a shabby athlete by any means). If the Lions want to put the squeeze on Australia, then Evans is possibly a better bet.

It's a tough call. Two superb players, and both would walk into the Aussie XV in my opinion.

Delighted for 'Angry' Tom Court. Extremely unlikely to see Test action but hope he gets on tomorrow night and then he can always say he was a Lion...

Against his country of birth.

Glas a du wrote:Against his country of birth.

He's an Ulsterman now! And a Lion too.

Can't wait for #angrytom!

His series-winning back-heeled drop goal is written in the stars...

He'll know the Aussies. I always played better against peoe I knew for some reason.

Well he has been in Ulster since 2006 so not sure how much he will know but he is unlikely to play in a test anyways. He can be a destructive scrumager when he wants to be though