Tomorrow's match Lions vs Wallabies.

Might not be what any of the Lions supporters want to hear but I personally think the Wallabies will win this one, my reasons are.

1. Halfpenny can’t improve on his kicking it is already near 100%
2. Bash, bang and bash again has not been successful against OZ, SA is a prime example of that.
3. The Lions don’t have more to give, I said from the start they have two playmakers that can bring variety to their attack, Davies and O’Driscoll, it didn’t work, now Gatland is putting Roberts in there who hasn’t played well even before his injury.
4. The Wallabies were poor in execution last match, they can only improve from there.
5. Where as Halfpenny’s kicking kept the Lions in both games, the Aussies have not been helped by their kickers in the first test, Lealiifano will be that guy, and now that he has completed 80 minutes of test rugby will have much more confidence.
6. I expect Izzy to make an impact in this game, he has shown what he could do in the first, in the second he didn’t get much opportunity purely due to poor execution by Australia, it ain’t going to happen again.


I may be wrong (and won't be surprised if I am) but when the Lions barely managed to win the first test which I beleived was their best chance to win as the Wallabies would have been playing their first test of the season without any warm up games it spelled danger for them.

When you add to that the fact that if O'Connor had his kicking boots on or Lealiifano was not injured before he could make any impact on the game with his boot which effectively means the Wallabies left 14 points in missed kicks on the ground it doesn't make for the most encouraging reading.

Jamie Roberts is a big part of the Gatland ball process, he hasn't been in the greatest form and is just returning from injury, there is no way to know in what form he will be in.

North who has so far been the best and most dangerous ball carrier has only had nine runs in the two tests so far, but when you consider that he had virtually no ball in the second test and therefor no opportunity it makes you wonder whether Gatland ball is going to improve his chances.

Is it likely that the Wallabies will make as many errors as they did last week?

Then considering that Deans has been quite consistent in his selection you would expect things to at last click for the Wallabies, one thing I don't think is a smart move though, is the selection of George Smith, also just back from injury, there is no way knowing his form, and the way Hooper has been playing all season, I just don't see Smith making a bigger impact, the guy is as old as O'Driscoll and not match fit.

Anyway good luck to both teams, may the best team win and may we all see an equivalent of the first test in 2001 with exciting rugby played in a good spirit with plenty of intensity.

Yep...its on the cards. The Lions need to find something, and I just can't see where thats going to come from. Ther just isnt a lot of genuine talent in this side. No one stands out other than Halfpenny, and he's at best steady, in fact profoundly so, but hes not a matchwinner.

Sexton hasnt sparked either, done ok but like JOC, stumbling through this series.

If its going to come- Faletau and OBrien for me...the backs just don't have anything left.North remains impressive but the insides have little idea of how to get the ball to him.

For Oz the sky's the limit. Folau is growing evry match and just needs more ball. Smith looked quicker lately than in his heyday for me...and thats weird...I think the Jap season has given him more speed as they play little man fast rugby there.

Gatlands clearly gone big boys, tough defence- I think hes right and the best chance they have. Oz will be all out tonight and will take some containing.

There's Rugby on tv tomorrow?
Who knew?

did you catch the saders match doc? I actually picked Chiefs 12 and under..got th eunder bit right...way under. What a thrashing. Only the saders can play so mediocre at times then pull out something like that...

Taylorman wrote:.North remains impressive but the insides have little idea of how to get the ball to him.

Gatlands clearly gone big boys, tough defence- I think hes right and the best chance they have. Oz will be all out tonight and will take some containing.

JD and Jamie will know how to link with George as will Faletau on the blind side - expect to see George coming through the centre and Jamie being used as a decoy and vice versa!!!

Yep...the blinds a good move. Tipuric would have been good for that as well. Gats must have something up his sleave but the damage of not selecting BOD may already be running through the sides confidence in Gatland, so the half million or so BODders have probably served to add the last nail to this side. Plus its the end of a long season and Oz are just starting.

Just can't see enough energy in this team to hold ozzie off. In two tests theyve sized up the Lions enough. The scrum in that last 10 was the definer. From that moment, and subsequent try told the entire ozzie side...'Weve got this'. (the series )

Taylorman wrote:Yep...the blinds a good move. Tipuric would have been good for that as well. Gats must have something up his sleave but the damage of not selecting BOD may already be running through the sides confidence in Gatland, so the half million or so BODders have probably served to add the last nail to this side. Plus its the end of a long season and Oz are just starting.

Just can't see enough energy in this team to hold ozzie off. In two tests theyve sized up the Lions enough. The scrum in that last 10 was the definer. From that moment, and subsequent try told the entire ozzie side...'Weve got this'. (the series )

It is funny how you are mentioning BOD more than anyone else on here, yet you complain about how much he is mentioned.  

I Just don't think the Lions have played well yet. They're due one good game per series, aren't they? (apart from 2005 when they played none. Well, maybe the odd 10 minutes of good play here and there!). All other series they have a good game where it clicks. This may be it!

Taylorman wrote:did you catch the saders match doc? I actually picked Chiefs 12 and under..got th eunder bit right...way under. What a thrashing. Only the saders can play so mediocre at times then pull out something like that...

Yeah, most of. Watched until Crotty's try, that was ab out 5:00am. If the match wasn't over before then, that certainly sealed the deal.

Saw the halftime interview with Blackadder and he looked like he came from a funeral, not a match his team was dominating. Seems to me Crusaders have this weird way of making other teams look bad. Not by running up the score because it didn't seem to me Crusaders looked all-world unstoppable, but that the Chiefs looked poor and made a lot of mistakes. If Crusaders did this once in a while it would be one thing, but they do this to almost everyone. Does this make sense?

All I'll cling onto is Wales didn't play well till last game. It might take one spark for everything to start firing. Bit like Wales v England. I am a bit more confident this week than last, because we aren't trying to see a series out. We are chasing a win too

Reading the threads and posts this week it was reminiscent of the week prior to the six nations finale.

I haven't seen so many posters put downa team containing so many Welshman since.

Wales put in a hell of a great game that day. And I can see the Lions doing the same today.

Well they are going to have to up their game,thus far the test series has not been of high quality apart from individual moments of brilliance.

For all the downcast Scots from the Lions contingent, the Highlanders are worth watching at the moment. Going great guns.

Conditions look dry in Sydney so hopefully we get some attacking moments like in the first test.

Highlanders look great. Shame they couldn't play this way all season.
Slade took a nasty knee to his face, but is still playing great.
All Highlanders tries were from counter-attacks?

There was one from set piece.

Exciting finish coming up. 1 converted try and the Hurricanes are in the lead.

'Mon Highlanders!

The offloading in this game has been incredible.

Hosea Gear in space = try time.

I think people who are expecting unsubtle crash bang are either perfectly right or perfectly wrong.  How's that for sitting on a fence?

No, what I mean is that some people seem to think nothing more than what was shown in the first two tests can come from the Lions.

I'd say that's quite naive as even Halfpenny's constant kicking could be lulling Wallabies into a false sense of what is to be.  Halfpenny is quite capable of entering into a much more up-tempo aggressive game that runs and runs and runs rather than relying on big bang theory and penalty kcks.

I say the Lions team are capable of better, whether they avail of such tactics remains to be seen.  The frustration for some of us is that they didn't try out the high-tempo sustained attack in the previous two games.  Less smokescreens (if smokescreen they are) might have won the series earlier (if winning the series is the result at all!)

Hurricanes / highlanders game was terrible. Both teams going to sleep on defence that's why they are the two weak teams in NZ.

 So much for bish bash bosh and Gatland then

SecretFly wrote:I think people who are expecting unsubtle crash bang are either perfectly right or perfectly wrong.  How's that for sitting on a fence?

No, what I mean is that some people seem to think nothing more than what was shown in the first two tests can come from the Lions.

I'd say that's quite naive as even Halfpenny's constant kicking could be lulling Wallabies into a false sense of what is to be.  Halfpenny is quite capable of entering into a much more up-tempo aggressive game that runs and runs and runs rather than relying on big bang theory and penalty kcks.

I say the Lions team are capable of better, whether they avail of such tactics remains to be seen.  The frustration for some of us is that they didn't try out the high-tempo sustained attack in the previous two games.  Less smokescreens (if smokescreen they are) might have won the series earlier (if winning the series is the result at all!)

Well said.. exactly what happened. The Halfpenny inspired attacks were part of the demolition job the Lions did on the Wallabies. Not close, not a match where we'll need to tread through a hundred versions of the defence of the winning try- just pure straight out slaughter.

Ozzie were ready for this, but the Lions clearly wanted it more...great win and fun to watch.