New Zealand Barbarians v British & Irish Lions, 3 June

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New Zealand Barbarians v British & Irish Lions
3 June 2017
KO: 19:35 NZST (8.35am BST)
Toll Stadium, Whangarei, North Island

Live on Sky Sports, Sky Sports HD and SkyGo

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Touch judges: [tbc]
TMO: [tbc]

A. FORM:

These teams have not played each other before.

B. TEAMS:

New Zealand Barbarians 
1. Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty)
2. Sam Anderson-Heather - captain (Otago)
3. Oliver Jager (Canterbury)
4. Josh Goodhue (Northland)
5. Keepa Mewett (Bay of Plenty)
6. James Tucker (Waikato)
7. Lachlan Boshier (Taranaki)
8. Mitchell Dunshea (Canterbury)

9. Jack Stratton (Canterbury)
10. Bryn Gatland (North Harbour)
11. Sevu Reece (Waikato)
12. Dwayne Sweeney (Waikato)
13. Inga Finau (Canterbury)
14. Sam Vaka (Counties Manukau)
15. Luteru Laulala (Counties Manukau)

16. Andrew Makalio (Tasman)
17. Tolu Fahamokioa (Wellington)
18. Marcel Renata (Auckland)
19. Matt Matich (Northland)
20. Peter Rowe - vice captain (Wanganui)
21. Richard Judd (Bay of Plenty)
22. Jonah Lowe (Hawke's Bay)
23. Junior Ngaluafe (Southland)

British & Irish Lions
15. S Hogg (Scotland)
14. A Watson
13. J Joseph
12. B Te'o (all Eng)
11. T Seymour (Sco)
10. J Sexton (Ire)
09. G Laidlaw (Sco)

01. J Marler (Eng)
02. R Best (Ire)
03. K Sinckler (Eng)
04. A Jones (Wal)
05. I Henderson (Ire)
06. R Moriarty
07. S Warburton
08. T Faletau (all Wal)

16. J George
17. M Vunipola (both Eng)
18. T Furlong (Ire)
19. G Kruis (Eng)
20. J Tipuric
21. R Webb (both Wal)
22. O Farrell (Eng)
23. J Payne (Ire)


C. PREVIEW

lostinwales wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:We're looking pretty blunt in attack - we're just doing one out passes and running into them!

Hmmm, its not like any of the home teams play like that

None of that!

I know you've got to build a lead but will we really learn anything by kicking for goal?

What a waste from the Barbarians but what a cover tackle from Falatau

Fantastic from Faletau! Not just the tackle but holding him up

Pass should have come earlier

Great work by Faletau.

Laidlaw's box kicking has been fantastic we're just not doing anything with it!

Great tackle that by Faletau, Hogg did well there too.

I'm surprised as I was reading that hogg couldn't tackle.

Need to wake up. We look half asleep at the moment.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Great tackle that by Faletau, Hogg did well there too.

Yeah Hogg didn't panic by committing too early.

Sexton hasn't had a good 20 minutes.

He hasn't been the worst!

AWJ and Henderson are not working defensively. Sexton looks blank in attack and should be replaced by Farrall at 1/2 time.

The lions being out played by the NZPB's here and now they score...

We're very much 2nd best with the aerial battle which is a worry given NZ are the best in the world at it!

Henderson hasn't had a great start

Warbs injured?

Shocker from Hogg there

Nice mini break by Hogg but a poor pass to Watson then messing up on halfway.

We need to calm down across the park!

Cool heads required which is why I feel Farrall should come on in the second half. Sexton still looks to be carrying a niggle.

Seems very little on field leadership, only Faletau looks to be in control.

Teo is looking like a threat.

Much better from the Lions

Lions centers are very robotic and uninspiring, Laidlow just keeps kicking the ball away, Hogg as always good with ball in hand but everything else bang average, Sexton playing himself out of a test start, Henderson is missing tackles and restarts.

All in all, pretty uninspiring so far.

LordDowlais wrote:Lions centers are very robotic and uninspiring, Laidlow just keeps kicking the ball away, Hogg as always good with ball in hand but everything else bang average, Sexton playing himself out of a test start, Henderson is missing tackles and restarts.

All in all, pretty uninspiring so far.

You reckon? Teo has taken the ball with pace a couple of times carrying hard with good distribution when needed.

Sinckler, Watson, Teo and Faletau have all started well but it is only 30 minutes in. Henderson and AWJ quickly playing themselves out of contention, falling off tackles all over the place.

Scottrf wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Lions centers are very robotic and uninspiring, Laidlow just keeps kicking the ball away, Hogg as always good with ball in hand but everything else bang average, Sexton playing himself out of a test start, Henderson is missing tackles and restarts.

All in all, pretty uninspiring so far.

You reckon? Teo has taken the ball with pace a couple of times carrying hard with good distribution when needed.

Teo has been poor. As has Joseph, we need some inspiration in the center, not this turgid stuff.

I'd actually forgotten how good Faletau is, he'd been so poor the past year but looks back to his best now.

That wasn't even close from Sexton

Stand out Lions so far:-

Moriarty
Faletau
Seymore

Te'o and Joseph poor? Dear me ld talks tripe.

Faletau has been superb, country mile the best player on the field. Cemented as test starting 8.

We are playing headless rugby not heads up rugby. Trying to force it.
Warbs on the line running into his own man. Losing the ball in contact just now.

Worst Lions so far:-

Hogg
Sexton
Henderson

Te'o is the Lions second best player so far and is making yards every time.

extremely poor first half from the lions, with hogg, sexton and warburton being the worst for me. warbs coming off a injury so maybe give him a slight pass

only positives so far would be teo, and toby looking sharp

Nobody is nailing a spot after this performance so far. Te'o and Moriarty have looked handy, Hogg looks nervous.

Faletau
Sinkler
Te'o
Moriarty

All very good.

Sexton needs to be hooked at halftime!

Who's on the bench?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Sexton needs to be hooked at halftime!

Along with a few others.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Who's on the bench?

Half the test starters

I'm amazed the ref hasn't gone to the tmo once given how many times we got over the line.

Poor half!

yeah would add moriarty as a positive. only two forwards who have impressed is him and toby. warbs been non existent, two second rows been poor and front row havent got much going against a small pack

Farrall surely has to come on for Sexton now. Been poor from Sexton who I feel must be carrying a niggle.

AWJ and Henderson have been very poor defensively, especially Henderson and Warburton has just not got into the game.

On the positives, Watson has looked a big threat in attack, Te'o has made ground everytime he has touched the ball and Faletau has been superb.

Composure needed in the second half.

Who are the replacement backs ?

At the moment we need to up our game at 9,10,13,15.

Laidlaw isn't looking up, the amount of times he's passed instead of running through a gap

nathan wrote:Laidlaw isn't looking up, the amount of times he's passed instead of running through a gap

This.100%

He also kicks far too much.

kruis tips and farrell are the obvious choices to come on

compelling and rich wrote:kruis tips and farrell are the obvious choices to come on

Is Webb on the bench ?

Sinckler has been good in the loose but do agree that the scrum has been as dominant as it should be.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I'm amazed the ref hasn't gone to the tmo once given how many times we got over the line.

Poor half!

I'm not watching... I did warn folk about NZ refs last season though.

Is it this bad? Hopefully we come to life in this half.

it's a typical first lions performance. ref has been fine really