NEW ZEALAND v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, 24 June

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NEW ZEALAND v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS  
24 June 2017
KO: 19:35 NZST (8.35am BST)
Eden Park, Auckland

Live on [Sky Sports HD]

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
ARs: [tbc]
TMO: [tbc]

A. Head to Head

38 Played 38
29 Won 6
3 Drawn 3
6 Lost 29
634 Points 345

B. Recent Form

9 July 2005
Eden Park, Auckland
38 – 19 to New Zealand

2 July 2005
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
48 – 18 to New Zealand

25 June 2005
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
21 – 3 to New Zealand

3 July 1993
Eden Park, Auckland
30 – 13 to New Zealand

26 June 1993
Athletic Park, Wellington
7 – 20 to British & Irish Lions

12 June 1993
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
20 – 18 to New Zealand

16 July 1983
Eden Park, Auckland
38 – 6 to New Zealand

2 July 1983
Carisbrook, Dunedin
15 – 8 to New Zealand

18 June 1983
Athletic Park (Wellington), Wellington
9 – 0 to New Zealand

4 June 1983
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
16 – 12 to New Zealand

C. TEAMS:

NEW ZEALAND

01. Joe Moody (25)
02. Codie Taylor (16)
03. Owen Franks (91)
04. Brodie Retallick (61)
05. Samuel Whitelock (85)
06. Jerome Kaino (78)
07. Sam Cane (41)
08. Kieran Read (97)

09. Aaron Smith (59)
10. Beauden Barrett (50)
11. Rieko Ioane (2)
12. Sonny Bill Williams (34)
13. Ryan Crotty (26)
14. Israel Dagg (62)
15. Ben Smith (61)

16. Nathan Harris (5)
17. Wyatt Crockett (59)
18. Charlie Faumuina (47)
19. Scott Barrett (5)
20. Ardie Savea (13)
21. TJ Perenara (30)
22. Aaron Cruden (47) / Lima Sopoaga (7)
23. Anton Lienert-Brown (10)

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS  

15. Liam Williams – Scarlets, Wales, #833
14. Anthony Watson – Bath Rugby, England, #816
13. Jonathan Davies – Scarlets, Wales, #778
12. Ben Te’o – Worcester Warriors, England, #815
11. Elliot Daly – Wasps, England, #822
10. Owen Farrell – Saracens, England, #780
09. Conor Murray – Munster, Ireland, #790

01. Mako Vunipola – Saracens, England, #787
02. Jamie George – Saracens, England, #819
03. Tadhg Furlong – Leinster, Ireland, #818
04. Alun Wyn Jones – Ospreys, Wales, #761
05. George Kruis – Saracens, England, #817
06. Peter O’Mahony (capt) – Munster, Ireland, #832
07. Sean O’Brien – Leinster, Ireland, #796
08. Taulupe Faletau – Bath Rugby, Wales, #779

16. Ken Owens – Scarlets, Wales, #829
17. Jack McGrath – Leinster, Ireland, #827
18. Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins, England, #814
19. Maro Itoje – Saracens, England, #825
20. Sam Warburton – Cardiff Blues, Wales, #800
21. Rhys Webb – Ospreys, Wales, #820
22. Johnny Sexton – Leinster, Ireland, #791
23. Leigh Halfpenny – Toulon, Wales, #775

You only get so many chances.......

123456789 wrote:

Ineffable wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

Ineffable wrote:

123456789 wrote:Not a big Williams fan, not a big Gatland fan, not a big Wales fan and I'd take Hogg nine times out of ten but my god Hogg would have to be at his absolute best to justify selection ahead of Williams.

Fair play Gatland.

+1 I just don't understand why Williams was at wing through the 6N. Wales could have turned some more games over with him at FB - formidable attack.

Because Halfpenny...

madness isn't it

Their next back three player is Cuthbert, who does a minority of things required to be an international at a barely acceptable standard.

Put bloody Halfpenny on the wing then! Or just blood Steff Evans (still referring to last 6N - anyway that's done now)

Can our sub's bring an impact?

Is O'Mahony now the playing captain or is he just captain when Warburton isn't playing?

Ergh

Sometimes just too good

Great AB scrum there seems to have gained them a try...

Waiting on the TV...

Yes. Going to be uphill now.

AB's hammer us in our supposed area of expertise...Lions switched off yet again when the penalty was awarded. That was a half chance at best for NZ yet they gobble it up and put us to the sword. That's the biggest difference between these two teams...they will run away with this now.

Again with the offloading.....

That's not good from Kruis Lions have gone to sleep now let's hope Sexton/Farrell can do something.

Another turnover for the AB's...critical errors being made right across the field from the Lions now. Like a steam train that can't be stopped now NZ.

This is going to end up being a rout.

Low error count from the ABs has allowed them to dominate possession in both halves of rugby.

Can't see any way back now. Way too many handling errors ; just cannot give these opponents gifts...

Could get ugly ...the scoreline especially.

Had some really bright moments, but thats all they have been. Looked competetive for around 20 mins total game time...

But on the whole NZ have dominated us, more turnovers, less penalties, more territory, more carries and in this 2nd half its been made clear who has the stronger bench.

The frightning thing is that this Lions team could be out on their feet by the final game, when I would imagine NZ will be at their very best

Oh FFS Owens!

Hate ref stoppages at the lineout, it usually goes astray.

That is why you never change the hooker when it's your put in to the line out.

That is pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

That has pissed me right off today; why do we always try for that last difficult pass. Sexton you Frak twonk!! Just poor decision making...that's been a frequent occurence right throughout the game.

mikey_dragon wrote:Low error count from the ABs has allowed them to dominate possession in both halves of rugby.

Yep. Far more composure but that's why they're so good...

Well that was terrible. The Lions look tired.

Ioane made the rapid Daly look like he was running in treacle

Oh dear...

One moment they're threatening the try line...next a couple of bad errors and its a score at the other end

Bit of a nightmare the last half hour...

All from a poor lineout call 5 metres from the ABs line

Well, we knew this might happen.

If they are tired now then they are bang in trouble the next two games!

I have to say, as outstanding as NZ have been....I could have coached them and said exactly where they can capitalise today. Our issues have been plain and obvious throughout the tour...Gatland and the players have done nothing to stem those issues and today they have been taken advantage of as we all knew would happen.

I will guarantee that Gatland focuses mainly on how if we had taken our chances it would have been a completely different story; which is true in essence but is no where near being the main factor of this lesson in rugby

Here's a question. I know this isn't really in the spirit of the Lions, but do you think any of the individual national teams would have done any worse than this? I think it's possible but far from certain.

Lions look out on their feet. Some of them were done a while ago anyway.

Don't understand the hooker change when we had a lineout. Unnecessary pressure.

So slow to support SOB

BamBam wrote:So slow to support SOB

Not the first time in the game either, a few times players especially backs have just stood watching guys go into the tackle in isolation

BamBam wrote:So slow to support SOB

Bit criminal by Sexton to pass and not follow him in.

If there is one area I'd hope the Lions would talk to the refs about it's keeping an eye on the ABs being offside. I may be imagining it, and it may just be excellent line speed, but I'm not convinced they're onside an awful lot.

No other team is able to deal with the intensity for 80 minutes. A class apart.

Pressure has got to us.

Tight 5 have been bullied and mugged, back line and backrow have shone when given a small platform, but it hasn't come!

Once the set peice was put under pressure we have folded...

Hood83 wrote:If there is one area I'd hope the Lions would talk to the refs about it's keeping an eye on the ABs being offside. I may be imagining it, and it may just be excellent line speed, but I'm not convinced they're onside an awful lot.

They've been offside quite a bit, been a few times the guy beside the ref has been offside and he's not said a thing

Sexton has had a mare since coming on; difficult as game was already going away from us but he has forced almost everything

Gotta give Biggar and Russell a shot on Tuesday, and next Saturday of they play well.

Sinckler is the only Lions forward that takes the ball at pace every time. Something the ABs do every time, just the basics.

Fanster wrote:Tight 5 have been bullied and mugged, back line and backrow have shone when given a small platform, but it hasn't come!

Once the set peice was put under pressure we have folded...

Summed up perfectly...and that's the issue when a team relies upon one major strength; if the opposition can supress or completely nullify it then the game is lost. We have no sound Plan B or Plan C.

So...do we see wholesale changes occuring for next week? Who has lost their place in the team based off this..? Who deserves a start next time out?

Falatea is playing???? Just noticed.

That's the impact Webb can have. That score is so important going into next week. ABs much better today but I don't think the Lions played as well as they could have. Too much napping and too static.

Disappointing despite the consolation try , after a fine first half.

ABs seriously good. Lions had their chances but just didn't take them.

A lot to do next week.

Webb has to start. More danger than Murray in a few minutes.

I'll get blasted for this but I do think we could use Haskell to smash the ruck instead of trying to compete when we simply can't.

Webb needs to come on sooner.

Sexton offers nothing from the bench. Ditto Warburton. Ditto Halfpenny.

Now we will see what Gatland is made of...he simply has to start Court & Itoje next test...

I imagine Warburton and Halfpenny will get the nod next game..

We need more physicality in the pack

Haskell may not be a bad shout

On what basis are you dropping Williams for Warburton, he was our best player.

Need to cut down the penalty count next week. Also the handling errors.
Last try was fortunate for them.
Williams should have caught it, but there you go.

13-8, in the game.
Showed some good breaks.

Not to many changes for next sat?

I'm not dropping him, definitely not, I think Gatland just might though..

I would like to see Webb...Haskell...Courts & Itoje all start next time out...I don't want to see Sexton anywhere near the team...he simply doesn't offer anything and his form even before this tour was questionable at best