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British and Irish lions tour 2025 edition… it is upon us 🇬🇧🇮🇪🏴
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By *abioMan 7 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
I have my retro ‘74 lions shirt out …..
Bring it on!!!!
As a quick fat fella (olden day inside centre) interested to see how that partnership works.. because that would be my starting test pair! |
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By *abioMan 7 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"The Bok is nippy..  "
VDM is a pacey old fella… and freeman just showed why I wouldn’t have him at 14, if you are both beaten inside for space and outside for pace, and decent winger is going to have a field day |
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End of the day that's a warm up game ..
It'll be a very different test team
Combinations need to be worked out.
Center's looked great in the first half and went missing the last third.
Positives through out.
Great try by the Argentinians off that dummy in the centre. |
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By *abioMan 6 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"11 am kick off sat seems decent "
All of the test games are 10.30am kick offs.. so my plan is to get in breakfast and watch the games
I am going to be controversial.. 3 tests not enough.. if I am Perth I am not happy… yes Brisbane and Sydney because they are rugby union heartlands…still not sold on Melbourne even though it will be 100,000 at the MCG |
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By *abioMan 6 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"11 am kick off sat seems decent
All of the test games are 10.30am kick offs.. so my plan is to get in breakfast and watch the games
I am going to be controversial.. 3 tests not enough.. if I am Perth I am not happy… yes Brisbane and Sydney because they are rugby union heartlands…still not sold on Melbourne even though it will be 100,000 at the MCG"
Going to correct myself and apologise… all lions games in this tour are 11am kickoffs… |
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By *abioMan 6 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"What we thinking today ?
I think leggy start after traveling and jet lag. Maybe +/-2 points in it at half time.
Followed by 10 point win at the end. "
Force are probably the worst of the Australian provincial sides.. lions get all their Leinster bath and Leicester players on board
If like to think 2-3 try victory |
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By *abioMan 5 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"Big shame if that's Williams out for the tour. "
If he is out… then I think you may be looking at scotlands ben white, who I think was unlucky to miss out originally…..plus Scotland are playing a two match test series in New Zealand, so he could get there quickly
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"Elliot daly now out the tour
Farrell jr called up as replacement… I know you are kinda replacing versatile for versatile, but I would have called up Darcy Graham instead "
It’s so predictable that I honestly never thought it would happen.
But it has.
Booooooo. |
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By *oeevMan 5 weeks ago
Worthing |
Dont really understand the calling up of Farrell as a replacemnt for Daly. Daly is outside centre/wing/FB... Farrell covers none of those. Suggests that Farrell snr doesnt have much faith in either Smith as no.10s... |
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Yea seems like a universally poor decision.
Daily was such a classy player who just didn't make many mistakes and did every thing very well.
Farrel the shoulder change king hasn't played intentionally for 2 years is it ?
Just think there's more suitable players who could play.
2 be a 4 test lion should be for the absolute greatest of players. |
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By *abioMan 5 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
Farrell jr can play 10,12… 15 at a push, but I suppose by bringing him in, he becomes 3rd 10/ 3rd 12… and Marcus smith then becomes the versatile cover player
Remember he took the 1 6 nations off, then buggered off to France and made himself ineligible… but he didn’t play that well in France anyway |
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"Farrell jr can play 10,12… 15 at a push, but I suppose by bringing him in, he becomes 3rd 10/ 3rd 12… and Marcus smith then becomes the versatile cover player
Remember he took the 1 6 nations off, then buggered off to France and made himself ineligible… but he didn’t play that well in France anyway "
He's been plagued with injuries apparently |
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"Is any one making a full day of it ?
Only seems to be a couple of hours where there isn't any rugby on today
That's cos Wales is playing Japan. they decided not to show it "
Whos decided not to show it ?
It's on BBC as well speak  |
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"Is any one making a full day of it ?
Only seems to be a couple of hours where there isn't any rugby on today
That's cos Wales is playing Japan. they decided not to show it
Whos decided not to show it ?
It's on BBC as well speak "
I'm turning it off though!! 😖 |
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"Is any one making a full day of it ?
Only seems to be a couple of hours where there isn't any rugby on today
That's cos Wales is playing Japan. they decided not to show it
Whos decided not to show it ?
It's on BBC as well speak
I'm turning it off though!! 😖"
That’s actually a decent result for wales on current form surely?
I was expecting more than a single score loss. |
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As bad as the Wales team is , we still shouldn't be losing to Japan.
And certainly a Japan team that's no where near there worldcup form of 2007 Eddie's first time around.
But we are where we are and materialistically there hasn't been a significant change in players .
I need a beer  |
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"As bad as the Wales team is , we still shouldn't be losing to Japan.
And certainly a Japan team that's no where near there worldcup form of 2007 Eddie's first time around.
But we are where we are and materialistically there hasn't been a significant change in players .
I need a beer "
It’s painful to watch at the moment. At half time, I was almost optimistic but there didn’t seem to be any desire to create space and we just kicked the ball away constantly. |
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By *abioMan 5 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"As bad as the Wales team is , we still shouldn't be losing to Japan.
And certainly a Japan team that's no where near there worldcup form of 2007 Eddie's first time around.
But we are where we are and materialistically there hasn't been a significant change in players .
I need a beer "
It’s not like you can use the “Welshmen on the lions tour” excuse….
Also… this is a good France New Zealand game |
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"As bad as the Wales team is , we still shouldn't be losing to Japan.
And certainly a Japan team that's no where near there worldcup form of 2007 Eddie's first time around.
But we are where we are and materialistically there hasn't been a significant change in players .
I need a beer
It’s not like you can use the “Welshmen on the lions tour” excuse….
Also… this is a good France New Zealand game "
Absolutely no excuses, the players arent good enough or even playing well. |
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By *abioMan 5 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"Every one hates winners haha "
No.. it just full of brutal clodhoppers.. just does nothing for me..
Anyway.. I am ready… just eat has just delivered my Greggs order!
ARU have made a mistake… this game should have been held at SFS and the 3rd test should have been played here rather than other way round! |
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It’s almost that time again.
Interesting team selections today and a chance to see what on paper looks like a very strong selection.
Don’t think it’s quite the first test team but as close as we’ve seen so far  |
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By *abioMan 4 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
Best lions half of the tour so far
Unfortunate for LCD…
Just scribbling some names down for my nailed on selections for next week (ooh we can have a committee meeting in this thread)
I’ll give a few names after this game has finished |
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Great performance, really building towards next Saturdays 1st test now.
Apart from the obvious nailed on selections I can’t see how Huw jones and jac Morgan don’t make the starting team and as good as pollock has been I think I’d have him on the bench for a massive impact sub.
Controversially…
Farrell makes the squad on today’s game I wager.
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By *abioMan 4 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
Let me start the committee meeting…
Ahem….
Can we start with “nailed on” selections… any arguments against the following:
Dan Sheehan at 2 (the h word is banned here.. who knew! lol) just glad that LCD injury is only a concussion because it looked a lot worse!
Itoje and Byrne as your 2nd row
Gibson park at 9
Finn Russell at 10
James Lowe on one wing
Right.. start the conversations.. I’ll do with the back 7!
Full back… With kinghorn probably out… Hugo Keenan at 15
Winger… I’m going to be controversial! VDM has the most skill, but he worries me more defensively.. Tommy freeman is a Farrell favourite but I’m still not sure! If it were me… the best on for a combo… Mack Hansen
I would play Hansen, my gut says Farrell goes freeman
Centres.. this would have been my toughest call! Gary ringrose is out of 1st test considering due to a delayed concussion.. as a former county level inside centre.. I love bundi and sio! In a perfect world on a longer lions tour I would have tried them again in a 12/13 combo.. but you can see in the last 2 games you can see the Irish and Scottish pairs have played a lot together
I think for this reason .. I think he goes sio and huw.. plus Russell knows the centres for the 10/12/13 links.. but again huw jones worries me defensively..
So my back 7…. JCP at 9, Russell 10, Sio 12, Jones 13, Lowe 11, Hansen 14, Keenan 15
4 Irish, 3 Scot’s
I’ll allow someone else to start the 1 through 8 conversation |
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By *ands23Couple 4 weeks ago
South East London |
I wouldn’t have Byrne in the row. McCarthy for me. McReight is a breakdown menace and McCarthy will clear out rucks far more effectively and has been a good ball carrier so far this series.
Agree with Huwipalotu as centres if Ringrose out.
Front row I think is defo Genge, Sheehan, Furlong with Porter, Kelleher, Stuart on the bench.
Mark and Big Joe
Back row is tough - I’d go Chessum, Morgan, Conan and have JvdF and Earl on the bench. Can see arguments for plenty of other options though. |
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By *abioMan 3 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
Test team announced
First Test teams in full
British and Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Joe McCarthy, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Bundee Aki.
So for the Welsh out there…. No Jac in the 23
First thoughts from the back 7 selector on fab ( me) no surprise he went with the all Scotland centre pairing… if ringrose had been fit I would have gone with the Irish pairing
Mack Hansen apparently has a slightly dodgy ankle so freeman plays
Bring on Saturday morning!!! |
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By *abioMan 3 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
"23?! ...every right to be agreived he's not in the 7!
at least daddy didn't put Owen in too!"
As much as I would love to agree, Ben earls for me has had a better tour than Jac, same with chisham |
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"OK here go... Series win today or are the Wallabies gonna find a way through?
Lions will be down at half time but then Jac Morgan comes on to score twice and save the day.
Right?"
What a dream that'd be! I reckon Owen Farrel could either be hero or villain today; game will be won or lost by something he does! 😖 |
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By *abioMan 2 weeks ago
Newcastle and Gateshead |
God I would love to be there today… the MCG is on my sporting bucket list
Looking forward to seeing bundi and Huw in the centres… Huw still worries my defensively
Big Joe is a miss in the 2nd, see how chessam does |
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"OK here go... Series win today or are the Wallabies gonna find a way through?
Lions will be down at half time but then Jac Morgan comes on to score twice and save the day.
Right?
What a dream that'd be! I reckon Owen Farrel could either be hero or villain today; game will be won or lost by something he does! 😖"
Well given he still refuses to get low to tackle, if he does something wrong it'll no doubt be ten on the bench (or worse) |
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"Holy smokes…. That was a half of rugby!
I held my breath on that Jac clear out!
You don't often see flopping in Rugby but the Aussie tried his best "
Throwing himself around like a football player..
Mate FFS.. |
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"Holy smokes…. That was a half of rugby!
I held my breath on that Jac clear out!
You don't often see flopping in Rugby but the Aussie tried his best
Throwing himself around like a football player..
Let’s hope we don’t see any more of that creep into the sport
Mate FFS.. "
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"Holy smokes…. That was a half of rugby!
I held my breath on that Jac clear out!
You don't often see flopping in Rugby but the Aussie tried his best
Throwing himself around like a football player..
Let’s hope we don’t see any more of that creep into the sport
Mate FFS.. "
Fully agree, no need at all..  |
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"So.. first question for next week?
Same side ish and go for the 3-0 jugular or change it up and give some people who were close to selection a test match "
Go for the jugular but with a slight tweak. |
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Even though I am a Lion's supporter, I thought the Lions were sluggish, took bad options. They looked one dimensional, Bundi Aki being an example, it is straight at the opposition. No sidestep, no kicking game. Dropped balls, losing your own line out, and worst not playing the referee (too many offside penalties).
That being said the ref did not pick up Australians not supporting their weight when clearing out, and I am not sure why the Australian hand in Tad Beirne's face in the tackle near the end was not a red card.
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I'm a bit confused. So Dan Sheehan cops a 4 match retrospective ban (reduced to 3 if he kisses ass)for the illegal clear out on Tom Lynagh.
My problem is, the ref was at the ruck and the TMO, who reviews absolutely everything, all missed it.
While I agree it was an illegal clear out, if it was spotted by the officials at the time, he would of received at best a yellow, at worst, a Red.
So, due their incompetence, he now receives a 4 match ban.
Thoughts anyone? |
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It was such a poor finish to a great tour - those boys were properly finished at the end .
My only criticism is that Farrell selected his tried and tested Irish side - 9 started - and they were properly knackard and some of them not good enough - the reff was against the Lions from the start giving all the 50 50s to the Aussies but the Lions did not play the conditions very well either - if they knew the conditions were coming which I assume hey did , I would have changed the front row completely ( need a no2 who can throw straight and accurately ) would have had fresh legs in the back row starting and OF starting at ISC . If we got any ball ( which was difficult with that ref ) we play in their half and keep the pressure on.
The Aussies who are not used to those conditions took advantage and played with vigour and confidence and good on them for getting out of the rut created by Eddie Jones - just shows you how poisonous he is !
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