The Lions Tour of Oz 2013

[Mick Mac]

That was very amusing GB. :)

[Gingerbeer]

Strangely, it was posted on my facebook page by the Leicester Tigers events co.

Btw, whats a stubby?

[Mick Mac]

An aussie beer can

[Gingerbeer]

Gotcha, thanks. There was no way I was going to google the word "stubby".

[Alan Medic]

What makes it worse is he has Tugawhathisname on the bench as the only outside back replacement. He was dreadful in his last match and looked lacking in confidence. Why pick Phillips at scrum half? He's been poor.

[Mick Mac]

JohnL Wrote:

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>

> Still 23 Lions in the squad not 11 Welshmen 7

> Englishmen 4 Irishmen 1 Scotsman in my view.

Well JL, that's what Willie John McBride would have said of course but places have to be on merit not just on the basis that, ok I am your country coach so ill pick you for the Lions.

[maxxi]

a stubby is actually one of those little fat VB-type beer bottles, a can is a tinny, g'day.

[Mick Mac]

maxxi Wrote:

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> a stubby is actually one of those little fat

> VB-type beer bottles, a can is a tinny, g'day.

Ah I see. I thought it was one of those little short VB type cans. I stand corrected.

[JohnL]

it's Gatland - with his reputation on the line he's gone back

to playing what he knows best - we call it Gatlandball in Wales

the Aussies call it Warrenball over there and some people say Cementball

(Gatland is known as Cementhead in some circles)

The Lions committee must have known what they were getting.

In Wales alone people like Hook, Peel, Tipuric never fitted into his plan.

and it has worked to an extent.

This final test could be a brutal 'bloodbath' if played his way as

the plan will be to bash them into submission. Rowntree and Farrell

seemed to influence his thoughts on this in Rounds 1 and 2.

A large amount of English player will come off the bench to 'close it'.

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What makes it worse is he has Tugawhathisname on

> the bench as the only outside back replacement. He

> was dreadful in his last match and looked lacking

> in confidence. Why pick Phillips at scrum half?

> He's been poor.

[Mick Mac]

British Lions: Willie John McBride accuses Warren Gatland of damaging 'concept and ethos of Lions'

4 Jul 2013 08:41

Irish legend 'amazed' by decision to drop Brian ODriscoll and critical of Gatland's tour tactics and team selection policies

Legend Willie John McBride has accused Warren Gatland of damaging the ethos of the Lions with his tactics on tour and team selection for Sydney.

The greatest Lion in history fears Gatland?s approach will lead to another defeat in the third Test.

McBride, captain of the 1974 Invincibles tour of South Africa, rapped: ?The first thing that came into my mind was that Robbie Deans must be laughing.

?The Australian media and others have convinced the Lions to drop Brian O?Driscoll. I find it amazing. His work-rate has been superb and his influence on tour terrific.

?The problem is our forwards are not giving our backs ball they can use. If we were still playing the second Test today, we still wouldn?t have scored a try.

Gatland has picked a big strong team of players for Saturday to run at the opposition. It?s not about skill, it?s not about the concept the Lions have always had where we moved the ball and scored tries.

?In contrast, Australia saw what we were doing in Melbourne, moved the ball and scored a try to win.?

McBride continued: ?I?ve heard a lot about the Welsh players.

?But when you are with the Lions, you pick Lions. That means you pick the best players around you.

?The concept and ethos of the Lions is beginning to slip and that worries me a lot.

?They chose a bloke (Tom Court) who happened to be at home in Brisbane, he didn?t earn his place. They brought Shane Williams, who was a very good player, over because he was in Japan. I don?t think this is the concept of the Lions I know.?

[JohnL]

Gatland has annoyed the Irish I think :)

He was Irish coach for BODs first game too apparently - so they know him.

The committee should be in charge of Ethos IMHO - Gatland has one job - WIN PLEASE

Will still be supporting Lions this week - not Wales+

[Mick Mac]

Australia coach Robbie Deans, meanwhile has expressed his surprise at the news, saying: ?We?d anticipated that Brian would be there, but we haven?t spent the time and consideration that the Lions staff will on the matter.

?It would have been a great sign off for Brian because he?s a legend of the game.

?I have no doubt that he understands the nature of the industry. He?s been around long enough to know that and understand that.

?He?s been part of many Lions series so it would have been a fitting send off for him, but he?ll also have perspective because he?s a quality bloke.

?He?ll be disappointed and from our perspective it?s a little bit of experience gone.

?Those are decisions that aren?t made lightly and Warren will have given it due consideration and believes what he has put together will serve him better.

?We have a lot of respect for Brian. He?s stung us in the past in 2009, scoring in the last minute for Ireland to draw. He?s a class player and class bloke.?

[Mick Mac]

London - Legendary Lions coach Ian McGeechan added to the pressure on current boss Warren Gatland by saying Friday he would have picked Brian O'Driscoll for this weekend's crunch Test against Australia.

New Zealander Gatland, who as Ireland coach gave O'Driscoll his international debut, has been engulfed in controversy ever since omitting the 34-year-old star centre O'Driscoll from what many would thought would be his Lions swansong.

Saturday's match in Sydney is also the decider in a three-match campaign the Lions must win if they are to record their first series victory in 16 years.

Former Scotland centre McGeechan, in charge of victorious Lions tours in Australia (1989) and South Africa (1997), said he would have stuck with the midfield duo of Jamie Roberts and O'Driscoll he deployed four years ago, rather than partner Roberts with Welsh colleague Jonathan Davies as Gatland has done.

"I would have paired Brian O'Driscoll with Jamie Roberts for the third Test in Sydney. For me, they are the best centre partnership in world rugby," McGeechan wrote in Friday's UK Daily Telegraph.

"They showed that in the two Tests they played in South Africa four years ago, before both were injured," added McGeechan, coach of the Lions side that lost to the Springboks in 2009 when Gatland was one of his assistants.

However, McGeechan, who represented the Lions on their unbeaten tour of South Africa in 1974, said while "that would have been my call against Australia it has not been Warren Gatland's".

"And I would not criticise it. Selection, particularly on a Lions tour, is a very personal thing...And Warren obviously feels this is the best way forward."

Gatland, seconded to the Lions from his 'day job' as Wales coach has also been slammed for selecting 10 Welshmen in his starting XV for Saturday's must-win game.

Critics have pointed out how Wales have lost their last eight Tests against Australia but a diplomatic McGeechan said of Gatland: "He most certainly will not see it as a Welsh way. He will see it as a Lions way. These players are Lions now."

McGeechan said the presence of "complete centre" O'Driscoll, not even on the bench for Saturday's match, would have been especially valuable after tour captain Sam Warburton, another Wales star, was ruled out through injury.

"He is also a great leader. I worry that the Lions will miss that sort of influence," McGeechan added of O'Driscoll, appointed captain for the 2005 tour of New Zealand only to be injured barely minutes into the first Test against the All Blacks following a controversial 'spear' tackle.

"There are players out there that have not been in the pressure situations that Brian has faced countless times down the years.

"When it is bedlam all round, he has the ability to remain calm and see just what is needed tactically for the next five or 10 minutes.

"Not everyone has that gift."

[Alan Medic]

Great win for the Lions but by gob it didn't happen because BOD was dropped. The feckin forwards finally imposed themselves for long enough to wear the Aussies down.