They’ll fucking murder him. He’ll have a fracture by half time
He is exactly what Leinster need IMO. Someone willing to play and not want to get their hands on the ball. He is the first back row I’d have on any Irish team sheet anyway as he provides different alternative to what else we have.
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][quote=“myboyblue, post:1368, topic:17708, full:true”]
They’ll fucking murder him. He’ll have a fracture by half time
[/quote]
Keep the George Hook approach going pal it’s worked wonders so far this tour 
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Huh?
I wonder what strategy we have come up with for dealing with the haka
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Surely the fact that the lions can’t move in NZ without someone doing a haka at them will somewhat minimise the impact of the haka when the All Blacks do it.
But to answer your question, throwing grass would seem to be a no no
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Everyone looks poor outside ten compared to the kiwis in fairness
That’s a fair point but most other sides at least have the benefit of continuity to conpensate. Looking at this line up
Teo- is a 13 playing 12. Never started an test for England.
Davies- good player and experienced Lion.
Watson- in good form. Unexpected test starter. Not gteed test starter for England
Daly- picked on back of performance against worst midweek side rarely started for England
Williams- good player and think I said here a while back he was best 15 in tour. But rarely starts there for Wales when gatland has options so odd selection now. Tour form horreoundous until the chiefs win
So while he has picked on form the form of the chiefs win is poor enough and he’s parachuted in two lads unexpectedly. Williams is a wild card because he’s a v good counter attacker but he is liable to do anything
I’d have itoje in there, and halfpenny. Sexton unlucky, as is jack mcgrath.
I wish schmidt had agreed to go with gatland, who I have great time for.
People really need to bear in mind the difficulties the lions are up against here though. I expect 3-0 to the kiwis, and no shame in it as long as they leave it all out there.
We’ll see.
It’s a good team, I really like it bar I think farrell is a bit overrated by the management, I think sexton would work better with that back three. But the back three are picked on merit and it looks like a team setup for counters.
My only real gripe is that it really looks like the coaching staff couldn’t decide on the backline; in regards to the tour, that is an experimental backline. It looks confused to me. It’s too late to be trying things now. They should’ve gone for the backline they had against Maori with the exception of north and built on that.
There’s a slight air of desperateness from that back three selection, but I suppose that’s the position they’re in. So many backs have let them down.
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I’d agree with all that except I am delighted Schmidt didn’t go. Over there to play 2nd fiddle to a far inferior coach? Fuuuuuuuck that.
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there is some excitement here in London ahead of Saturday, its going to be some occasion,the bars will be buzzing
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Robbie Henshaw is working on a witty Haiku all tour. He’s done fuck all else.
Biggest loss on the coaching ticket was Gregor Townsend not going as backs coach and getting lumbered with the hopeless Howley.
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Absolutely. He was offered the position as Howleys asst back coach. Unsurprisingly he turned it down !!!
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I thought they’d maybe be equals tbh. I think they’d have worked well together.
Someone would have to be the first among equals and neither would settle for 2nd. Said it on here at the time that it was an absolute joke the Welsh rfu allowed this to happen for 2nd time in his tenure there. Wales are on tour now without either Gatland or Howley.
Ireland in contrast are in Japan for last 15 odd days (and in US for a week before that) doing a reccy of locations and blooding loads of young players under eyes of Schmidt and easterby. Schmidt also invited several young coaches in Irish system like felix Jones and girvan Dempsey on tour and also brought ROG for a week. That’s a fairly productive months work.
Top top management imo, Schmidt is no back of a clock
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How many Grand Slams has Gatland won with Wales? I presume they’ve also got to a World Cup semi final or two in that time too. Schmidt doesn’t deserve a break, Gatland does
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Do you reckon this prep could see Ireland going further than a Quarter Final?
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