See that beast who played 6 for the Tahs at the weekend? Brousseau or something, thats the kinda fucker Leinster should be in for.
You canât shoot a black in S Africa without ricocheting off a top notch back row forward.
[quote=âtreaty_exileâ]just how many chances is shane williams going to be given?
Luke Fitzgerald could rightly feel aggrieved.[/QUOTE]
Well I think Bowe was always going to get a couple of games rest after shining in the first two.
Monye probably needed a bit of time to recover from the muscle strain and didnât cover himnself in glory.
Fitzgerald has had to bide his time due to injury and then his introduction to the wing was delayed by the need to cover centre at the weekend. As I said on the previous page I think itâs very significant that Fitz is on the left wing for this game - thatâs the position thatâs available and thatâs his natural position.
Williams is certainly getting another chance but itâs on the wrong wing and itâs much a reflection on the lack of other talent available really.
Good article by Franno in yesterdayâs Tribune bemoaning the lack of leadership on the park for the Lions on Saturday. They looked very clueless for large spells but they were missing the rested Brian OâDriscoll of course.
Will beinteresting to see how they mix up the squad from here. I would have though they would have saved the shadow test team for the saturday game.
There is a saturday and tuesday game after this one. Cant see many of the actual test starters playing Wedn/Sat really? Will be a busy few days for some lads. If you have to play Sat/Tue like Kearney will then I think you know your fate already.
Think McGeechan may have picked a stronger team than he had originally planned for this game, afraid of losing to what should be one of the stronger sides, keeping up the momentum is v important at this stage.
I would say that Wednesday night will be the last time we see the likes of Byrne, O Driscoll, Roberts, Phillips and O Connell before the first test
The Lions of '97
Where are they now?
The 1997 Lions provided moments of brilliance, high emotion and nerve-tingling drama during their memorable South African adventure.
It culminated in a 2-1 Test series triumph against the world champion Springboks â an amazing success story that defied most pre-tour predictions. Here we recall the heroes of '97, and where they are now.
MARTIN JOHNSON (captain)
Captained the Lions again in 2001 (Australia) and returned Down Under to skipper England to World Cup glory two years later. Appointed England manager last year.
NEIL JENKINS
Went on to score more than 1,000 points for Wales and is now part of the national squad coaching staff specialising in kicking.
TIM STIMPSON
A Heineken Cup winner with Leicester, he subsequently went into player/coaching with Nuneaton and Nottingham rugby clubs. He also acts as an ambassador for several charities.
ALLAN BATEMAN
The former Wales centre is still playing amateur rugby at the age of 44, latterly lining up for Bridgend club Heol-y-Cyw. Works in Morriston Hospital, Swansea.
NICK BEAL
Remains closely involved with English Premiership side Northampton, the club from where he won England and Lions honours, serving as a non-executive director. Works as an independent financial advisor.
JOHN BENTLEY
Works as community marketing manager for Leeds Carnegie and is also a successful after-dinner speaker. Played and coached his home town club Cleckheaton during run of promotions through the National League system.
IEUAN EVANS
Continues to enjoy a successful career in rugby as a television and radio pundit. Retired from playing in 1999, having helped Bath win the Heineken Cup a year earlier.
SCOTT GIBBS
Famously scored Walesâs winning try that denied England the Five Nations title at Wembley in 1999. Still involved in rugby on radio and tv, while he was a driving force behind the Help for Heroes charity match earlier this season, and also recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for charity with South Africaâs 1995 World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar.
WILL GREENWOOD
Highly respected rugby analyst and pundit who is in demand on television and radio. Member of Englandâs 2003 World Cup-winning team, and part of the RFU delegation that is bidding to stage the 2015 World Cup in England.
JEREMY GUSCOTT
Has worked as a BBC rugby pundit for several years alongside the likes of Jonathan Davies and Andy Nicol.
ALAN TAIT
Current defence coach of Guinness Premiership club Newcastle, having previously held a similar role with the Scotland national squad.
TONY UNDERWOOD
Airline pilot who has worked for Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic. Lives in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, near the Swiss border.
PAUL GRAYSON
Current assistant coach at English Premiership club Northampton, having helped them land the Heineken Cup as Englandâs second winners of that tournament nine years ago.
GREGOR TOWNSEND
Still involved on the international stage. Appointed as Scotland backs coach four months ago by recently departed head coach Frank Hadden.
AUSTIN HEALEY
A Heineken Cup winner with Leicester, whose current portfolio includes work as a rugby pundit. Father of four daughters, he also reached the quarter-finals of BBCâs âStrictly Come Dancingâ series last year with partner Erin Boag.
ROB HOWLEY
His post-1997 playing career included Premiership title and Heineken Cup glory with Wasps. Employed as Wales attack coach, he is part of the Lions coaching team in South Africa.
MATT DAWSON
Works extensively for the BBC, fronting his own radio programme on rugby and is also a team captain on the long-running television series âA Question of Sportâ.
TOM SMITH
Enjoyed a successful career with Scotland and Northampton and retired from playing a couple of weeks ago after his side beat Bourgoin in the European Challenge Cup final.
JASON LEONARD
Went on to win more than 100 caps for England and now enjoys a high-profile role off the pitch in various guises, including an administrative one with the RFU.
GRAHAM ROWNTREE
Former Leicester prop works with Martin Johnson and the England set-up as scrummaging coach, a role he will fill on this summerâs Lions tour.
DAVID YOUNG
Highly respected head coach of Cardiff Blues, steering them into this seasonâs Heineken Cup semi-finals and victory in the EDF Energy Cup final.
PAUL WALLACE
An unsung hero during the 1997 tour, making the Test team, he can now be seen regularly on Sky Sports offering his views during their rugby coverage.
KEITH WOOD
A successful businessman, who is also in demand through the rugby media. The former Irish captain does work for the BBC and has been a columnist for the Evening Herald. Hobbies include beekeeping.
BARRY WILLIAMS
The first player to make 100 appearances for the Ospreys, he retired from playing last year following a number of operations. Appointed the first Ospreys ambassador, working with the Welsh region entertaining corporate clients. He also coaches at Llandeilo Rugby Club.
MARK REGAN
Likely to go into coaching next season after retiring from playing with Bristol at the end of the current campaign. England World Cup squad member in 2003 and 2007.
JEREMY DAVIDSON
Like his fellow Irishman Wallace, a surprise Test team inclusion 12 years ago who rose to the challenge superbly. Now in coaching, having worked with French club Castres, but set for a return to his former province Ulster as assistant coach.
SIMON SHAW
Will return to South Africa this year for his third Lions tour. Still packing down for Wasps and England in the second row.
DODDIE WEIR
Enjoys a successful role on the after-dinner speaking circuit. A regular attendee at Scotland internationals, who also does corporate work with his former club Newcastle.
RICHARD HILL
Retired from playing with Saracens last year, but remains involved with the club. Recovered from injury to play in the 2003 World Cup semi-final and final for England.
NEIL BACK
After winding down his World Cup-winning playing career, former Leicester flanker Back is now head coach of Leeds Carnegie, this seasonâs National League One champions.
ERIC MILLER
After retiring from rugby, he had a go at Gaelic football briefly for Dublin and also coached Old Wesley Rugby Club. Works as a sports consultant and also writes for the Evening Herald.
LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO
Brought the curtain down on an illustrious World Cup-winning career last year by helping Wasps win the Guinness Premiership title at Twickenham. Also a double Heineken Cup winner. Now a key off-the-field player at Wasps.
TIM RODBER
Important member of Northamptonâs Heineken Cup-winning team, he has carved out a hugely successful business career in the corporate information sector, spending time working as a chief operations officer in America.
SCOTT QUINNELL
Won more than 50 caps for Wales and toured again with the Lions in 2001. Has coached at senior club level in Wales, and can be seen regularly as a Sky Sports rugby pundit.
ROB WAINWRIGHT
Former Scotland captain runs a farm and bed and breakfast on the Hebridean Isle of Coll, which has a population of just 160.
Ryan Jones called up for the Lions amid fears that Stephen Ferrisâs tour is over.
Its confirmed, the Ulster man is out.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo. 
There goes my 16-1.
And with it any hope the lions had of matching SA physically. Rapidly loosing interest with this tour. WTF are they doing in training?
âMcBrideâs Invinciblesâ is on RTE 1 at 22.10-could be worth a watch.
Who gets 6 now? Surely not Worsely? Croft is nowhere nearly phsyical enough for this, will mean Williams must fire and start playing, means Wallace will most likely play 8 now for physicality.
I read an article in a paper at the weekend that said that that touring side was a disgrace for going to SA, and they should not be lauded or commemerated. What do the folks on here think?
Twas Keith Duggan in the Times
Iâd tend to agree with him to be honest
They were helping to prop up the apartheid regieme by visiting and playing against a segregated minority team
Hard to comment on it from now, I imagine those who lived through it would be able to comment better.
Looking at this doc, is anyone else getting the impression the invincibles were thugs?!
Finally a journalist with balls. Yet they were a complete disgrace but no surprise the British Govt propped up apartheid in Safrica for years.
Imo the idea of Irish people supporting the corporate colonial rugger bugger lovefest is vile.
[quote=âKIB manâ]Finally a journalist with balls. Yet they were a complete disgrace but no surprise the British Govt propped up apartheid in Safrica for years.
Imo the idea of Irish people supporting the corporate colonial rugger bugger lovefest is vile.[/QUOTE]
:D:clap::D:clap:
Huge blow that Ferris is out. Ulsterman is arguably most on form player out there and was best back rower.
[quote=âW.B. Yeatsâ]Twas Keith Duggan in the Times
Iâd tend to agree with him to be honest
They were helping to prop up the apartheid regieme by visiting and playing against a segregated minority team[/QUOTE]
Eamonn Sweeney had a similar article in the SindoâŚ
Youâd wonder if the journos actually give a shit or are just trying to shift paper