Lions

[Renniks]

I could not help but notice that many of these Lions' chaps were wearing white boots, and that includes a number of forwards.
This kind of silly exhibitionism is just not on, and simply draws attention to their large feet dangling at the end of dark socks, while making them appear awkward and plodding and rather duck-like in their gait.
Is it any surprise they played the way they did, with this unhealthy and egotistical preoccupation with the cosmetic effect of the casing of the pedal extremities?
NZ did, after all, win the last RWC with every man wearing plain black boots. You would hardly have noticed they had feet at all and it was quite easy to follow the ball.
Gatland has to act on this - now, before it's too late! The series is at stake.

Jonathan Davies did once comment on the ridiculousness of coloured boots.
His view was everyone should wear black, apart from wingers, who should wear white to increase the chance of getting away with going in touch sprinting down the wing

[cashead]

A bloo bloo bloo bloo bloo. Who gives a fuck?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

What a shambles.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

EinE probably crying into his Rice Krispies right now

[Big D]

Sounds on radio like Nowell is having a fairly poor defensive game.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Sounds on radio like Nowell is having a fairly poor defensive game.

He's been predictably appalling.

[whatisthejava]

Williams gets a yellow card,

[General Zod]

I really don't understand players who make the decision Williams made twice now. You know from about ten paces out that you're not gonna get there, so slow down and smash your opponent the instant his tiptoes hit the ground. More chance of getting the ball back than making a challenge you're unlikely to win.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

From a Scotland point of view: Daly has been invisible, Williams got himself binned, Nowell got himself skinned and Halfpenny has been tidy whilst possessing all the attacking threat of a lettuce.

[OptimisticJock]

Sounds on radio like Nowell is having a fairly poor defensive game.

Virtually non existent.

[General Zod]

From a Scotland point of view: Daly has been invisible, Williams got himself binned, Nowell got himself skinned and Halfpenny has been tidy whilst possessing all the attacking threat of a lettuce.

Is that a Scotland point of view?

Anyway, they are shite today. Still think Lions will win.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

From a Scotland point of view: Daly has been invisible, Williams got himself binned, Nowell got himself skinned and Halfpenny has been tidy whilst possessing all the attacking threat of a lettuce.

Is that a Scotland point of view?

Anyway, they are shite today. Still think Lions will win.

He's referring to Hogg & Seymour's chances of making the test team.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

From a Scotland point of view: Daly has been invisible, Williams got himself binned, Nowell got himself skinned and Halfpenny has been tidy whilst possessing all the attacking threat of a lettuce.

Is that a Scotland point of view?

Anyway, they are shite today. Still think Lions will win.

None of your boys playing so looking at those playing in Scots positions.

[General Zod]

Ah. I had forgotten about them. Was blown away by the attacking verve of halfpenny.

[cashead]

Well, the first loss didn't take long.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

What a result! Not sure they'll be able to beat many of the Super rugby sides let alone the ABs.

[General Zod]

Highlight for me was Stuart Barnes saying "oh no" when that last line-out messed up. He should be dropped for that, along with his colleague, who together with him make it sound like they're trying to garner support for a posh boys' outing.

[Matt Ha]

Pretty miserable performance. Pack looked pretty feisty at times (I thought Mario was good) but pretty clueless and rudderless in the backs. And I'm sorry to say that H'penny is a shadow of his former self.

[Edinburgh in Exile]

EinE probably crying into his Rice Krispies right now

Haha, I think I'll be alright mate.

[QwentyJ]

Well that was a sucker punch!

It seems to me that the attack coach is basically nullifying all the individual flair of the players, apart from Halfpenny who lost it about 6 years ago. Why are we running at contact instead of looking for the space? If we have even a remote shot of beating the AB's, we have to try and attempt to fight fire with fire.

From a lions point of view, I think the front 5 had very good games, I was delighted to see Haskell and Tipuric making very good dents. Webb and Henshaw had okay games. Disappointed to not see more of Elliot Daly.

From a Scotland point of view, Tommy is in a good position to get a nod at wing if he sticks to his guns. Greig Laidlaw in that last 5 minutes played some of the quickest ball in his entire life!

Much to work on. Think we need to get serious rather than going for heart and minds...

[no sleep]

Greig Laidlaw in that last 5 minutes played some of the quickest ball in his entire life!

He did alright. Even got stuck into a couple of rucks until Marler realised that just wasn't right and let the Blues have the ball back.

So far, the guys I think have stuck their hands up have been Faletau and Farrell. Sort of good have been Sinckler, Stander, Te'o and Lawes. Owens and Seymour were okay; Hogg had okay bits but bad bits too. So far the test XV looks like

1 Gatland's mum, 2 Owens, 3 Sinckler
4 Lawes, 5 anyone Welsh probably
6 CJ Stander 7 anyone Welsh probably 8 Faletau
9 Murray (hasn't played yet, but it has to be) 10 Farrell
11 Seymour/Watson 12 Te'o 13 actually, Joseph did okay 14 AWP
15 Hogg

at least that's what it looks like to me, but I have a feeling that it will take a lot to move North and Halfpenny out of the coaches' thoughts.

[no sleep]

Actually, Gatland's mum can stand down; Marler's got the shirt for at least not having to have Tipuric hook when he came on. The penalty maybe wasn't that bad, given that the ref had let Itoje roll twelve times in the tackle before laying the ball back.

[af73]

For all the crap Hogg in particular had directed at him from the first game, it will be interesting to see (in the interests of balance) how those competing for his position are written up. Particularly given that the identical mistake of carrying the ball into touch was repeated. Hogg's oft cited defensive weakness was anything but compared to 1/2p who didn't so much miss a tackle as not get within 5 yards of it for the winning try.

[Big D]

For all the crap Hogg in particular had directed at him from the first game, it will be interesting to see (in the interests of balance) how those competing for his position are written up. Particularly given that the identical mistake of carrying the ball into touch was repeated. Hogg's oft cited defensive weakness was anything but compared to 1/2p who didn't so much miss a tackle as not get within 5 yards of it for the winning try.

Just watching the game now. 8 min in and Nowell caught narrow twice and for the 1st try, in the lead up there was a cross kick where 1/2p got bumped but made the tackle when in reality he should have had the guy in touch.

The fuck up of a 4 on 2 or 3 was poor too. Henshaw and the 1/2p did nothing to challenge the defence..just shovelled it on.

[Big D]

Not in any way questioning his his overall performance and I am asking this for info.
Did the ref make a mistake just before half time by awarding a mark when the blues 15 did not make a clean catch?