Donny osmond wrote:The lions twitter account has announced the four welsh lads, at least one of whom I've never even heard of.
Cant make up my mind about this. Lions tours arent supposed to do this and I absolutely hate it on one level... but then the lions tours from yesteryear that made the brand what it is, well they took place yesteryear when rugby was a very different game.
Maybe the lions concept really is dead?
This is causing me some angst, I cant straighten out my thoughts.
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I'm sure the decision to call up lots of welshmen is entirely unrelated to the large payments the WRU get for every welshman selected. We will see it for the unmitigated success that it is bound to be. There's no chance that any non-Welsh player not selected for the starting 15 might see the whole enterprise as jobs for the boys.
Calling up Welshmen does have one benefit I suppose. They are a little less likely to go "off tour" because they could jeopardise their Welsh rugby futures as long as Gatland remains coach.
As for the Lions concept being dead, I dont think players or fans will accept players being selected other than on merit. If they don't then the merchandise won't sell and the tickets won't sell and the thing will die a death.
The thing about being selected on merit is what rankles the most. While we could all argue the toss about the original party selections, some if these fly-ins are absolutely not there on merit, and that just cheapens the jersey. I'm hugely pissed off about that, and not because I think Scots players should be there instead.
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It was so much easier to blame Them. It was bleakly depressing to think They were Us. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.
Donny osmond wrote:The lions twitter account has announced the four welsh lads, at least one of whom I've never even heard of.
Cant make up my mind about this. Lions tours arent supposed to do this and I absolutely hate it on one level... but then the lions tours from yesteryear that made the brand what it is, well they took place yesteryear when rugby was a very different game.
Maybe the lions concept really is dead?
This is causing me some angst, I cant straighten out my thoughts.
Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk
I'm sure the decision to call up lots of welshmen is entirely unrelated to the large payments the WRU get for every welshman selected. We will see it for the unmitigated success that it is bound to be. There's no chance that any non-Welsh player not selected for the starting 15 might see the whole enterprise as jobs for the boys.
Calling up Welshmen does have one benefit I suppose. They are a little less likely to go "off tour" because they could jeopardise their Welsh rugby futures as long as Gatland remains coach.
As for the Lions concept being dead, I dont think players or fans will accept players being selected other than on merit. If they don't then the merchandise won't sell and the tickets won't sell and the thing will die a death.
The thing about being selected on merit is what rankles the most. While we could all argue the toss about the original party selections, some if these fly-ins are absolutely not there on merit, and that just cheapens the jersey. I'm hugely pissed off about that, and not because I think Scots players should be there instead.
Job done, pretty emphatic. Pissing with rain, forwards win. Suited that team set up down to the ground. Doesn't matter who you have behind he srcum if you can't get the ball.
Edinburgh in Exile wrote:Job done, pretty emphatic. Pissing with rain, forwards win. Suited that team set up down to the ground. Doesn't matter who you have behind he srcum if you can't get the ball.
AIBs will be shitting* themselves for the next week
*definition to follow
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It was so much easier to blame Them. It was bleakly depressing to think They were Us. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.
It's kind of like watching Scotland from a few years ago. The forwards are competitive, there's a lot of hard work and a dead eyed goal kicker but all the explosive threat of am ageing Audley Harrison and we're all praying for heavy rain.
The pack was better today but was playing against the 2nd least cohesive pack they will face all tour. I reckon Hansen will happily let the Lions think they can dominate dominate the set piece but be confident that the Lions won't get a decisive edge in the tests. I've watched M Vinupola a lot this season and think he is much less effective in the scrum than the media makes out. He gets bigged up for his work round the pitch but IMO he will be targeted in the set and there is a good chance his scrummaging will be found wanting. If we don't get the upper hand in the scrum I really can't see there is the skill or game plan for a Lions win.
Edinburgh in Exile wrote:Job done, pretty emphatic. Pissing with rain, forwards win. Suited that team set up down to the ground. Doesn't matter who you have behind he srcum if you can't get the ball.
Managed to finish watching the game. 19 points ahead with ten minutes left and they choose to kick three? That's a team that is scared of what the opposition can do.
switchskier wrote:Managed to finish watching the game. 19 points ahead with ten minutes left and they choose to kick three? That's a team that is scared of what the opposition can do.
Or a team confident they don't need to worry... I remember Johnson's England doing that sort of thing too, not because they were scared but because they were just of the opinion that they've won, they're in control, what's the point in busting a lung for a try when you don't need to?
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It was so much easier to blame Them. It was bleakly depressing to think They were Us. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.
Feel very embarrassed about the Welsh players selected to go..and why Johnny Gray is not the chosen second row messes with ma heed .. he could have ended up on the subs bench by the 2nd test.
Good that Russell gets a shout ... he will get a chance to show why he should have been selected first up ...the positive us that he knows Laidlaw for better or worse
Ex prop Ex coach still a Welshman and enjoying retirement
switchskier wrote:Managed to finish watching the game. 19 points ahead with ten minutes left and they choose to kick three? That's a team that is scared of what the opposition can do.
Or a team confident they don't need to worry... I remember Johnson's England doing that sort of thing too, not because they were scared but because they were just of the opinion that they've won, they're in control, what's the point in busting a lung for a try when you don't need to?
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I saw it as wanting to be more than three scores ahead, because the AB's can score three quick tries.
