Lions Tour of NZ 2017

[Big Smoke Culchie]

Why is this even a thread? We all know whats going to happen. Three quarters of the Wales team will go and Warburton will captain beacuse Gatland is a c unt. When they get hammered he will blaim the Irish for causing division in the squad.

You read it here first.

[shamalicious]

Warburton is the bookies' favourite now.

[big mervyn]

Warburton is the bookies' favourite now.

They also have Rory as clear favourite to start the 1st test.

[rumncoke]

The thing on this tour is that with 3 tests in about 3 weeks about 25 players at least will start over three games

Very few in my book will start all three


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[big mervyn]

The thing on this tour is that with 3 tests in about 3 weeks about 25 players at least will start over three games

Very few in my book will start all three

If you don't start a test, you're not really a real Lion in my book (and in most of the players', if they're honest). A nice blazer and a Wednesday run out against the local dirt trackers doesn't really compare.

[bazzaj]

The thing on this tour is that with 3 tests in about 3 weeks about 25 players at least will start over three games

Very few in my book will start all three

If you don't start a test, you're not really a real Lion in my book (and in most of the players', if they're honest). A nice blazer and a Wednesday run out against the local dirt trackers doesn't really compare.

Midweek fixtures have become devalued since the South Africas decision to withdraw test players from provincial matches in 97.
Those warm up games since have been used to not give Lions selectors tools to gauge form by fielding deliberate weakened sides.
This is opposed to the old tactic of fielding strong teams to beat up the Lions for the tests as when Canterbury took out the two Lions potential test props in 71.
The Aussies disgracefully took the hand of out of fielding weak sides in the last tour..
South Africa did the same in 2009 in order that the Lions could not become battle hardy before the tests.
This tactic also lulled Lions selectors to make the disastrous decision to play Lee Meers v Bismark in 2009s first test.

However New Zealand is a different scenario due to their depth of playing talent.
There should be much more competitive matches this time around

Any successful Lions team has pointed to the success of their mid week teams to give the tour momentum particularly referencing 1974, 1989 and 1997.

Rerversely the 1993 Lions tour was basically derailled by the dirt trackers giving up for the last tour games.
McGeechan and Telfer saw that and prioritised the importance of the squad effort in 1997 which was the basis of the success of a tour when the Lions were written off.

Woodward ignored this mantra in 2005 and split his squad completely turning the tour into a farce in the process.
The midweek side was successful under Geechs but carried little relevance in a divided squad.

So in summary the midweekers have a huge part to play in the success or failure of Lions tours and they can't afford to underestimate this significance.

[rumncoke]

Woodward got the whole tour wrong using it as a reward for good conduct .

He thought he had a solution with English forwards and Irish backs except the English forwards were two seasons past their sell by .


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[bazzaj]

Furthermore his tactics were two seasons past his sell by date.
He thought he could go there and bully them up front.
New Zealand more than matched that and introduced quick ball multiphase play which blew the Lions apart.

Woodward relied on English players and tactics when it was actually the Welsh that had won a slam that year in some style and given the All Blacks a game.
He completely ignored that and went with his favourites a mistake I hope Gatland won't repeat.
Also picked a side for the first test that hadn't played together before.

He was guilty of ignoring the traditional values of successful Lions tours.
I fervently believe that regardless of professionalism the Lions can still follow a blue print of success going back to the early 70s that creates a tight knit bond amongst players from all nations.
Minus the amount of alcohol.
Form must also be a bigger selection factor over reputation.
There can be no passengers in New Zealand.

[fuzzylogic]

To start a back row of Hill, Back, Corry in the first test was absolute suicide. Add to that playing Wilkinson as a 12. Disgraceful.

Never mind Mears v Du Plessis in 09, Vickery v Mtawarira was the killer.

[BaggyTrousers]

Why is this even a thread? We all know whats going to happen. Three quarters of the Wales team will go and Warburton will captain beacuse Gatland is a c unt. When they get hammered he will blaim the Irish for causing division in the squad.

You read it here first.

I hope you are right.

Fuc'kthelions

[jean valjean]

The tour is gonna need some serious player management. With a game every 3-4 days the subs will all see early introduction and the 7 who play the whole game will need to be managed well.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[bazzaj]

To start a back row of Hill, Back, Corry in the first test was absolute suicide. Add to that playing Wilkinson as a 12. Disgraceful.

Never mind Mears v Du Plessis in 09, Vickery v Mtawarira was the killer.

No the fact that there was a disparity in size between the smaller Mears and the sizeable Vickery created an imbalance and allowed Bismark and the Beast to effectively ignore Mears and gang up on Vickery.
Once the more sizeable Matthew Rees and Ross Ford were introduced not one Lions scrum budged an inch.
That included in the third test where Vickery even bettered the Beast (including Bismark) when scrummaging along side Ford.

Its to Vickerys absolute credit that he soley accepted blame never citing Mears but every front rower worth their salt would know the true reason for the damage done in the first half of the first test.
Note also Mears did not get a sniff of a game after that.

[bazzaj]

The tour is gonna need some serious player management. With a game every 3-4 days the subs will all see early introduction and the 7 who play the whole game will need to be managed well.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

That is the big issue.
You want enough players so they aren't over played but too many will lose the mportance of the togetherness and tightness a squad atmosphere generates.

I think no more than 40 and an extra cover per position seems about right.
Meaning an extra 3 front row 2 halfbacks 1 back row 1 second row and one extra outside back.

The importance of players being capable of playing more than one position will help immensely to alleviate squad pressure.
Thinking Itoje Daly Williams Farrell Warbuton Stander Hendy Lawes pom Robshaw sob all offer extra options in this regard giving them an edge in selection.

[againstthehead]

Seemingly the ABs will be available for the mid week games. If true then this is one of a tour as all the kiwi super rugby sides are playing fairly well.

[Rooster]

The tour is gonna need some serious player management. With a game every 3-4 days the subs will all see early introduction and the 7 who play the whole game will need to be managed well.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

That is the big issue.
You want enough players so they aren't over played but too many will lose the mportance of the togetherness and tightness a squad atmosphere generates.

I think no more than 40 and an extra cover per position seems about right.
Meaning an extra 3 front row 2 halfbacks 1 back row 1 second row and one extra outside back.

The importance of players being capable of playing more than one position will help immensely to alleviate squad pressure.
Thinking Itoje Daly Williams Farrell Warbuton Stander Hendy Lawes pom Robshaw sob all offer extra options in this regard giving them an edge in selection.

Not much point in bringing SOB on the tour as he will probably only last 1 match anyway