Watching the Lions

[BFG]

I thought the 14 All Blacks were in control until a few changes occurred in particular AWJ who clearly doesn't justify a place.
The English players did well in the main, Mako may get some comments against but IMO he along with a few others had a real go and gave the All Blacks a bit of their own stuff!
Regarding the last penalty, it'll be interesting to see how much jumping into tackles follows in the future.
Set up very nicely for the final test!

[drc_007]

The penalty count is getting ridiculous, the defence was good and they were containing NZ pretty well, so why give away so many stupid penalties?

[mol2]

Only saw a few minutes before going out and thought to myself:
"When is the ref going to do something about the All Blacks clearing out the rucks with their shoulders?"

It's just not as easy to clear out a ruck if you have to bind with your arms and drive over

[Jay C]

I thought the 14 All Blacks were in control until a few changes occurred in particular AWJ who clearly doesn't justify a place.
The English players did well in the main, Mako may get some comments against but IMO he along with a few others had a real go and gave the All Blacks a bit of their own stuff!

Agree with the first point, not so much on the second - you hurt the other team on the scoreboard, not with cheap shots on the floor...

Glass half empty view says we only just beat 14 men and only then because Barrett fluffed three pens.

On the plus side, we won the gain line contest today and scored two good tries. Plus the penalties were mostly dumb ones rather than cynical ones (preventing the opposition scoring 7, which the ABs did a couple of times last week...)

The ABs will play better next week, with 15 men (probably Crotty at 12?), so the Lions have to play with the same intensity but with a much lower penalty count or they cannot win. BB will likely not miss that many kicks again.

Take my hat off to Gats over the 10/12 selection though - I think it worked and expect it will be used again next week. Lawes for AWJ and Kruis/Henderson to the bench for the decider please. I think Mako/Itoje/Sinckler need to be spoken to about their penalty count/hot-headedness and our kicking from hand needs to be better as well. All minor quibbles but at this level they can be costly when done poorly.

Head still says ABs will win next week, but it's now a one-off, winner takes all, two horse race, so at least we can dream for a little while longer.

[drc_007]

British and Irish Lions flanker Sean O'Brien has been cited for an incident of dangerous play during the second Test victory over the All Blacks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40472057

[drc_007]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... Lions.html

Sonny Bill Williams has been banned for four weeks after his red card again the Lions in Wellington on Saturday.

[Phil B]

I watched the game live until near the middle of the second half, and then gave up, believing that this group of ill-disciplined Lions have absolutely no chance.

Checked the score, and I could not believe it.

Yes, I had little faith, and sadly there is nothing I have seen so far on this tour which suggests to me that the BIL are a better side, so I have no faith in us winning next Saturday's match either.

I hope I am proved totally and categorically wrong, but.....

[drc_007]

British and Irish Lions flanker Sean O’Brien is free to play in Saturday’s Test series decider against New Zealand after a citing complaint was dismissed

[fleabane]

A victory, but once again success is masking fallibility.

A bad penalty count was only mitigated by Barrett's poor kicking, and the ABs loss of a major attacking player allowed the Lions to make the best of some of the spaces created, but still the ABs were allowed to dominate parts of the game with 14 men on the pitch, in stark contrast to the start of the game when the Lions were on top.

Better discipline is essential. Hopefully the 10 / 12 combination will learn from the experience of playing together, and the players will all be available - except of course those six!

Let's see how each side reacts!

[Iain]

Can I buck the trend by being positive please?

The Lions won a test match in New Zealand against the mighty All Blacks!! That's brilliant!!

I enjoyed it enormously. Even with the red card, there was still a job to be done. And the Lions just about did enough, but that's all it takes. I for one am delighted

[BFG]

Can I buck the trend by being positive please?

The Lions won a test match in New Zealand against the mighty All Blacks!! That's brilliant!!

I enjoyed it enormously. Even with the red card, there was still a job to be done. And the Lions just about did enough, but that's all it takes. I for one am delighted

Were the Lions more or the All Blacks less though, I guess we will find out next time but either way it was a great result!
Still I'm left wondering what Johnny Gray or Joe Launchbury could add alongside young Itoje who was very impressive himself in the control to his game that he managed to show against the World Champions.
It's hugely positive from an English perspective given the English players that could match and even improve on this Lions squad in some cases, even Farrell looked good at 12 as a pivot that George Ford and the many talented English outside backs could flourish off!
As an Englisman I'm massively positive about the whole thing, Cole and Marler have not been run into the ground and in the bigger picture for England the likes of Sinckler is getting game time with the Lions as Genge did with England in Argentina.

[Chobbsy]

I thought the 14 All Blacks were in control until a few changes occurred in particular AWJ who clearly doesn't justify a place.
The English players did well in the main, Mako may get some comments against but IMO he along with a few others had a real go and gave the All Blacks a bit of their own stuff!
Regarding the last penalty, it'll be interesting to see how much jumping into tackles follows in the future.
Set up very nicely for the final test!

He didn't jump into the tackle, he jumped to catch the ball and was then hit in the air, an unfortunate penalty....but I will take it

[drc_007]

New Zealand team to face Lions: Jordie Barrett; Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read.

Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden, Malakai Fekitoa.

[Soggypitch]

A few players with not many caps, reckon we have a great chance on Saturday.
Everyone's saying we must resist the AB's blacklash but that's the wrong attitude, we can't go out there to hold them , we must attack them in every sense from the first whistle - can't afford to be passive in any way shape or form!!!

[G.K]

A few players with not many caps, reckon we have a great chance on Saturday.
Everyone's saying we must resist the AB's blacklash but that's the wrong attitude, we can't go out there to hold them , we must attack them in every sense from the first whistle - can't afford to be passive in any way shape or form!!!

Can't we attack them before the first whistle while they are doing their rain dance?