[Archived] THE LIONS!

[Blueboy Downunder]

For those that are interested. I got to say that there are some shocks both ways, as the squad was announced this morning.Sean maitland from glasgow was selected but this guy has ony started playing in scotland this season.had he stayed in NZ and not signed with glasgow then i think he would never have been thought of as a member of the lions squad. matt stevens retired from engand duty in the last 12 months so that is a bolter.

no surprise at all with the captain. fully deserved in my book.

what are people's thoughts?

COME ON LIONSSSSS!!

[ABBEY]

Rather watch burnley is my thought pal .

[Audax]

See it's a big news story making the rounds.

[blue_n_white99]

The Aussie sporting press have slated the selection, no surprise there:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/oval-talk/aussie-media-blasts-lions-squad-slab-red-meat-180351850.html

It looks a good squad to me, although the Stevens choice is a little strange.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/10029310/Matt-Stevens-admits-shock-at-call-up-to-British-and-Irish-Lions-squad.html

Abbey you would rather watch dingles or fat lads in hemets and armour, shame on you SIR!!!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Rugby union's not really my cup of tea. Too much kicking and not enough running and passing for my liking.

[old darwen blue]

Personally think rugby union very similar to American football, not enough flowing play and its always stop start with constant scrums

[Baz]

Personally think rugby union very similar to American football, not enough flowing play and its always stop start with constant scrums

Depends on the quality of the teams and the conditions. If its cold and wet its all kicking, warm and sunny makes for a much better running game. Personally, I think the problem with the sport is twofold, firstly in the vast majority of games there is a massive difference between the teams, and unlike football where you can be awful and stay in a game until last 10 mins, this happens rarely in rugby. Secondly in tight games now the referees calls are the difference between winning or losing, the Wales-England game in the 6 nations was like that, the referee just didn't like the way the English were scrumming so gave a lot of penalties against them for innocuous offences, which gave Wales a lot of points (Wales did deserve to win, but the referee took the challenge away in some ways). In football a bad referee can get key decisions wrong, but i do think thats mistakes not decisions based on opinions.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The refereeing in union is another reason I don't like the game. They want to be part of the show and are always giving inexplicable decisions.

[jim mk2]

Went to Twickers once. There was a series of scrums on the far corner of the pitch and did not see the ball for more than 15 minutes !

Victory for the Lions over the convicts would be most pleasing and of course if we lose we can blame the Welsh.

Win-win all round really.

[ABBEY]

So it's ok to be derogatory towards the Australian folk but when it's against Muslims you have a hissy , how does that work

[jim mk2]

Convicts is a term of endearment. Cannot recall the last time I made a comment about Muslims (cue stalker using search facility). Please explain.

Anyway, back to the rugger....

[Gav]

The Loins v anyone is a great sporting occasion, and I for one can’t wait, I’d love to go but can’t make this one sadly.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeah it's great to watch if you're having trouble sleeping. Works every time for me.

[blue_n_white99]

Depends on the quality of the teams and the conditions. If its cold and wet its all kicking, warm and sunny makes for a much better running game. Personally, I think the problem with the sport is twofold, firstly in the vast majority of games there is a massive difference between the teams, and unlike football where you can be awful and stay in a game until last 10 mins, this happens rarely in rugby. Secondly in tight games now the referees calls are the difference between winning or losing, the Wales-England game in the 6 nations was like that, the referee just didn't like the way the English were scrumming so gave a lot of penalties against them for innocuous offences, which gave Wales a lot of points (Wales did deserve to win, but the referee took the challenge away in some ways). In football a bad referee can get key decisions wrong, but i do think thats mistakes not decisions based on opinions.

The ref had nothing to do with that result, we were played off the park by Wales, it was a men against boys scenario, and we were a very poor second best. Adam Jones tore the arse outta our scrum and then some, we were penalised because our scrummage was gash.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The ref had nothing to do with that result, we were played off the park by Wales, it was a men against boys scenario, and we were a very poor second best. Adam Jones tore the arse outta our scrum and then some, we were penalised because our scrummage was gash.

I'm not a fan and I don't have white eyes but I thought that the referee had bit of an agenda going on. By all accounts he'd been suspended previously for rowing with the England coaching staff. It looked like pay back time to me. Wales played well but you can do when you're getting marched down the field by the guy in the middle.

[blue_n_white99]

I'm not a fan and I don't have white eyes but I thought that the referee had bit of an agenda going on. By all accounts he'd been suspended previously for rowing with the England coaching staff. It looked like pay back time to me. Wales played well but you can do when you're getting marched down the field by the guy in the middle.

Tyrone I am an out and out England fan, but whatever spin the England coaching staff put on it, we were well bossed in all areas of the game. Our scrum made it very easy for Steve Walsh to penalise us, that was down to Welsh pressure and our front row not being up to task, not a refereeing agenda. It pains me massively to admit the druids did us fair and square, but they did.

[jim mk2]

Walsh is from New Zealand. All the southern hemisphere nations and many of the northern too love to get one over England. Enough said.

[RoyRover]

I'm looking foward to The Lions I must admit. I'm a big fan of it and have followed the last number of tours closely. I think that the core of this team is what most people would have gone for and with every squad that's picked you can question the inclusion of some players and be mystified at the exclusion of others. This squad is no different. I was shocked to see Matt Stevens in there. I didn't think Dylan Hartly deserved to go over Rory Best. Paul O'Connell, Richie Gray and Tommy Bowe, as good as they are, have been picked on reputation, rather than form. I'm surprised that only two number 10's have gone, but am happy that Johnny Wilkinson did the right thing and turned it down.

If I was picking my test 15 (based on form and known ability) right now it would be.

Halfpenny, Bowe, O'Driscoll, Tuilagi, North, Farrell, Phillips, Healy, Youngs, Jones, Parling, O'Connell, Warbuton, Heaslip, Tipuric

Walsh is from New Zealand. All the southern hemisphere nations and many of the northern too love to get one over England. Enough said.

Yep, Walsh scored all 30+ points.

[jim mk2]

I'm

Yep, Walsh scored all 30+ points.

Worst display of biased refereeing i have ever seen. Walsh was determined to get England, and he succeeded.

[blue_n_white99]

Worst display of biased refereeing i have ever seen. Walsh was determined to get England, and he succeeded.

Absolute @#/?

Below are two separate independent reports on the match, both are total in their admiration of the Welsh victory. Man up and admit the better team won on the day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21778425

http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_report/0,,11069_56282_1,00.html

[jim mk2]

The better team won but Walsh is a biased referee who like many in the rugby world has a chip on his shoulder against England.

[Baz]

The ref had nothing to do with that result, we were played off the park by Wales, it was a men against boys scenario, and we were a very poor second best. Adam Jones tore the arse outta our scrum and then some, we were penalised because our scrummage was gash.

I did say it didn't affect the result and Wales deserved to win. I said the referee gave a lot of decisions based on opinion, not fact, and that is symptomatic of union from what I have seen, and in which case it can in closer battles affect the result considerably. In football a referee can alter a result undoubtably, but only on mistaken decisions, not really decisions made on opinion.

[Blueboy Downunder]

Yeah it's great to watch if you're having trouble sleeping. Works every time for me.

all lions games are on at a good time of day GMT.

[Blueboy Downunder]

i did the last lions tour in OZ and i do say that the roughn house tactics from the aussies was a massive factor. nathan grey belting the shyster out of ronan o'gara nowhere near the ball was horrible.add to that the blatent late hit on richard hill in melbourne. i think and hope that this version of the lions is up for the task and that the design to bulldoze the aussies actually comes to fruition.

[ABBEY]

all lions games are on at a good time of day GMT.

Good I will be asleep