Highlanders v British & Irish Lions, June 13

First topic message reminder :

Highlanders v British & Irish Lions
13 June 2017
KO: 19:35 NZST (8.35am BST)
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Live on Sky Sports, Sky Sports HD and SkyGo

Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Touch judges: [tbc]
TMO: [tbc]

A. FORM:

18 June 2005: Otago 19 - 30 British & Irish Lions

5 June 1993: Otago 37 - 24 British & Irish Lions

8 June 1977: Otago 17 - 12 British & Irish Lions

B. TEAMS:

Highlanders 
01. Daniel Lienert-Brown
02. Liam Coltman
03. Siate Tokolahi
04. Alex Ainley
05. Jackson Hemopo
06. Gareth Evans
07. Dillon Hunt
08. Luke Whitelock (C)

09. Kayne Hammington
10. Lima Sopoaga
11. Tevita Li
12. Teihorangi Walden
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Waisake Naholo
15. Richard Buckman

16. Greg Pleasants-Tate
17. Aki Seiuli
18. Siosuia Halanukonuka
19. Josh Dickson
20. Jimmy Lentjes
21. Josh Renton
22. Marty Banks
23. Patrick Osborne

British & Irish Lions
15 Jared Payne – Ulster, Ireland, #830
14 Jack Nowell – Exeter Chiefs, England, #828
13 Jonathan Joseph – Bath Rugby, England, #809
12 Robbie Henshaw – Leinster, Ireland, #824
11 Tommy Seymour – Glasgow Warriors, Scotland, #813
10 Dan Biggar – Ospreys, Wales, #821
9 Rhys Webb – Ospreys, Wales, #820

1 Joe Marler – Harlequins, England, #811
2 Rory Best – Ulster, Ireland, #793
3 Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins, England, #814
4 Courtney Lawes – Northampton Saints, England, #826
5 Iain Henderson – Ulster, Ireland, #808
6 James Haskell – Wasps, England, #823
7 Sam Warburton (capt) – Cardiff Blues, Wales, #800
8 CJ Stander – Munster, Ireland, #831

16 Ken Owens – Scarlets, Wales, #829
17 Jack McGrath – Leinster, Ireland, #827
18 Dan Cole – Leicester Tigers, England, #794
19 Alun Wyn Jones – Ospreys, Wales, #761
20 Justin Tipuric – Ospreys, Wales, #786
21 Greig Laidlaw – Gloucester Rugby, Scotland, #810
22 Owen Farrell – Saracens, England, #780
23 Elliot Daly – Wasps, England, #822

Warbs is fit!

Three dropped balls from Payne. Not Lions standard.

We need an Irish try now for a Home Nations full house.

Biggar needs to come off, his passing is starting to go everywhere

Henderson though with some big carries in the build up to that try, having a pretty good game so far

LordDowlais wrote:Dan Cole and Ken Owens on, what an upgrade to have on the bench.

Given the form of the starters, that's debatable, especially at tighthead

That has to be Payne no not seen as a test 15 for the Lions...

BamBam wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Dan Cole and Ken Owens on, what an upgrade to have on the bench.

Given the form of the starters, that's debatable, especially at tighthead

Not to mention that the scrum which the Lions had the advantage in is now starting to go backwards

Outstanding from Henderson

Too many pens given away by Lions but great rucking on 5m line turnover & kicked out by Laidlaw.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Some people say interceptions are lucky but Tommy Seymour gets a ridiculous number of them - great to hear he's got one today

Eddie Jones would disagree with the first statement. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2017/01/21/eddie-jones-expects-visual-awareness-coach-bring-bryan-habana/

Pen given away at lineout by awj

And that leads to good push over try by Highlanders forwards

Great from Henderson, its excellent to have a second row on the field who can hit with real power at the ruck

eirebilly wrote:

owen10ozzy wrote:Slow out of the blocks.....ball given away cheaply (another intercepted pass) during our first real attackinh break...Getting knocked on our arse plenty in the tackling...

That about sums it up so far...also can someone enlighten me as to what Jack Nowell brings to the team?  He seems like the James Milner of International Rugby...i.e. works hard but brings little else to the table...

Nowell is a very hard working winger. I think he offers a lot in attack.

This looks a try for Webb at the least, maybe for Seymour as well...

Nowell does have good all round attributes and is an attacking threat ...but he isnt one of thos eplayers who can just make tries out of relatively inoucuous situations through sheer pace, skill and reading the game like Watson, Seymour, Daly and Hogg. Those are the sorts of players the Lions will have to look to if they are going to match the All Blacks on the try count rather than choking the game and having 3 goal kickers argue over who takes the penalties.
The backs have got into this game at least and kept the scoreboard operator awake, but its relied on individual brilliance as much as any coached plan or well executed passages of play.

Some positive signs but there needs to be another step up for the tests.

Converted 20-22

Wow...hammered again! Our pack has been decimated at times today...physically in the ruck..maul and the tackles we have been 2nd best! Isnt that supposed to be our strength?

robbo277 wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Some people say interceptions are lucky but Tommy Seymour gets a ridiculous number of them - great to hear he's got one today

Eddie Jones would disagree with the first statement. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2017/01/21/eddie-jones-expects-visual-awareness-coach-bring-bryan-habana/

Worth saying I'm not 'some people' - I think it is all about skill and anticipation and Seymour is fantastic with it. He has a ridiculous number of interceptions for both Glasgow and Scotland, and is rarely caught in no mans land by going for ones he was never due to get.

Scrum pen given against a puzzled Cole

Dare I say that the front row has looked poor without Best and Sinckler?

I think the players to go off early are being looked at for the bench this weekend and possibly the test bench? So Sinckler, Best and Webb will probably be on the bench for the Maori, so Gatland wants to rest them up now.

LordDowlais wrote:Dan Cole and Ken Owens on, what an upgrade to have on the bench.

This upgrades working a treat

Daly on for Payne takes a catch over his head & calls mark

Some good pressure & handling from 3/4s earns a pen for the Lions

I am sorry Welsh fans but Dan Biggar really is theatrical...

marty2086 wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Dan Cole and Ken Owens on, what an upgrade to have on the bench.

This upgrades working a treat

Bad miss for Farrell. Not like him at all.

Tips on for Warbs, Farrell for Biggar.

Farrell takes kick & the jeers from the crowd see it just miss

I would be mightly worried if I was Gatland that we have been outmuscled today and mostly during key moments in the game...although that said it isnt our straight starting front row.

Since Webb went off we have looked all at sea for the most part..Laidlaw im afraid wont be getting near the test sides.

We are now almost at the conclusion of the 4th game and I have to say the improvements arent coming quick enough for me in terms of getting to the 1st test in good enough form to trouble NZ.

Whilst many will say we have yet to line up with our full 15 its also important to remember that each of our opponents have lined up without their 1st teams yet all have given us extremely tough games and troubled us far too often.

Shocked to see Farrell miss that !

I see the V2 trolls are out again.

I was only pointing out the quality we have on the bench, yet you two just want to troll rather than talk about the game.

Typical.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:Scrum pen given against a puzzled Cole

Bizarre decision with the Highlands LH going straight to the deck unable to support his own weight, I can see why he's aggrieved. Payne and Henderson very average by standards needed (sorry Ulster fans).

AWJ carries into trouble & maul forms & he is turned over.

Scott Quinell saying Warburton has had a good game

owen10ozzy wrote:I would be mightly worried if I was Gatland that we have been outmuscled today and mostly during key moments in the game...although that said it isnt our straight starting front row.

Since Webb went off we have looked all at sea for the most part..Laidlaw im afraid wont be getting near the test sides.

We are now almost at the conclusion of the 4th game and I have to say the improvements arent coming quick enough for me in terms of getting to the 1st test in good enough form to trouble NZ.

Whilst many will say we have yet to line up with our full 15 its also important to remember that each of our opponents have lined up without their 1st teams yet all have given us extremely tough games and troubled us far too often.

I agree with much of this, but both the Blues and Crusaders had their first choice sides out, this is the first game where the All Blacks have been pulled out of the squad (Maori squad members too)

Not sure that makes it any better!

LordDowlais wrote:I see the V2 trolls are out again.

I was only pointing out the quality we have on the bench, yet you two just want to troll rather than talk about the game.

Typical.

No, you were being snide and it backfired

Really could have done with that penalty

marty2086 wrote:Scott Quinell saying Warburton has had a good game

No surprises there & no surprise to hear Barnes the Buffoon agreeing with him

Lions trying to give this away......

Also we'll need replacements;

Launchbury and Care

owen10ozzy wrote:I would be mightly worried if I was Gatland that we have been outmuscled today and mostly during key moments in the game...although that said it isnt our straight starting front row.

Since Webb went off we have looked all at sea for the most part..Laidlaw im afraid wont be getting near the test sides.

We are now almost at the conclusion of the 4th game and I have to say the improvements arent coming quick enough for me in terms of getting to the 1st test in good enough form to trouble NZ.

Whilst many will say we have yet to line up with our full 15 its also important to remember that each of our opponents have lined up without their 1st teams yet all have given us extremely tough games and troubled us far too often.

I know what you mean. Saturday will be the real acid test. Near enough a Lions test 23 against tough opposition a week before the test series. It will be the tests guys last run-out, less than a good-looking win for the Lions will be a worry.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Scott Quinell saying Warburton has had a good game

No surprises there & no surprise to hear Barnes the Buffoon agreeing with him

He was very quiet in the first half but he was certainly very good for the time he was on in the second half.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:AWJ carries into trouble & maul forms & he is turned over.

It only becomes a maul though when Cole joins though which is utter stupidity

Lol

Lions get tickled up in the scrum and throw their toys

Big scrum for the Highlanders there turnover & pen

Dan Cole has again been outmuscled. He has had no impact since he came on.

eirebilly wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Scott Quinell saying Warburton has had a good game

No surprises there & no surprise to hear Barnes the Buffoon agreeing with him

He was very quiet in the first half but he was certainly very good for the time he was on in the second half.

No he was visible in the second half, its only in comparison to the first half was he very good

Frustrating ... Two tries to one since HT but behind now with five minutes left...

23-22 with 6 to go

The Highlanders replacements having far more impact than the Lions replacements.

Too many mistakes by the Lions. Just not clinical enough.

BamBam wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I see the V2 trolls are out again.

I was only pointing out the quality we have on the bench, yet you two just want to troll rather than talk about the game.

Typical.

No, you were being snide and it backfired

FFS.

I'm still struggling to understand how AWJ is on tour instead of Launchbury.