Māori All Blacks vs British and Irish Lions

[Billy Tell]

The most interesting selection for me is 10 for the Maoris. The conservative option is Black. The foolhardy option is West. The guns blazing option is DMac.

Would like to see an all out "attack mode" backline with

9. TTT
10. DMac
11. Lowe
12. Ngatai
13. Proctor
14. Ioane
15. NMS

[Bovidae]

@Billy-Tell I thought that NMS looked underdone against the Chiefs. Lowe ran around him a few times with ease. That said, I think they will still select him to start.

TKB will start at halfback.

[Billy Tell]

@Bovidae

Ah I didn't realise he was available,

Excellent news, he is most accurate boxkicker in NZ IMO, handy to have in the box of tricks.

[KiwiMurph]

Any chance after Hemopo's effort at lock last night he can be called into the squad?

[Bovidae]

The Maori team will be named at 2:30 pm tomorrow.

[ACT Crusader]

@Bovidae said in Māori All Blacks vs British and Irish Lions:

The Maori team will be named at 2:30 pm THURSDAY.

fixed

[Stargazer]

British & Irish Lions

1 Mako Vunipola – Saracens, England, #787
2 Jamie George – Saracens, England, #818
3 Tadhg Furlong – Leinster, Ireland, #817
4 Maro Itoje – Saracens, England, #825
5 George Kruis – Saracens, England, #819
6 Peter O’Mahony (capt) – Munster, Ireland, #833
7 Sean O’Brien – Leinster, Ireland, #796
8 Taulupe Faletau – Bath Rugby, Wales, #779
9 Conor Murray – Munster, Ireland, #790
10 Johnny Sexton – Leinster, Ireland, #791
11 George North – Northampton Saints, England, #792
12 Ben Te’o – Worcester Warriors, England, #815
13 Jonathan Davies – Scarlets, Wales, #778
14 Anthony Watson – Bath Rugby, England, #816
15 Leigh Halfpenny – Toulon, Wales, #775

Replacements
16 Ken Owens – Scarlets, Wales, #829
17 Jack McGrath – Leinster, Ireland, #827
18 Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins, England, #814
19 Iain Henderson – Ulster, Ireland, #808
20 Sam Warburton – Cardiff Blues, Wales, #800
21 Greig Laidlaw – Gloucester Rugby, Scotland, #810
22 Owen Farrell – Saracens, England, #780
23 Elliot Daly – Wasps, England, #822

http://www.lionsrugby.com/?p=17804

[antipodean]

That's very close to what I expect as their Test side. Don't expect Mako to start as his scrummaging isn't the best. Itoje hasn't done anything to justify the hype, let alone a Lions Test start. If they're opting for Te'o, they've given up any pretence at guile. I still expect Farrell to start. This could be a banana skin for Sexton.

[Bovidae]

So Gatland is reverting to a Saracens tight five.

We'll see who Cooper names in 2 h but based on last year the starting tight five should be obvious.

I expect the Maori to struggle in the scrum against the Lions. Hames will be OK but based on the performance of the Canes scrum the other 3 (Eves, May, Kainga) will be in for a long night. Renata might get in ahead of Kainga. Still, the 2005 Maori team had some issues in the scrum too but still functioned.

[antipodean]

@Bovidae It helped they had Hayman...

[Bovidae]

@antipodean And the Lions had Sheridan.

[taniwharugby]

@Bovidae but he was amaze-as, was gonna destroy us singlehandedly!

[Megweya]

@Bovidae

A bit off-topic, but as you have mentioned the jersey,
I'll mention the widespread appreciation of the gesture before the haka at the 2016 EOYT game at Munster of dedicating a jersey to 'Axel' Foley (AF) before the game.

[Bovidae]

@Megweya I watched that game live on TV. It was a nice touch to give the jersey to Foley's children.

[Bovidae]

All out attack eh?

The team is (*denotes new cap);

1. Kane Hames – Ta$man (Ngai Tuhoe/Ngati Porou)
2. Ash Dixon (captain) - Hawke’s Bay (Ngati Tahinga)
3. Ben May – Hawke’s Bay (Ngati Maniapoto/Tainui)
4. Joe Wheeler – Ta$man (Ngai Tahu)
5. Tom Franklin - Bay of Plenty (Ngati Maniapoto)
6. Akira Ioane – Auckland (Ngapuhi/Te Whanau a Apanui)
7. Elliot Dixon – Southland (Ngapuhi)
8. Liam Messam – Waikato (Ngai Tuhoe)
9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow – Waikato (Waikato/Ngati Maniapoto)
10. Damian McKenzie - Waikato (Ngati Tuwharetoa/Ngati Tahinga)
11. Rieko Ioane – Auckland (Ngapuhi/Te Whanau a Apanui)
12. Charlie Ngatai – Taranaki (Ngati Porou/Te Whanau a Apanui/Te Whakatohea)
13. Matt Proctor – Wellington (Ngapuhi/Ngaiterangi)
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder – Manawatu (Ngati Porou/Tapuika)
15. James Lowe – Ta$man (Ngapuhi/Ngai Te Rangi)

Reserves
16. Hikawera Elliot - Counties Manukau (Ngati Awa)
17. Chris Eves – Manawatu (Waikato/Tainui)
18. Marcel Renata – Auckland (Ngati Whanaunga/Te Aupouri
19. Leighton Price – Taranaki (Waikato/Ngati Maniapoto)
20. Kara Pryor – Northland (Ngati Awa/Ngati Pikiao/Ngati Rangitihi)
21. Bryn Hall* - North Harbour (Ngati Ranginui)
22. Ihaia West – Hawke’s Bay (Ngati Kahungunu/Ngati Porou)
23. Rob Thompson* - Canterbury (Ngati Kahungunu)

[KiwiMurph]

Cripes what a backline. Get your popcorn ready.

[chimoaus]

I would pay to see this team vs the AB's

Is this one of the strongest Maori sides ever? 8 with AB's experience is it?

[No Quarter]

Fark that backline is pure sex. Bring it on!!

@Crucial you get to see your boy at 10 now. I'm excited to see how he goes.

[Nepia]

That's actually the backline I'd pick. West will hopefully provide similar impact from the bench and Thompson has been going well this year.

[chimoaus]

@No-Quarter said in Māori All Blacks vs British and Irish Lions:

Fark that backline is pure sex. Bring it on!!

Why am I more excited to see this backline than the AB's tomorrow?