2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia
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@Dan54 said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Jet anyone who think it's the Lions fans only etc are being very selective. The biggest frustration is probably what we are on. Every Joe blog who watches about 20 minutes of rugby a year, can watch parts of games and decide what they want about results, and scream about it on the internet. Backed up by tv stations and comments people who love controversy to get people watching or listening. Pointing out only Lions supporters when we saw the absolute whinge fest we had from us kiwis after 2007 WC , or any other supporters means perhaps you are missing a lot. You remember the French ref stopping Wallabies for taking to long to kick ball out in test a couple of years back, but in general were pretty quiet with Tupaea's knee getting wrecked in same test. Mate it's almost all sports, and teams that I have seen.
I wasn't referring to Lions fans only.
I mean the sport and audiences in general.
Things being sacrosanct until they arent is what gets me......and then vested interests (fans,pundits) hand waving it away.
SBW getting red against the Lions..fair.....Mako Vunipola smashing a prone Beauden Barrett in the face...yellow only.
I watched our captain get sent off in a World Cup final for a static tackle that didnt invalid the recipient.
Kolisi gets yellow for a tackle on Savea thats at least equal, if not worse in the same game.I watched Dan Sheehan exocet himself into a ruck elbow first connecting with Lynaghs head.
Lynagh fails HIA.TMO nowhere to be seen.
Taavao gets red for knocking himself out tackling Ringrose.
Porter gets yellow for breaking Retallicks orbital bone.I could go on and on.
I feel like im being gaslit by refs, TMO's, pundits, other teams fans and the judiciary.
Winks and nods once your team gets the rub. Obfuscate and never give an inch.
I think we are getting close to Rugby having no sporting integrity. A roulette wheel week to week.
The man in the middle is the most important person on the field now....they used to be faceless and nameless drones.Now they write books.
@Jet said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Dan54 said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Jet anyone who think it's the Lions fans only etc are being very selective. The biggest frustration is probably what we are on. Every Joe blog who watches about 20 minutes of rugby a year, can watch parts of games and decide what they want about results, and scream about it on the internet. Backed up by tv stations and comments people who love controversy to get people watching or listening. Pointing out only Lions supporters when we saw the absolute whinge fest we had from us kiwis after 2007 WC , or any other supporters means perhaps you are missing a lot. You remember the French ref stopping Wallabies for taking to long to kick ball out in test a couple of years back, but in general were pretty quiet with Tupaea's knee getting wrecked in same test. Mate it's almost all sports, and teams that I have seen.
I wasn't referring to Lions fans only.
I mean the sport and audiences in general.
Things being sacrosanct until they arent is what gets me......and then vested interests (fans,pundits) hand waving it away.
SBW getting red against the Lions..fair.....Mako Vunipola smashing a prone Beauden Barrett in the face...yellow only.
I watched our captain get sent off in a World Cup final for a static tackle that didnt invalid the recipient.
Kolisi gets yellow for a tackle on Savea thats at least equal, if not worse in the same game.I watched Dan Sheehan exocet himself into a ruck elbow first connecting with Lynaghs head.
Lynagh fails HIA.TMO nowhere to be seen.
Taavao gets red for knocking himself out tackling Ringrose.
Porter gets yellow for breaking Retallicks orbital bone.I could go on and on.
I feel like im being gaslit by refs, TMO's, pundits, other teams fans and the judiciary.
Winks and nods once your team gets the rub. Obfuscate and never give an inch.
I think we are getting close to Rugby having no sporting integrity. A roulette wheel week to week.
The man in the middle is the most important person on the field now....they used to be faceless and nameless drones.Now they write books.
And gift Jerseys to retiring players.
Games gone.
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Attendances and audiences in Australia for the Lions tour. It all suggests the tour was a massive success.
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I enjoyed the games a lot, which as someone who wanted both teams to lose says something about the quality. And the fact there was some controversy is even better.
Looking back, I have to think Aussie were robbed of a series win with the non-penalty in the second Test
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I enjoyed the games a lot, which as someone who wanted both teams to lose says something about the quality. And the fact there was some controversy is even better.
Looking back, I have to think Aussie were robbed of a series win with the non-penalty in the second Test
@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
I enjoyed the games a lot, which as someone who wanted both teams to lose says something about the quality. And the fact there was some controversy is even better.
Looking back, I have to think Aussie were robbed of a series win with the non-penalty in the second Test
Second time a south Pacific Lions series has been decided by a dubious reffing decision
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I enjoyed the games a lot, which as someone who wanted both teams to lose says something about the quality. And the fact there was some controversy is even better.
Looking back, I have to think Aussie were robbed of a series win with the non-penalty in the second Test
@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
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I enjoyed the games a lot, which as someone who wanted both teams to lose says something about the quality. And the fact there was some controversy is even better.
Looking back, I have to think Aussie were robbed of a series win with the non-penalty in the second Test
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@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
the non-penalty in the second Test
That being the grass cutter tackle by the pom right? Followed by a red card and penalty try.
@Bones said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
the non-penalty in the second Test
That being the grass cutter tackle by the pom right? Followed by a red card and penalty try.
That too, was a crap call. Nothing worse than taking the time to look at it and still get it wrong
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@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game**. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade**. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
Rubbish, missile cleanouts get penalised all the time, just not in the last minute by the looks of things
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@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game**. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade**. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
Rubbish, missile cleanouts get penalised all the time, just not in the last minute by the looks of things
Well they didn't much in the first 20 minutes when Aus were all over us. I was watching a review, might have been Squidgy, can't remember and there were quite a few that were almost identical to THAT clearout. Not a peep from anyone - not even Squidgy (if it was him).
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Well they didn't much in the first 20 minutes when Aus were all over us. I was watching a review, might have been Squidgy, can't remember and there were quite a few that were almost identical to THAT clearout. Not a peep from anyone - not even Squidgy (if it was him).
@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Well they didn't much in the first 20 minutes when Aus were all over us. I was watching a review, might have been Squidgy, can't remember and there were quite a few that were almost identical to THAT clearout. Not a peep from anyone - not even Squidgy (if it was him).
Short version is two wrongs don't make a right. But the main difference is they didn't get reviewed, so when you take the time to review it, you should get to the right decision.
It's not a good argument to say they messed it up in all these other places too.
Should just go back to the law where you have to bind with another player to join a ruck like that, suck the forwards back into one area and get more space for the backs. If we are really worried about player health, a jackel with their head down getting smashed with some joining a ruck with downward momentum seems way more dangerous that accidentally touching someones head in a tackle.
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@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game**. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade**. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
Rubbish, missile cleanouts get penalised all the time, just not in the last minute by the looks of things
@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@sparky said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
@Kirwan Yes 100% to the first bit, but less so to the second paragraph.
I thought the Sheehan try was the most dubious one in that game**. The Morgan clear out is the sort of thing that happens all the time and hasn't been penalised at the top level in a decade**. Poor Australian defence was the main reason they lost that second Test.
Rubbish, missile cleanouts get penalised all the time, just not in the last minute by the looks of things
But regardless it was still poor defence that let in the last try. 5-6 players standing behind the ruck or whatever it was is the reason Keenen scored. Perhaps one of Wallabies biggest weakness (and I know I keep saying it) is how passive they get on defence. I bet Schmidt works on it quite a bit, it's just a mental thing.
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@Catogrande said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Well they didn't much in the first 20 minutes when Aus were all over us. I was watching a review, might have been Squidgy, can't remember and there were quite a few that were almost identical to THAT clearout. Not a peep from anyone - not even Squidgy (if it was him).
Short version is two wrongs don't make a right. But the main difference is they didn't get reviewed, so when you take the time to review it, you should get to the right decision.
It's not a good argument to say they messed it up in all these other places too.
Should just go back to the law where you have to bind with another player to join a ruck like that, suck the forwards back into one area and get more space for the backs. If we are really worried about player health, a jackel with their head down getting smashed with some joining a ruck with downward momentum seems way more dangerous that accidentally touching someones head in a tackle.
@Kirwan I can't refute any of that, what you say makes sense to me both on a player safety angle and in potentially making the game a bit more open. However...
@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Rubbish, missile cleanouts get penalised all the time, just not in the last minute by the looks of things
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I hope you aren’t expecting me to be consistent with my arguments?
Was still a penalty though.
@Kirwan said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:
I hope you aren’t expecting me to be consistent with my arguments?
This both made me laugh and so resonated with me. Maybe it is age - I have been on here for decades - but I am appreciating the unfiltered, yet amazingly sane commentary (from many but especially the old-timers) so much.
