Brumbies v British & Irish Lions
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A cold Wednesday night in a shithole stadium in a shithole town. The things I do to provide you with a report from the ground.
Lions predictable winners. But made to work hard for it against a gutsy effort from a bunch of no-names and a couple of debutants.
JGP was very, very average. In comparison to Mitchell he looks decidedly third rate. As does Bundee Aki. On form Farrell would have to have an aneurysm to select them for the first Test. Lowe not much better - does he know he can dive at the line?
Chessum went well. Curry was invisible from the stands.
Ryan Lonergan should be a Wallaby. How Schmidt prefers Nic White beggars belief.
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@antipodean how was that Bruce Stadium wind tunnel tonight…..
Overall a decent game from a number of Lions players that should be in the mix. Agree on JGP, he’s too erratic and actually stifled some good ball.
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A good win but a strangely unsatisfactory one, hats off though to a throroughly committed Brumbies side. Larkham had, unsurprisingly, done his homework and knew that teh Lions were not committing to teh ruck and attacked that successfully all game, why we didn't wake up to that quicker is a matter of concern.
Anyway from this Lions fan a view on the personnel that have either advanced their case for the test side or otherwise;
Putting their hands up:
Ringrose.
Russell
Mitchell
Conan
Chessum
Itoje
Sheehan
GengeTreading water:
Gibson-Park
Smith M
Freeman
Aki
Curry
McCarthy
Furlong
Kinghorn
Pollock
Porter
Stuart
HansenGoing backwards:
Lowe
JVdF
Kelleher -
Curry didn't have much of a highlights real but his workmate was immense. On the comms, Warbirton was very complimentary. However I feel that he has shown that he is now a 6 that can fill in at 7 rather than an out and out 7. Morgan or Pollock for the test 7 for me.
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@Catogrande the way the Brumbies play at the breakdown, for me this would’ve suited the best #7 in the squad, Morgan.
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@Dodge said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
Haven’t seen the game but being isolated at the breakdown again feels like a team problem not a simple back row personnel problem. Heard Haskell talking about this on GBR and am inclined to agree.
Whilst @ACT-Crusader has a point about Morgan being the best out and out 7 so far, I don't think substituting Curry or JDvF for that matte, for him would have solved that particular problem. This has been a recurring theme whether Morgan has been playing or not.
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@sparky said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
Only seen highlights but the Marcus Smith try looked like it was off a forward pass.
I thought so too at the ground, but given some odd refereeing decisions around "held up" I thought it evened the ledger somewhat for the Lions.
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@antipodean said in Brumbies v British & Irish Lions:
Chessum went well.
I don't think he is mobile enough to be a 6, as was seen in the Creighton try from the scrum.
Credit to the Brumbies who went down swinging.
