Liverpool FC Forum

by **LFC #1** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:57 am

Well what can I say, the Lions didn't even turn up. Woodward's selections backfired majorly - Robsinson and wilkinson had poor games, and the supposed strength of the lions game the forwards, was well and truly kept under control by the All Blacks.

the Lions lineout was terrible - 10 against the throw! and the kicking game of Jones and Wilkinson was poor. Much work needed if they are going to seriously challenge the All Blacks in this series, who were by far and away the better team.

:rasp

by **JBG** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:01 pm

I haven't seen the game but Wilkinson isn't match fit and Jason Robinson is so out of form that he shouldn't have travelled.

Clive Woodward brought too many over the hill English players with him. Wales won the grand slam last year and Ireland have been improving strongly vis a vis England and France in recent years, and IMO more players from these two countries should have started.

by **84-1106852058** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:52 pm

Shut up Scott, or Ill tell your Mum your getting a tattoo. :rasp

by **LFC #1** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:57 pm

I have already told her.

by **JBG** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:43 pm

You're getting a tattoo of your mum?

by **babu** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:54 pm

I thought wilkinson did ok in the position he played. problem was, IMO, that woodward was planning on a close game. having a left foot right foot kicking options from a scrum for a field goal. problems was his fowards where not on the park, and during lineouts they weren't even in the country. which meant kickin the ball (not into touch) back at the opposition (against one of the best counter attacking sides in the world) was disasterous. unbelievebly though the same strategy was played in the second half.

Johny W
I actually think NZ did not play as good as they should. They had majority of line out wins which meant if they wanted to go for position they could. they did not capitalise that advantage enough.

by **116-1104673748** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:56 pm

The Red Baron wrote:Shut up Scott, or Ill tell your Mum your getting a tattoo.

Come on.Prove him wrong.That way,your mum will appreciate you telling the truth.
Don't get a tattoo,get TWO tattoos.That way,you're not lying.

by **LFC #1** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:57 pm

I think the weather may have slightly hindered our chances of making it a absolute thrashing. However Carter's kicking game was not up to scratch, whcih meant we didn't always capitalise on our possession in terms of keeeping the Lions pinned in their 22.

Was still pleased with the All Blacks though, first real competitive game and they looked well up for it.

by **babu** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:03 pm

LFC 1#, i agree. but hardly a display that would make even England or even Aus quack in their in their boots. yes the weather had was bad. but when is, it not in christchurch or dunedin?

by **stmichael** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:13 am

i can't believe i got up at seven in the morning to watch that dross. it's going to take nothing short of a miracle to turn this around now. losing to the all blacks is never a disgrace but the manner of the lions performance was a major cause for concern.

we were almost amateurish in most aspects of our game. the lineout was abysmal, we made poor decisions and made too many basic errors, despite the conditions. i think next week will see a few notable changes in personnel.

of course all i've listened to over the past few days is the inevitable welsh fans bleating on about how more welsh players should have been playing (like that would have made any difference whatsoever). it doesn't matter who's on the pitch, you can't play without the ball, and the lions found this out to their detriment on saturday.

finally, the fact that there is going to be nothing done about the double illegal spear tackle on o'driscoll is an absolute disgrace. :angry:

by **LFC #1** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:24 am

The O'Driscoll tackle was the only sour note in a fine New Zealand performance. Even if O'Driscoll had played it woouldn't have made nay difference, however that is not the point, action should definitley be taken.

It did surprise me though because Mealamu and Umaga are not dirty players, although Umaga was a bit underhanded in the Lions game, he did an illegal trip as well which was not noticed.

by **stmichael** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:29 am

If you ask me, the most serious damage was to the standing of rugby in the Northern Hemisphere because this first Test accentuated a crucial difference between the two teams and the two traditions. New Zealand rugby is very much skills-based. It's about deft handling and fluent running, about managing and exploiting the possibilities of the pitch. Our rugby is method-based. Skill is secondary. The Lions looked clumsy and pre-programmed to me. This is New Zealand's spiritual connection to Brazilian football: skill is obligatory.

With Welsh creativity on the margins, the Lions have revived the old southern stereotype of the home unions 'plodding' from set-piece to set-piece, relying on brute strength to smother the artistry of more adventurous nations.

As Woodward owned up last night to "a couple of errors" in selection, and vowed to "put them right for the weekend", an international search party should have headed out to determine what ever happened to the great England team of 2003. That immortal night in Sydney was not the start of something. It was the end.

by **Big Niall** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:09 pm

1ng pr1cks taking O'Driscoll out. Taking no action against them is :censored:

. How can you take out the oppositions captain in such a way in the first minute and get away with it.

:censored:

.

Those

1ng all blacks doing their little dance before the game. Few of them are even Maori, whats next, the Aussies doing an aborigine dance?

by **woof woof !** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 7:36 pm

Must admit this whole haka thing is a pain in the ar'se , if I was the oppo coach i'd tell my lads to get their knobs out and take a pi'ss on the half way line.

:cool:

by **Woollyback** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:16 pm

rugby does nowt for me but the haka is brilliant

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