The Rugby Thread

[Cormack74]

I reckon Nowell will grab a couple. He has a truly **** game every now and then before looking like a world beater for the next 10.

He had the **** one last week so hopefully it's out of the way for the rest of the tour.

[Irishnev]

[ame="https://twitter.com/bbcsport/status/874493716865658880"]https://twitter.com/bbcsport/status/874493716865658880[/ame]

Sorry Buzzo - your only test chance gone! I wonder will Mike Brown get the call

[Buzzo]

Gutted for him.

He was so delighted to have the opportunity.

C'mon Tommy, score some try's and you've a chance...!

[RichC]

Seymour has been bloody woeful this first half. We've missed too many tackles so far today as well allowing them to break the game line way too often.

[RichC]

Good on Seymour!! He was poor first half but that was a great try

[Buzzo]

Should have had one in the first half too.

[Buzzo]

The Highlanders 10 was trying that cross field kick an insane amount of times.

[Buzzo]

Farrell comes on and instantly wants to takes a pen with his first kick and misses. He should have left it to Laidaw.

Costly. The Highlanders get a pen, and take the lead.

[RichC]

Farrells kicking has been a little patchy so far and still have him starting at 10 with Joseph and maybe Tao in the central spots

[Buzzo]

His kicking has been a bit dodgy, though warmed up he would surely have slotted it? Going on to take a huge kick like that cold was a massive call, a bit arrogant and ultimately a mistake.

Laidlaw would definitely have kicked it I think he has the highest GK average in International Rugby. I think in either scenario (the kick going over) then between Laidlaw and Farrell they would have seen the game out. The miss gave the Highlanders impetus.

The halfback and centre combinations are really tricky ones. I think Gatland will play Davies (Welsh). I am starting to think he may play Murray and Farrell and 9 and 10 with JJ or T'eo at 12 and Davies at 13.

I have a feeling he will play Willams and North on the wings, I think Williams is in good form, but North is touring on reputation. The worst position on a Gatland team is on the wing though, with the centres instructed to crash through the middle getting any ball or consistent ball is pretty unlikely. Halfpenny is amazingly a shoe in for Full Back now.

Much as I love Laidlaw, he is clearly the third choice Scrum Half, and I cant see Tommy Seymour getting in the team. His position is so reliant on pre-set moves and structure and I don't think Gatlands style suits him. He is a finisher though. Naholo who he was up against was a beast.

It was a much more enjoyable game for the purist today, which probably isnt what the Lions want.

I dunno though, keeping the game exciting and open would be nice to see.

[Cormack74]

Agree, Laidlaw should definitely have taken that one.

On the backs I think that's pretty much correct, albeit JJ won't play at 12 - I can't recall him ever playing there, besides which T'eo has looked good in all his outings so far and the fact that WG brought him after he'd only played about 45 mins of the 6N suggests he was always going to be in the mix for the tests IMO.

[Irishnev]

Interesting team

British & Irish Lions (v Maori All Blacks): L Halfpenny (Toulon, Wales); A Watson (Bath, England), J Davies (Scarlets, Wales), B Te'o (Worcester, England), G North (Northampton, England); J Sexton (Leinster, Ireland), C Murray (Munster, Ireland); M Vunipola (Saracens, England), J George (Saracens, England), T Furlong (Leinster, Ireland); M Itoje (Saracens, England), G Kruis (Saracens, England); P O'Mahony (Munster, Ireland) – captain, S O'Brien (Leinster, Ireland), T Faletau (Bath, Wales).

Replacements: K Owens (Scarlets, Wales), J McGrath (Leinster, Ireland), K Sinckler (Harlequins, England), I Henderson (Ulster, Ireland), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, Wales), G Laidlaw (Gloucester, Scotland), O Farrell (Saracens, England), E Daly (Wasps, England).

[Buzzo]

Well, if this is to give an indication of the test team... Halfpenny, Davies and North in the backs. That'd be because Wales have been so strong there recently?

George North has been in poor form for a while, so the onus is squarely on him to perform.

Forwards look solid though, and the pressure is on them to smother the game and eke out the pens.

[Cormack74]

Was thinking the same a couple of days back. There's probably a realistic chance of 7 Welsh guys starting the first test injuries permitting, so almost half the team.

I don't actually care where they come from (especially if they do the business) but it does seem a bit odd especially given Wales' inability to beat virtually any opposition from the southern hemisphere in recent years.

[Irishnev]

Was thinking the same a couple of days back. There's probably a realistic chance of 7 Welsh guys starting the first test injuries permitting, so almost half the team.

I don't actually care where they come from (especially if they do the business) but it does seem a bit odd especially given Wales' inability to beat virtually any opposition from the southern hemisphere in recent years.

That's the worry isn't it - you'd hope he would pick based on form and in some cases he has (O'Mahony being the best example) but he def has a Welsh bias with in the region of 7 of them likely to start. Irl and Eng have beaten SA and Aus in recent years and Irl have even beaten NZ not so long ago. I think North and LH deserve a go based on lack of competition but some of the others have better players that are being overlooked.