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The Lions squad

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I decided to look up the All Blacks squad - didn't realise they play Samoa tomorrow.

New Zealand
15-Ben Smith (captain), 14-Israel Dagg, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 12-Sonny Bill Williams, 11-Julian Savea, 10- Beauden Barrett, 9-Aaron Smith, 8-Ardie Savea, 7-Sam Cane, 6-Jerome Kaino, 5-Sam Whitelock, 4-Brodie Retallick, 3-Owen Franks, 2-Codie Taylor, 1-Joe Moody.

Replacements: 16-Nathan Harris, 17-Wyatt Crockett, 18-Charlie Faumuina, 19-Scott Barrett, 20-Vaea Fifita, 21-TJ Perenara, 22-Lima Sopoaga, 23-Jordie Barrett.

Their back line is scary but we can get on top of that pack
 
Anyone know if Read and Coles are ruled out of the first test yet?

Yeah we can definitely get the better of that pack if we play well.
 
Like them, we have a style we like to play and we use the ball a lot,” said Hansen. “We have some skilful people when we do that. Do I expect them to do something tomorrow [against the Maori]? Well, he keeps telling us he’s got something up his sleeve other than his arm. We will wait and see won’t we?

“He’s starting to run out of time to get it practiced, but I’ve always said once you have a style as a coach and it works for you, you usually stick with it. So it’s going to be a big move if he changes. We will wait and see.”
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I think the prescient bit is whether we have enough time to get things right for the first test.

I have my doubts - we have to play a close to perfect game to win. I'd back us to do that in the second test, probably not the first though
 
Am I over-interpreting the usual Antipodean mind games or is there actually a bit of needle between the two coaches this time around?
 
I don't know if they have a history but i think you might be right.

THE LIONS ARE set to bring a crop of reinforcements into their squad as they look to reduce the workload on their Test match 23.

Warren Gatland will confirm the names of five or six players following this weekend’s fixtures involving Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England.
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From Wales v. Tonga
 
Jürgen4PM said:
Don't agree with the players being added to the squad, should be on merit not geography.
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Clean as a whistle. When you have players that good at it, it's not surprising they've made a more regular practice of it.

That said, they still lost.
 
Radio saying this morning that O'Mahony's in line to skipper the Test side as doubts continue regarding Warburton's fitness. I didn't see the game against the Maoris but this suggests O'Mahony wore the armband well in that.
 
I still think AWJ will be captain but that back row has to play.

Good win this morning with some players who will come into the reckoning for test selection playing better.

There will be injuries - good to see that the replacements haven't given up.
 
Some really nice play today from the Lions, especially considering these guys are all dealing with the kick in the balls of missing the first test. In the backline Daley, Biggar and Nowell all did themselves favours. The pack was excellent too.
 
Peter O’Mahony is fast emerging as the surprise frontrunner to lead the British & Irish Lions in Saturday’s first Test against New Zealand. The Irish back-row forward captained the touring side to victory over the NZ Maori last weekend and the management say they have no qualms about him leading the Lions out at Eden Park.

O’Mahony’s name is in the frame because Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones, both previous Lions Test captains, are struggling to make the starting XV. The other two midweek Lions captains on this tour, Ken Owens and Rory Best, have also been overtaken at hooker by Jamie George, leaving O’Mahony and Owen Farrell as the next two realistic candidates for the role.
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The team gets picked tonight.

I think it'll be:
Vunipola
George
Furlong
AWJ
Kruis
O'Mahony
O'Brien
Faletau
Murray
Farrell
Watson
T'eo
Davies
North
Halfpenny


Vunipola's scrummaging has definitely improved from when i made my mind up about him a couple of years ago. Its the form front row - with very capable replacements. McGrath & Sinckler (a bit of wild card for me) and i'm expecting Owens on the bench but i don't think there's much of a gap between the hookers that it makes a difference who is there.
Itoje is probably hard done by if he's left out but his versatility is useful for the bench.
The back row picks itself, as does most of the backline.
I think Sexton could be used to close out a tight game off the bench but Farrell has a slight edge on him.
North has been poor overall and is the only out of form player in the team.

Can't wait for the first test
 
I suspect that's pretty much spot on and I agree with your previous comment that - IF we're on song - we can take the Blacks pack with that line-up. Second row is interesting. I'm not sure why that article (and one or two others I've seen) see AWJ "struggling" to make the Test side, but the surprise packet to me is Kruis. I'd have left him out in favour of Launchbury to start with and, while it may well be a case of me missing something, I'm not sure how he's managed to cement a Test place.
 
I can't say i've seen enough of Kruis but his lineout performances have been widely praised, particularly on the defensive side.

I thought it was obvious AWJ was being rested in advance of the test - i suppose we'll find out tonight but i'll be amazed if he isn't starting.
 
You can't really argue with the team selected.

Should give us a fair few quality options to bring off the bench to hopefully make a real impact.
 
Lions: Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Davies, Ben Te’o, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Conor Murray; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Tadhg Furlong, Alun Wyn Jones, George Kruis, Peter O’Mahony (c), Sean O’Brien, Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: Ken Owens, Jack McGrath, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Sam Warburton, Rhys Webb, Jonathan Sexton, Leigh Halfpenny.

New Zealand: Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor,Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (c).

Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden/Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.
 
I'm surprised North is out but its a good call even though our back three contenders across the squad never hit the heights they're capable of.

For some reason i thought Williams was only really being considered for the wing. But he's got a good allround game and he's probably better coming into the atracking line from 15 where he can pick out gaps more easily.
 
Yeah, really pleased with that. Surprised and delighted to see North out. Being a big lad isn't enough, he hasn't looked anything like good enough. That side will give them a game.
 
One thing which strikes me as a potential worry is that Gatland's been talking about the need for the Lions to play expansively and take risks. If he means that, I can see a re-run of the England-v-Australia World Cup Final in England years ago, when England decided to throw the ball around in the Final for the first time in the tournament, and duly lost. AFAIC there's no way they should play fast and loose against the Blacks, so I hope that's just Gatland joining in the mind games.
 
Murrays selection is probably your comfort there JJ.

We'll have to move the ball a bit to open them up but i'm expecting that to happen after we get good field position
 
If you're not watching, make sure you catch a replay of the lions try by O'Brien.

Williams, Daly and Davies did all the work with O'Brien being there in support to get the score.

Williams' break from his own 22 was simply superb - Read had him lined up for a big hit but he stepped him effortlessly to start the break.

13-8 HT
 
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