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Posted 2 hours ago
THE LIONS registered their first loss of the tour with a 14 – 12 defeat against the Brumbies. Prior to this game the Lions had been able to rely on their set-piece – this was not the case on Tuesday. The Lions’ scrum was under pressure in the first half. It reduced the opportunity for quick eight/nine pickups and didn’t yield a single penalty in the first half.
Posted 21 hours ago
By Alan Dymock
THE STATS don’t make good reading after the British and Irish Lions 14-12 loss to the Brumbies.
Despite their win the Brumbies carried 23 times less than the Lions, with 22 carries. They did so for 104 metres less, with only 188m gained to the Lions’ 292. They made one clean break to the Lions three and lost the…
Posted 21 hours ago
By Alan Dymock
WHEN MIND games start it is hard to know which tact to take. Overuse of saccharine sweet compliments, describe the opposition as clueless or just call everyone cheats? Well, when it comes to Australia versus the British and Irish Lions we could get seven different shades of sledging, particularly after the Brumbies scalped them.
However, when Adam Ashley-Cooper –…
Posted 2 days ago
THE LIONS recorded their fifth victory of the tour with a 47 – 17 win over a depleted, yet competitive, Waratahs team. But whilst the margin of victory was similar to that of the previous four matches, the execution was very different. This was a structured performance, partly due to the improved quality of the opposition, partly due to the fact that this was the last dress rehearsal for the test probables.
Posted 2 days ago
WILLIAMS IS one of the most exciting talents ever seen on a rugby pitch. He’s the third top try-scorer in Test history behind David Campese and Daisuke Ohata, his superb footwork and speed causing endless problems for defences. At the start of his career his limited size was seen as a flaw, but his talents for dancing around opponents have long been been appreciated by Lions coach Warren Gatland. So he’s now on his third Lions tour – albeit for a brief stint.
Posted 3 days ago
THE SOUTH Africa-born centre’s importance was recently highlighted by his absence. Injured for Saracens’ end-of-season play-offs they missed his defensive solidity in midfield and failed to collect any silverware. He’s been a regular in Stuart Lancaster’s England squad, proving extremely reliable in the centre.
Posted 3 days ago
ONE OF the brightest prospects in English rugby, Wade has won plaudits for his ability to terrorise defences. He’s one of the fastest wingers in the English Premiership and has a brilliant side-step – attributes he showed to great effect for Wasps against Leinster in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final. There are a few question marks over his defence, but he’s a special talent with ball in hand.
Posted 3 days ago
IT’S NOT just been rugby, rugby, rugby for the British & Irish Lions in Australia. Away from the training pitch, there has been a chance to explore the country. Some of the squad climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge, a few others went sailing and this lot tried their hand at surfing. Watch how they got on here…
Posted 4 days ago
The Lions produced their most complete performance of the tour to date
Posted 5 days ago
WINNING TESTS is one thing, but to do it with young, exciting players is another. For the second Test against Argentina, Stuart Lancaster has selected an explosive and sprightly backline with Freddie Burns, Marland Yarde, Kyle Eastmond, Jonathan Joseph and Christian Wade all in the mix.
Posted 5 days ago
SOMETIMES THINGS go too far. Like the private joke said aloud too often or the headlines whenever a football team scores six goals, talk of spying, spies and undercover Aussies coming from the Lions tour is grating the nerves already.
Posted 6 days ago
IT’S BEEN quite a year for the centre. His move to Gloucester from Leicester resulted in more game time, an England call-up for the Six Nations and now this Lions involvement, which came less than a week after he scored in England’s 32-3 defeat of Argentina.
Posted 7 days ago
EVEN THE biggest, fiercest, proudest Lions supporter would find it hard to dispute that so far the 2013 tour has been a let-down. Not quite a farce but verging on one. Nearly three weeks in and four matches gone and the sense of anti-climax is overwhelming. Apart from the cracking contest against the Queensland Reds, the Lions haven’t been seriously tested in their other three matches.
