posted Jun 29, 2009

BO'D has categorically denied all allegations by Henson - you would be better advised to research properly than spout this rubbish

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

I undertand that this is a BBC website catering for a British audience and that the contributors are by and large mostly British. But to be totally frank the level of parochial comment contained within a significant number of posts is indicative of the underlying anti-Irish mindset of many English & Welsh rugby 'followers'. Irish players are signalled out for disproportionate criticism every time something poor happens. Stephen Jones of the Times has rattled on about O'Connell and the vitriolic comment reserved for Ronan O'Gara is just ignorant. Here area few facts - Ireland are the Grand Slam winners, Leinster are Heineken Cup winners and Munster are the Magners League Winners. The players they have on tour are there on merit. No amount of what ifs from the muppets on Sky Sport will change that. Having a pop at referees, linesmen or tmo's is ridiculous and whingeing about the robust style of play by the South Africans is just laughable. They are the World champions and it shows. Why dont all the English & Welsh posters on here critically and objectively assess the performances of their compatriots on tour and of the seasonal performances of those who were not selected. If you want to destroy whatever is left of the Lions ethos be subjective in your analysis - If you really believe in the concept of the British & Irish Lions be objective and recognise that O'Connell, O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Callaghan et al are wearing a red jersey on their backs not a green one.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

These injuries are undoubtedly massive blows to the Lions chances of making the score line looking a lot more respectable at 2-1 rather than a demoralizing 3-0 series whitewash. 5 Lions players having to go to hospital really does tell you everything you need to know. It was a match full of little off the ball incidents and our spirit has finally been broken. Despite rugby being a squad game, the loss of key personal can have a damaging effect on morale.

All four injuries has a big effect on our chances in that cracking 2nd test, with all four giving their all to come out on the winning side. What we know is that the two Welsh props, Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones have definitely been ruled out of the third and final test. Both have had cracking tours with Jones proving people wrong, enhancing his reputation that he is a better player than many people take him for. In Jenkins' terms, he looked a lot better than in 2005 had a phenomenal work rate in regards to hitting the rucks, scrums and mauls.

Yes, both will be losses but especially in Jenkins' situation, they are not irreplaceable. When coming off the bench, Andrew Sheridan looked like a man possessed and the Lions will lose nothing in the set piece with the inclusion of the English brick layer. So, I fully expect Sheridan to pack down next to Rees and? With Jones injured, Murray injured and Vickery's confidence absolutely shattered, John Hayes may have to step up to the plate.

But, I don't think he would be able to handle the pressure. I would prefer to see the Raging Bull roaring back into contention as I feel he deserves another chance. And, with regards to making several changes for what is supposedly a 'meaningless' match, I would seriously warn against this. We should try and keep the core of our 2nd test team together, to try and keep some continuity to salvage some much needed pride.

The centres look more concerning though. Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts have played fantastically well on this tour and have been the heartbeat of our side. If we keep them both, that would be genuinely rewarding as they need to be wrapped in cotton wool, needing to revive our winning fortunes! If one of them are ruled out, I would be okay with that but if both of our superstar centres are ruled out, that would be a travesty.

Ricky Flutey and Gordan D'Arcy, they could come in and would probably give their all for the shirt. But, coming in from the wilderness being asked to do a job against the Springboks finest, they may struggle having to come to terms with the altitude and the ferocity of their opposition. Both have had a very limited amount of game time on this tour due to injuries and late call ups and I fear for our chances if this was to be the case.

In the third test, as a passionate Lions fan myself, I want to see us not let our foot off the accelerator. We must not just simply surrender to the Boks despite the test series being over. I want us to win a test match. 7 matches has been far to long and to go on that losing streak does not reflect well on our finest. I want us to go out with a bang and to show what the Lions are all about. 3-0 sounds a lot better than 2-1. It will be the final chance for some of these players in a Lions shirt, lets do it proud.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

It's shame we weren't using the 99 call, as it would seem that there has been some rough stuff happening in this Test and some fo the other matches which have gone un-punished at the crucual times i.e. during the match

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

"Saying O'Gara is fit is a hinderance not a positive"

Let's hope ALL the Irish break legs and never play again, eh Spraggy?
How spanners like you make it past puberty is a mystery to me.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

I'm sorry, but come on hfxoc1 (U9080431)!! You go on about being anti Irish, but are you telling me O'Gara had a good game and was not in part responsible for us losing, or were you watching a different game? I sat in my rugby club (next to many Irishmen) and they were giving him a harder time than most of the blokes from other nations. Credit where credit is due and I'm sorry, but he deserves none. Nothing anti-Irish about that, just fact. I would have said the same thing about an Englishman, Scots or Welsh.

ps, yes, well done for overnight becoming the best rugby side in the world(!!) and we look forward to meeting in the next 6N.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

I'm an Englishman, and I've watched the game twice. The "thuggery" as people put it, is quite mutual. The one really bad offence has been cited, and the man is banned for 8 weeks. He should have had a red card, but that's how it goes. Who wanted to watch 15 vs 14 for 79 minutes?

The ref was not to blame over the Burger incident. the linesman wasn't sure enough to say "send him off" so they went for a yellow.

The Lions played brilliantly and it was one of the most physical, brutal tests I've seen. Us Lions fans have to stop knocking an entire nation of Saffers over this. On the day they were the better side, and Burger apart they were mainly a credit to rugby.

Personally I don't think Botha should have been banned at all, and reckon it was done politically to prevent further controversy in the final test.

For what it's worth, if Bod's out, I'd go with this:

Sheridan, Ford, Hayes

Croft, Hines, Shaw, Wallace, Powell

Phillips, Jones,

Flutey, Roberts, Fitzgerald, Monye, Kearney

Let's make sure that the final game has reps of all 4 nations, has some players who have not been battered or tasted defeat on the tour, and let's go out with a bang. Probably SA will be too strong for us, and I expect this will be a bigger defeat, but I have a new found support of the Lions as an entity, and long may this great tradition continue.

And to all Saffers, you have been the better side in two very tight games, and you deserve to have won the series. Congratulations, and don't let those Kiwis or Aussies take the Tri-Nations please. Most Brits will support Sa over either of those two I reckon.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 29, 2009

Whatever Lions are left fit to run onto the field should heed the old 99 call, get their retaliation in first and give the Box a double dose of their own medicine. The match result in the 3rd test is irrelevant, it should instead be ensured that several Box will finish their career at the end of the third test. They are a disgraceful rugby nation mow.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 30, 2009

Fair enough , Burger got a yellow card and got banned for 8 weeks and Botha for 2.What about O'driscoll shoulder charge and Vickery punching a guy in the groin?Nothing got done about that and I'll tell you why...We are not sore losers , don't moan and we play physical rugby ,fair enough what they did was wrong , but like PDV said if you can't handle the game go buy a pair of tutus and take up dancing. It was one of the best games I have seen and you guys should be proud of your performance especially playing on our soil...Get over one man's performance please , I don't think he cost you the game...he nearly cost us the game. And too those stating that the Springboks are a disrespected team now, get a life!We are world champions no matter how sour you are, I won't change my view.......

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 30, 2009

Aggression and 110 per cent commitment in the contact and the tackle area is one thing - consciously maiming players is quite another.
A shoulder charge on a stationary player at a ruck that leads to him dislocating his shoulder is rather like kicking a man when he is down - cowardly!
The same applies to Burger, although having seen it again I can see what De Villiers is on about. It is conceivable that is was not intentional, but when its a players eyes its wrong anyway.
You don't defend the indefensible publically, and Burger had his hands in the wrong place. Gouging, intentional or not, is a red card offence and he should have been off.
Had the laws been applied correctly and fairly in that game by a competent and courageous referee and linesman the Lions would have won the game by so much we'd be talking about what has happened to the world champions for them to fall so far - 20 or 30 points to the Lions no problem.
Bryce Lawrence, over the two Tests, certainly has a lot to answer for. He's probably trying to pay Britain back for New Zealand's quarter final defeat in the Wrold Cup at the hands of an English referee!

add comment | complain about this comment