British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand (2017)

[Dismal Pillock]

Surely some sort of horrifically racist and stereotype-laden Tour Diary in the offing…



Day 1.

Tarquin here Mumsy. The plane safely dotted down in Wangarey today and Bellthorpe of House Eton loudly quipped it was “the first and last successful dot down of the tour.”

A darkly silent hush immediately fell over the entire 68-strong tour party aboard the plane.

All 12 of the tour psychoanalysts started quickly scurrying up and down the aisles, hunched over, breathlessly whispering our self-affirmations back to us, rubbing our shoulders.

Bellthorpe’s lip started quivering and he burst into tears. The unremitting sobbing was really quite distressing.

Anyway, upon disembarking none of us wound up in the pot in Wangers so that’s a plus.




Good-o.

--Tarquin.


ps, Mummy what is this?

 

[Dan54]

Well I am officially bloody excited, a Lions tour of NZ is about to start, I love everything about them, even down to the fact the Lions have had choir practice etc to get a few songs sorted for official functions, they have asked that there is plenty going on like haka etc in the super games, to emulate test day. This tour has got my bells ringing, even to point I not really concerned about super rugby this weekend, and really feel the Wallabies' tests over the next while will be hard pushed to get much interest from me!!

 

[Blue]

This is the Telegraph's call on the Test 23

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2017/05/24/lions-2017-team-bench-will-lining-midweek-side/

Can't argue with much except maybe 5 and 13 where they pick Kruise and young Henshaw. The rest look like they pick themselves in my opinion.

 

[Blue]

Hey Dismal and Dan (sounds like a sitcom title) has the Maori squad been announced?

I'm off to Rotovegas for that game. Can't farken wait. Going with three Kiwis and apparently we are going to participate in the world record Haka attempt.

I plan to do the Haka in Afrikaans.

 

[The torpedo]

Well I am officially bloody excited, a Lions tour of NZ is about to start, I love everything about them, even down to the fact the Lions have had choir practice etc to get a few songs sorted for official functions, they have asked that there is plenty going on like haka etc in the super games, to emulate test day. This tour has got my bells ringing, even to point I not really concerned about super rugby this weekend, and really feel the Wallabies' tests over the next while will be hard pushed to get much interest from me!!

One of my favourite Reds games I've been to was the Reds v Lions game in 2013. Enjoy it

 

[mst]

Well I am officially bloody excited, a Lions tour of NZ is about to start....

I am hearing strong rumours that some other excited rugby tragic is mashing the keyboard putting together a pretty in-depth preview about the Lions tour.

You might want to keep a look out on the front page over the next few days.

 

[teach]

So the All Blacks have got a "new" logo/badge.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/93086491/new-all-blacks-logo-revealed

Pretty naff. Will, hopefully, only be for the Lions series.

What's naff about it? Its pretty clear it is a special edition. 1904 was the year of the first Lions tour to NZ. I think it looks pretty cool actually. Lions tours are pretty special and what's above is a nice touch.

 

[Dan54]

Hey Dismal and Dan (sounds like a sitcom title) has the Maori squad been announced?

I'm off to Rotovegas for that game. Can't farken wait. Going with three Kiwis and apparently we are going to participate in the world record Haka attempt.

I plan to do the Haka in Afrikaans.

Well Blue I off to Auckland for Blues game next week, couldn't get tickets to tests, and even though I a Cane's man I will still fly over for 3 days just to see at least one game. Geez to think when I worked in Wellington while the 77 tour was on I got to see games at Athletic Park, a test, Wellington and NZ juniors I was in heaven ( always loved mixing with their supporters). Just something about the whole tour that gets me so excited, maybe because I an old rugby tragic who remembers when Lions tours came to NZ every 6 years and I hung on to every game that they played, whether it was a test or against a combined team like Manawatu/Horowhenua!
I would add that with the arguments etc with Super rugby at moment this just makes it even more appealing!!

 

[zer0]

What's naff about it? Its pretty clear it is a special edition. 1904 was the year of the first Lions tour to NZ. I think it looks pretty cool actually. Lions tours are pretty special and what's above is a nice touch.

The shield is a pointless addition. They've also returned to that awful shiny material that was used for the equally ugly ferns they used to have on their sides in the 2000's. Also, different shades of black.

Just make it plain -- single shade -- black with white logos and be done with it.

 

[Dan54]

Geez I don't mind the jersey at all, the shield is similar to the Lions one, and although I know it's just another jersey for fans to buy for Lions tour and do we need jerseys changed all the time, Adidas pay bloody big money to supply the jerseys and I am quite happy to see them to help pay to keep our players.

 

[mst]

First part of the B&I Lions tour preview is up - definitely worth a read:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/british-irish-lions-new-zealand-tour-preview-part-1/

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Just make it plain -- single shade -- black with white logos and be done with it.

This x a million. I'm just amazed at some of the meetings these design ponces must have.
"Hey guys lets put some splashes of grey on the All Black jersey! Spruce that ol' bland black up a bit!"
"Um, some people might get pissed off if we start fuckign around with the All Black jersey, it's kind of iconi
"Oh they'll get used to it, its so boooring now, get with the times, let's art deco it baby!"

Hey Dismal and Dan (sounds like a sitcom title)

It's like Steptoe & Son. Obviously, I am the corrosively handsome son. The star attraction. The ratings generator. Dan is Steptoe.

 

[Dan54]

It's like Steptoe & Son. Obviously, I am the corrosively handsome son. The star attraction. The ratings generator. Dan is Steptoe.

F***, how the hell did I get to be the Dad??


Oh that's right!!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

?.....It's like Steptoe & Son. Obviously, I am the corrosively handsome son. The star attraction. The ratings generator. Dan is Steptoe.

F***, how the hell did I get to be the Dad??


Oh that's right!!

 

[Blue]

Lions team for Saturday against the United Farside Counties Muttonbird XV:

Interesting to me is centre combo (no Farrel) and the props (testing young Sinckler, the tour bolter).

Laidlaw goes from nowhere to starting in the first game.

Good combination of testing younger players with the some old heads. Can't really read anything into Warren's thinking as far as his first test team will be concerned.

To me Teo' and Payne are the very very lucky tourists.

Henderson could be a test bolter with Itoje. Two huge engines if they played those two but Gatland is obsessed with Wyn Jones.

Who knows. Pumped for this.

British and Lions: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Ben Te’o, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (c), 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Rory Best, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Tadgh Furlong, 19 George Kruis, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Jared Payne

 

[Highlander35]

Very much playing those who weren't involved deep into finals.

Good chance for Tommy and Hogg to show off that they play best with each other.

Can't wait to see Sexton get pissed off at Laidlaw trying to be the number one playmaker.

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[waiopehu oldboy]

Gatland said everyone would get a start in the first three games so wouldn't read too much into the selection other than that, as H35 points out, he's rested the guys who most recently played.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

PROVINCIAL BARBARIANS (15-1): Luteru Laulala (Counties Manukau), Sam Vaka (Counties Manukau), Inga Finau (Canterbury), Dwayne Sweeney (Waikato), Sevu Reece (Waikato), Bryn Gatland (North Harbour), Jack Stratton (Canterbury), Mitchell Dunshea (Canterbury), Lachlan Boshier (Taranaki), James Tucker (Waikato), Keepa Mewett (Bay of Plenty), Josh Goodhue (Northland), Oliver Jager (Canterbury), Sam Anderson-Heather c (Otago), Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty).
Reserves (16-23): Andrew Makalio (Tasman), Tolu Fahamokioa (Wellington), Marcel Renata (Auckland), Matt Matich (Northland), Peter Rowe vc (Wanganui), Richard Judd (Bay of Plenty), Jonah Lowe (Hawke's Bay), Junior Ngaluafe (Southland).

Only Manawatu of the 14 Mitre 10 Cup teams not represented, Wanganui & Heartland Championship legend Peter Rowe makes the XV & named vice-captain. Some will see it as tokenism, but I think it shows that the Barbarians Club, who this team is nominally representing, is taking their traditions seriously. Lions by 30+ but they'll know they were in a game when they hit the showers.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...d-in-provincial-barbarians-team-to-play-lions

 

[Blue]

Very much playing those who weren't involved deep into finals.

Good chance for Tommy and Hogg to show off that they play best with each other.

Can't wait to see Sexton get pissed off at Laidlaw trying to be the number one playmaker.

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Laidlaw may be very many things. A playmaker he is not.

 

[Wales Fan]

Excited the tour is finally here, got my sky sports subscription back on (robbing bast***s)& alarm clock at the ready.
Not holding my breath for a series win but it should still be a wonderful occasion. We need to cherish these tours as long as we can.
The schedule is bonkers though, seriously who was crazy enough to agree to that !

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