2013: The Lions Tour Look Ahead

[Inside Shoulder]

From what I can see the wallabies are going to be in huge trouble for this series. If you look at next years draw and the proposed times for the Lions tour (both here) its right smack bang in the middle of the Super 15 comp.

So does robbie get to play with the wallabies 1 week before they arrive or 2 weeks before they arrive and what the hell is going to happen to the clubs sides during the Super 15 with the loss of their stars. Or is the Super 15 draw going to be altered yet again to compensate this with 6 week gap in the middle.

I admit I am a pessimist, but if you compare the current breed to the breed of 1999, who only just beat the lions (a great achievement) 2 years later, and recall that we have lost to all the home nations in recent memory (under Dingo) I doubt we will be up to the challenge come 2013.
I doubt the K1W1s would agree to altering the s 15 when they have nothing invested in the Lions tour and mostly want to get to the NPC ASAP.

 

[the plastic paddy]

I hate to be a doom and gloom merchant but I can genuinely see this tour not happening; enthusiasm for this Murdoch drenched anachronism is waining in the NH IMHO. I will certainly not be supporting it in any way as apart from anything else it continues to place SH teams on a pedestal which results at this RWC have shown you fellas don't really warrant. Much better for nation to play nation in proper 3 match tours than piss about with this artificial construct which is nothing but a money printing exercise for Murdoch. Would add that after the racist filth emanating from Wales regarding Alain Rolland and the Irish nation I will never support a team with a welsh player in it again.

 

[WESTCOMBE RANGER]

I hate to be a doom and gloom merchant but I can genuinely see this tour not happening; enthusiasm for this Murdoch drenched anachronism is waining in the NH IMHO. I will certainly not be supporting it in any way as apart from anything else it continues to place SH teams on a pedestal which results at this RWC have shown you fellas don't really warrant. Much better for nation to play nation in proper 3 match tours than piss about with this artificial construct which is nothing but a money printing exercise for Murdoch. Would add that after the racist filth emanating from Wales regarding Alain Rolland and the Irish nation I will never support a team with a welsh player in it again.

Sorry Paddy but in which part of the northern hemisphere is enthusiasm waning ?

I know lots of Scots, Welshman and Irishmen who are all planning on going let alone a few Englishmen who have been on every tour since 2001.

Don't let your apparent hatred of all Welsh people be smeared by a few.

Ranger (Englishman and Lions supporter)

 

[Jethro Tah]

We really are looking ahead aren't we.

I'd prefer they started concentrating on winning each and every test match, and make it a goal to retain the 3N and win back the Sloe next year. Lets worry about the Lions this time next year!

Agree!

And don't forget the 2011 EOYT comprising:
- 26 Nov, Barbarians v Wallabies, Twickenham
- 3 Dec, Wales v Wallabies, Millennium Stadium

 

[Bowside]

6 test matches between now and next years 4 nations. At this rate we'll be lucky to win 4 of them. I just cant see us winning more than 2 or 3 games in row.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

6 test matches between now and next years 4 nations. At this rate we'll be lucky to win 4 of them. I just cant see us winning more than 2 or 3 games in row.

1 in a row would be a good start!

 

[No4918]

If we cant win at least 4 against the Welsh then the Lions should rightfully be confident of a white wash.

 

[fatprop]

He forgot to add Euan Murray of Scotland to that crucial position of tighthead. He was one who really impressed me a lot with his scrummaging.

Rate him above Dan Coles.

he ain't an issue, all we have to do is schedule the tests on Sundays

 

[Blue]

That is a MUCH better Lions team than the one that toured SA.

Best get working Robbie, them are some nasty buggers.

 

[Larno]

I'd argue that World Cups are comercially driven and ultimately shallow exercises, while it is the Lions tours that have meaning and significance. Watching those red jerseys take the field fires the blood like little else.

 

[Bardon]

I'm really looking forward to the Lions tour, it's always great to see the best from the 4 nations coming together and geling as a team. I can't see it being a whitewash simply because both teams will be up for every test and if one or other gets a 2-0 they're likely to make a lot of changes to give people a test start for/against the Lions.

 

[RedCard]

Glad to see such universal support for the Lions touring as plenty whinge about it from the 4 nations that make them up. There seems to be often a dip of form and injuries that occur straight after touring so it affects club/region form. Most seem to still want it to carry on but there are plenty that prefer it not to happen. Love it myself as it's great to see how players gel together in such a short space of time.

 

[Hawko]

Is it just me, or is Paul Cully starting to sound like a real rugby journalist? Greg Growden wouldn't have even known the names of half those players. I know he has written some crap too, but even Shakespeare wrote some less than printable work. He does seem to be well ahead of Pandaram and the other dills who write as Growden's back-ups and he is so far in front of Growden its not funny.

 

[Braveheart81]

How is Growden meant to find time to watch 6 Nations rugby when he is trying to find out the latest gossip from Shute Shield Clubs or who doesn't like who in NSW Rugby?

Didn't you hear that a high ranking Sydney club official got pissed on the weekend and made some disparaging comments he's going to regret later about a certain board member of NSW Rugby?

 

[Hawko]

That is a MUCH better Lions team than the one that toured SA.

Best get working Robbie, them are some nasty buggers.

You're right Blue, we'll need to be playing way better than we are now just to stay within 20 points of them. If Deans doesn't learn how to coach soon it could be so one-sided that future Lions tours will be in jeopardy.

PS. Love your new signature. If Gatland had been coaching the Boks the quarter final would have been a whitewash and the semi would have been a game to rival the 2000 game between the Wallabies and All Blacks.

 

[Hawko]

How is Growden meant to find time to watch 6 Nations rugby when he is trying to find out the latest gossip from Shute Shield Clubs or who doesn't like who in NSW Rugby?

Didn't you hear that a high ranking Sydney club official got pissed on the weekend and made some disparaging comments he's going to regret later about a certain board member of NSW Rugby?

Growden has written this so often that you could be accused of plagiarism.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Didn't you hear that a high ranking Sydney club official got pissed on the weekend and made some disparaging comments he's going to regret later about a certain board member of NSW Rugby?

Not much in journalism I find more annoying than Growdens stupid comments like that above. I am assuming you just pulled that from one of his articles.

 

[Braveheart81]

I just made it up.

I'm sure he's written almost those exact words at least a hundred times though.

 

[Ruggo]

Wow, can we just worry about winning every test between now and then. That way we will be a formidable opponent when they come.

 

[Richo]

Crazy talk, Ruggo. We need a long-term objective so that all losses can be defined as "learning experiences" in aid of that goal.