Australia v British & Irish Lions, 3rd Test (Sydney)

[Bardon]

I'd go for SOB, Tips & one of Heaslip/Toby with the other on the bench. Mako, both Youngs, Parling, Davies out of the starting team for Corbs, Hibbard/Best (still worried about his throwing so would give Hibbard the nod to start), Murray, Gray/Evans (1 to start the other on the bench) & Roberts in at 12.

I'd also drop Cuthbert from the bench as he's someone who either should start or sit in the stands. Kearney or Zebo onto the bench as a last throw of the dice in the backs.

It's hard to see us winning the third test. Can't win a Lions series just on penalties. We'll have to play better than the first test and score at least as many tries to stand a chance. Would like to see a more attacking display. For the Lions to win I think we need to be 2 scores up going into the final 5 minutes.

Hard to see that happening with the current game plan. If I was Gats I'd just let the team off the leash and let them play Rugby. Let Sexton run the show. We might get a pasting but at least we'd be trying to play rugby and go for the win rather than trying not to lose.

 

[Shiggins]

Nice team, Nathan's , but I'd definitely have either Kimlin or MMM on the bench. Simmons has to start or wear a suit for mine.

Simmons almost lost us the game giving the last penalty away. He is a tool

 

[Shiggins]

I'm fucking lost with Palu. The bloke made people's man of the match votes but he is bigger all with the ball his runs are just terrible. How does a big bloke like that get tackled so easily. Half the time it looks like he goes down before he gets touched. I must be missing the cleaning out he is doing because apart from that he is a mile from the Palu 5 years ago.

 

[Kaz]

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/sydney.shtml

Weather looks ok.

 

[Richo]

Looking at the stats it looks like Palu was very involved and made good metres. I really can't understand the problem people have with him. He is a great tight playing #8 and the only one of his kind playing in this country. And sure if he played looser he'd have more run metres but we have other players to do that and not enough playing tight.
http://www.rugbystats.com.au/matches/rugby/match22231.html

Yeah, it makes no sense. After a game in which we got hurt at the breakdown, people want to get rid of one of our forwards who actually hits rucks? Is it that he's ineffective at them?

 

[Athilnaur]

The answer lies in how our brains operate. They are kaleidoscopic, with a lot of subconscious filters. Think about all the ads we are exposed to, but never see, but somehow spot every rugby ad!

So while all of us notice those big moments at any other given time we may not see that tackle, or that run, or the body movement for that pass. And we particularly don't see what happens off the ball. Many of us are offense oriented, so we are more likely to miss good defense in which players are tackling well, others are wanting to see big breaks and discount solid hit ups. Someone slogging their guts out in tight making gainline won't stand out much unless they run over some people. Others may be more defense oriented, or see player patterns better, or read scrum play well.

No one of us sees everything.

 

[Zander]

I bet Palu is top 3 on the Wallabies internal MoM. The real indicator.

Based on a couple comments in this thread, the problem is clearly perception - they see a big Tongan #8 and think Kefu or Willie O so must be a damaging, line bending ball runner. That is not his game! He makes tight runs with high security and collision wins. His main attribute is his tackling and body shifting at the ruck. Let's also not forget he handles the back of the scrum well.

 

[Slim 293]

Sure thing Cliffy.........

 

[RoffsChoice]

Only possible change for the forwards is George Smith coming in. If it's not at the expense of Hooper, it will be for Palu, Mowen is almost as irreplaceable as Moore right now.

Backline will probably stay the same too, Beale contributed enough to keep the 15 and took a good deal of pressure off of JOC (James O'Connor) and Lilo. Tomane had a good hit up and probably won't be replaced by Cummins.

 

[Sully]

Simmons almost lost us the game giving the last penalty away. He is a tool

I thought the last penalty was Mowens?

 

[Pfitzy]

If the Lions are serious about winning the game, they'll pick (injuries considered)

Corbisiero
Hibbard
Jones the Prop
Jones the lock
Grey
SOB
Tipuric
Faletau
Murray
Sexton
Bowe
Manu/Roberts
BOD
North
0.5p

Youngs, Mako, Cole, Parling, Lydiate, Youngs, Feral, Hogg

That team quite frankly gives me nightmares.

-----------------------
I hate autocorrect ...

 

[Pusser]

I thought the last penalty was Mowens?

Robinson's not releasing the tackled player.


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[JSRF10]

The more I think about it, the more there could be an argument for dropping Halfpenny. As others have said we won't win by kicking goals and to be fair Halfpennys attacking game has been nonexistent in the tests, we need to go out all guns blazing and I reckon Hogg could be our most attacking option. As I said though I still haven't convinced myself!

 

[rugbysmartarse]

JSRF10 mate I don't think either coach is going to tell his team to head out all guns blazing. The series s on the line, prepare for a slow, tense penalty shoot out

 

[mark_s]

My one criticism of Warburton's game on the weekend is that he went the safe 3 point option on almost every occaision. Maybe having halfpenny there encourages this option, but really its just upto the leadership group to back themselves more.

 

[Quick Hands]

this about who's going or the test in general?

if test in general, what will the weather be like, what about the state of the ground?

Moans about the reffing as usual, how did they go and (AFAIK) this time we will have a NH ref as opposed to SH for the last two. What if anything will be different when it comes to scrums or breakdowns etc. Does this ref have form? if so for what and how could it manifest given what we've seen already.

At least with an NH ref the scrums should be managed correctly. In French Top 14 there are virtually no scrum resets, even in heavy rain. It's either penalty, free kick or play on. Same in the Reds v Lions match with the other French ref - no resets.

On past form Poite should be better than Joubert.

 

[Quick Hands]

I fully expect Deans to pick exactly the same team in exactly the same postions unless injury or suspension intervene. Ditto for the bench.

And in a 3 match series played over 3 consecutive weekends, this is exactly what he should do.

 

[Kaz]

How good has Ben Mowen been?
Hope HQ realise they should have picked him last year.
Monumental season and series.

 

[JSRF10]

JSRF10 mate I don't think either coach is going to tell his team to head out all guns blazing. The series s on the line, prepare for a slow, tense penalty shoot out

I think that these first two tests have shown that the Lions can't just hold on and hope that Halfpenny kicks his goals, its the same approach Wales have failed with on numerous occasions against SH opposition. I'd rather we went and tried to play like we did against in the warm up games and cop a hiding than go into our shells and lose another squeaker.

 

[Braveheart81]

When I was re-watching game 2 yesterday afternoon I paid particular attention to the times we turned the ball over in the ruck either from direct steals of more likely from penalties for holding on.

In pretty much every penalty turnover, the ball carrier really hadn't done anything wrong and was tackled in a position close enough to support that we should have retained the ball. Each time we lost the ball because the first and/or second arriving player didn't clean out effectively.

Horwill and Robinson missed a cleanout at the start (I think on a Hooper carry) that cost us a penalty.

Hooper missed a cleanout that cost us a penalty.

Mowen missed one.

Beale and Moore missed one (I think this was the Connor Murry penalty).

There were definitely one or two more which makes it way too many penalties to come directly from inaccurate clean outs. This has to be a major area of improvement for next week.

One player I noticed who did a good job when he came on was Kepu. He made two very decisive clean outs in the last 20 minutes where he took the man to ground immediately and secured us safe, quality ball.