British & Irish Lions 2025

[Ric]

Good start to the campaign!

 

[crooky]

Could they consider a Argentina tour in the future?

Or does the setup in Argentina not really allow it?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

I thought Argentina seemed to find holes to break through, terrific performance from a side who looked physically smaller than the Lions. Some great tries and examples of how to beat defenders.

I hope the Lion's attacking plays improve, and they run into gaps not over players a bit more. A few times players failed to hold position (backs running into a maul..), and grubber kicking when they had players. Most of them went okay though, just too many players in the way sometimes.

Oh, and of course Miles Harrison is still awful.

A couple of unnecessary kicks aside, Fin Smith seemed okay, but Finn Russell must be favourite to start.
Who are the options at fullback in the squad?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Having said that, in a tour Test match, they'd kick the penalties that were kicked to touch.

 

[city5189]

Not a big fan of rugby but there is something special about watching the lions on tour, right up there with the Ryder cup, after a good start now on the back foot.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Finn running the show for the Lions but other than him, pretty poor performance in the first half.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Tomos Williams out of the tour. Ben White called up.

 

[big gaz]

Oh well, guess Jac now has first pick of the sheep :-)
Shame for Tomos was having a good game.
Take the win and keep building, why play the boys from the Pampas in a warm up game ?

 

[big gaz]

Well done Lions and well done Morgan ( keep the flag flying ) ;-)

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Daly's broken his arm, which is what it looked like.

Calling up Farrell puzzles me - they've replaced an outside centre/wing/fullback with a stand-off/inside centre.

Who are the fullback options now - Keenan and then Smith? After that, you're down to people out of position.

 

[supercity88]

Daly's broken his arm, which is what it looked like.

Calling up Farrell puzzles me - they've replaced an outside centre/wing/fullback with a stand-off/inside centre.

Who are the fullback options now - Keenan and then Smith? After that, you're down to people out of position.

Keenan and Kinghorn, with Huw Jones and Marcus Smith as cover or one of the other wingers stepping in. Daly can play a number of positions and was in excellent form so it's a shame for him.

I think it's a good move personally. He's not played in a while but he's a natural leader and highly respected by his team mates. Sexton who is obviously on the coaching setup is a huge admirer of Farrell and I would imagine he's pushed for it more than Andy picking his son! You have to plan for all situations. Finn Russell is brilliant, but doesn't always bring that control. Fin Smith is young and although he looks a natural on the big stage, it's still quite the rise for someone with only 11 caps for England.

Marcus Smith is similar to Finn Russell, and I don't expect to see him to play 10 in any of the tests. He'll be a full back cover in the tests, and will play 10 in warm up games.

If it's 1-1 going into the third test Owen is a great person to have on the bench to see us over the line. Also provides the versatility at centre, which his Dad has been keen for.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Keenan and Kinghorn, with Huw Jones and Marcus Smith as cover or one of the other wingers stepping in. Daly can play a number of positions and was in excellent form so it's a shame for him.

I think it's a good move personally. He's not played in a while but he's a natural leader and highly respected by his team mates. Sexton who is obviously on the coaching setup is a huge admirer of Farrell and I would imagine he's pushed for it more than Andy picking his son! You have to plan for all situations. Finn Russell is brilliant, but doesn't always bring that control. Fin Smith is young and although he looks a natural on the big stage, it's still quite the rise for someone with only 11 caps for England.

Marcus Smith is similar to Finn Russell, and I don't expect to see him to play 10 in any of the tests. He'll be a full back cover in the tests, and will play 10 in warm up games.

If it's 1-1 going into the third test Owen is a great person to have on the bench to see us over the line. Also provides the versatility at centre, which his Dad has been keen for.

Ah, Kinghorn was the one I'd forgotten, thanks.

I don't think for one minute that AF would just have picked OF without input from others, just seems an odd change (without thinking about what options there would be). I think OF's also in Australia with the media, isn't he? Means Aki doesn't have to be played so much too.

M Smith appears to me to suffer at test level with wanting more space than he gets at 10, and not being big enough to be a 12 or 15. When used two passes out from a ruck, he looks a lot more dangerous.

 

[supercity88]

Ah, Kinghorn was the one I'd forgotten, thanks.

I don't think for one minute that AF would just have picked OF without input from others, just seems an odd change (without thinking about what options there would be). I think OF's also in Australia with the media, isn't he? Means Aki doesn't have to be played so much too.

M Smith appears to me to suffer at test level with wanting more space than he gets at 10, and not being big enough to be a 12 or 15. When used two passes out from a ruck, he looks a lot more dangerous.

It's odd based on the fact it's not like for like, but AF has always mentioned versatility and I think we have enough options at the moment across the backs. I think we'll beat Australia fairly comfortably in all honesty, Argentina was a much tougher test and despite missing players and only being together a short time we ran them close.

OF is an excellent leader, will drive standards and provides an option at 10 or centre whether in the tests or other games. Not sure if he was already in Australia tbh but it's a good thing for the Smith's in my opinion to have another experienced head around them.

With Marcus you just want to see a little bit more control from him. He's so creative and has an unbelievable eye for space but he doesn't necessarily bring that control to the team that is sometimes needed. Playing at full back allows him to express himself but his size and physicality are then exposed. At 26 he's at a crossroads really - he needs to go and nail down that 10 role in my opinion.

 

[big gaz]

It's odd based on the fact it's not like for like, but AF has always mentioned versatility and I think we have enough options at the moment across the backs. I think we'll beat Australia fairly comfortably in all honesty, Argentina was a much tougher test and despite missing players and only being together a short time we ran them close.

OF is an excellent leader, will drive standards and provides an option at 10 or centre whether in the tests or other games. Not sure if he was already in Australia tbh but it's a good thing for the Smith's in my opinion to have another experienced head around them.

With Marcus you just want to see a little bit more control from him. He's so creative and has an unbelievable eye for space but he doesn't necessarily bring that control to the team that is sometimes needed. Playing at full back allows him to express himself but his size and physicality are then exposed. At 26 he's at a crossroads really - he needs to go and nail down that 10 role in my opinion.

If Marcus had been born Welsh the lad would be shagging sheep and a nailed down 10 for the last 3 years :-)
On a serious note what position is Owen covering ? Centre behave, stand off we have three already, seems a strange call up to me especially on the back of his last season in France. I can only think Foxy turned the gig down ;-)

 

[supercity88]

If Marcus had been born Welsh the lad would be shagging sheep and a nailed down 10 for the last 3 years :-)
On a serious note what position is Owen covering ? Centre behave, stand off we have three already, seems a strange call up to me especially on the back of his last season in France. I can only think Foxy turned the gig down ;-)

He will be there to cover fly half, centre if we literally have no other options.

I see it like the Gundo role for us. You don't want him starting, but you'd chuck him into a friendly as cover and you'd put him on if the game was won or injuries require it. And he would say the right things and act the right way in the dressing room.

 

[Houseman]

It's odd based on the fact it's not like for like, but AF has always mentioned versatility and I think we have enough options at the moment across the backs. I think we'll beat Australia fairly comfortably in all honesty, Argentina was a much tougher test and despite missing players and only being together a short time we ran them close.

OF is an excellent leader, will drive standards and provides an option at 10 or centre whether in the tests or other games. Not sure if he was already in Australia tbh but it's a good thing for the Smith's in my opinion to have another experienced head around them.

With Marcus you just want to see a little bit more control from him. He's so creative and has an unbelievable eye for space but he doesn't necessarily bring that control to the team that is sometimes needed. Playing at full back allows him to express himself but his size and physicality are then exposed. At 26 he's at a crossroads really - he needs to go and nail down that 10 role in my opinion.

Just as a side note, Argentina was missing tons of important players too and in fact trained less than the Lions. The only "advantage" was the knowledge among some of the players, yet the team for the game was more than anything assemble on the run, with even a couple of debutants from the local Amateur League.

 

[supercity88]

Just as a side note, Argentina was missing tons of important players too and in fact trained less than the Lions. The only "advantage" was the knowledge among some of the players, yet the team for the game was more than anything assemble on the run, with even a couple of debutants from the local Amateur League.

I wouldn't say tons. They were missing their France based players but it was still a decent side. Some new faces yes, and off the back of a short training window too. But they're a better side than Australia.

 

[Houseman]

I wouldn't say tons. They were missing their France based players but it was still a decent side. Some new faces yes, and off the back of a short training window too. But they're a better side than Australia.

Was quite a number and with heavy names involved for us. Some of them playing the semis of TOP 14 gives also the stature of those fellas, this, the lack of training and the inclusion of new faces made quite suprising on how they took the task at hand, at the end of the day more than be shocked if Regular Argentina/Pumas nowadays can beat the Lions, some more thougthfull pundits were not that off the mark that the shock can only be associated to THIS Pumas doing it, with all those "issues", kind of a B+ team.

Who knows, maybe precisly that released them from pressure and the fellas involved wanted to show themselves and gain a place? might have a bit of that too.

Aussies are still Aussies, they have to organize better, they might be having issues lately, yet it also has to do with Pumas improving, AB & SA being just them while at the same time enjoying great squads, specially the later since All Blacks are renovating; while them having every brand of Rugby fighting to get the best from their Talent Pool it's not an easy secnario for Rugby Union.

 

[big gaz]

He will be there to cover fly half, centre if we literally have no other options.

I see it like the Gundo role for us. You don't want him starting, but you'd chuck him into a friendly as cover and you'd put him on if the game was won or injuries require it. And he would say the right things and act the right way in the dressing room.

Lets not dress it up Young Fazz has had a shit year in France , also not played an International in 2 yr I think. He was not in the first pick of 3 no 10 or first pick for a centres job, so why now Leadership, the squad has 3 nations captains dont need another. All we needed was a centre yes, Like when Tomos got injured we got a scrum half ;-)

 

[bluemoon32]

The best that can be said about today's game is that the biggest winners are the players that didn't play today