With just four days between two games, Gatland's Lions will once again roar into battle, this time against the Queensland Reds, captained by legendary Quade Cooper, who left many shocked when he was not selected to be part of the Australian Wallabies team to face the Lions in two weeks time. Cooper is without doubt a master at his game, he is a terrific service man to the Reds and has been all season, he aids in their success having played tremendously at number 10 for the majority of his team's matches. Having played with the Reds since he was 15 years old, Cooper is no stranger to the club, he oozes vitality and leadership and is said to be honoured with the captaincy. He will no doubt have looked back on the previous games that the Lions have played and with experience and strategic implementation could prove a threat to the Lions, a dangerman in the field like this will mean that the Lions will need to up their tactics.
Along with Cooper also starts 9 capped Australian players, this Reds team want to make history by being the first provincial team to beat a touring Lions team since 1971, if they succeed they will be deemed heroes in their own right and will will put a severe dent in the Lion's plans to come back to the Northern Hemisphere undefeated Down Under. The Lions team with the exception of Rob Kearney have all had a chance to show Gatland why they were selected to go to Australia, Sam Warburton captains the side tomorrow and it goes without saying that it will be Last Chance Saloon for many of them. Competition for test positions has never been more of a headache and if Gatland doesn't see consistency within players then they may say goodbye to starting in two weeks.
With injury stricken Cian Healy cleared of all biting allegations, it all ended bitter sweet when a scan on his ankle clarified that it would be the end of his Lions tour and putting him on a flight back home this Sunday. With Gethin Jenkins cautioned after it was revealed that he was suffering from tightness in his calf, it looks as though Mako Vunipola will start tomorrow and it's believed that Glasgow Warrior's Ryan Grant will be flown in to replace the injured Healy. Both Bowe and Tuilagi will once again start against the Reds after playing Western Force on Tuesday. Bowe scored a fine try but still looks to be a little sluggish since returning from injury, in previous matches in the Pro12 and recently in the Pro12 final, his usual encounters with the high balls have not been pristine, knock ons have occured once to often and mistakes like that tomorrow may give the Reds something to ponder on. Tuilagi on the other hand is going from strength to strength, his partnership with O'Driscoll was poetry in motion, his offloads immaculate and tomorrow sees him in the centre with Davies, both players possess animalistic qualities, a dog eat dog approach to rugby and will tyrannically destroy all opposition that get in thie way.
Tomorrow Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane will be the awash with 40,000 plus Reds fans cheering on their beloved team. Just like Moses led his people, so too will Quade Cooper, although parting the Red Sea that will come crashing down on him and his fourteen men may prove a little more difficult!
St.George Queensland Reds
1. Ben Daley (58 Reds - 3 Wallabies)
2. James Hanson (50 Reds - 1 Wallabies)
3. Greg Holmes (103 Reds - 13 Wallabies)
4. Adam Wallace-Harrison (vc) (32 Reds)
5. Ed O’Donoghue (40 Reds)
6. Eddie Quirk (27 Reds)
7. Beau Robinson (35 Reds - 1 Wallabies)
8. Jake Schatz (47 Reds)
9. Nick Frisby (16 Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (c) (87 Reds - 38 Wallabies)
11. Luke Morahan (44 Reds - 1 Wallabies)
12. Anthony Faingaa (58 Reds - 23 Wallabies)
13. Ben Tapuai (38 Reds - 7 Wallabies)
14. Rod Davies (43 Reds - 1 Wallabies)
15. Ben Lucas (60 Reds)
16. Albert Anae (15 Reds)
17. Sam Denny (Queensland debut)
18. Jono Owen (Queensland debut)
19. Radike Samo (32 Reds - 23 Wallabies)
20. Jarrad Butler (12 Reds)
21. Jono Lance (18 Reds)
22. Mike Harris (30 Reds - 8 Wallabies)
23. Dom Shipperley (33 Reds - 8 Wallabies)
British & Irish Lions
15. Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
14. Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
13. Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers/England)
12. Jonathan Davies (Scarlets/Wales)
11. Tommy Bowe (Ulster/Ireland)
10. Owen Farrell (Saracens/England)
9. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers/England)
1. Makovina Vunipola (Saracens/England)
2. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers/England)
3. Matt Stevens (Saracens/England)
4. Richie Gray (Scotland)
5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers/England)
6. Dan Lydiate (Dragons/Wales)
7. Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
8. Tangaki Taulupe Faletau (Dragons/Wales)
Replacements
16. Richard Hibbard (Ospreys/Wales)
17. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers/England)
18. Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
19. Paul O'Connell (Munster/Ireland)
20. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys/Wales)
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Ireland)
22. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Ireland)
23. George North (Scarlets/Wales
Friday 7 June 2013
Thursday 6 June 2013
O' Driscoll keeps his Pride while Leigh is worth every (Half)Penny and Healy bites off more than he can chew!
OK let's be frank, the first two games for the British and Irish Lions has not been much more than a stretch of the limbs for a majority of the players, yes, it has been two high scoring wins for the Lions but come the first test, these boys will need to remember that it won't be second string cubs they will be playing like those of Western Force, who by any recognition gave a valiant effort against a star studded Lions side led by Brian O' Driscoll.
The Force was with Western briefly at times, they managed to sneak 17 points passed the Lions but their lack of discipline and a vacant defence line meant that the Lions pushed forward with intensity to hack up 69 points onto the scoreboard, when looking at this one may think this is a cause for celebration but realistically, the Lions were expected to go over the centennial mark, especially playing such a weakened side. Key players from the Force team were apparently resting for a Super Rugby clash against the Waratahs, inexperienced youths stood in their places instead, talk about being thrown in at the deep end.
However, with Captain Drico at the helm, he kept his cool and showed exactly why this is his fourth tour, going over the try line not once but twice. Anyone would be convinced that this man could quite literally find a needle in a haystack the way he finds and utilises space, his first try contained all the ingredients necessary to show that even with men outside his vicinity he confidently went it alone, crashing into the corner, using every inch to guarantee his teammates and the crowd that the number 13 is still etched firmly on his back, well, for the time being anyway. It kills me to say this but he was unfortunately, non-existent up until that try, something you don't want on a tour when you are a veteran like O'Driscoll, especially with fresh meat like Davies breathing down your neck, sniffing at the chance for a test match start or two.
Speaking of fresh, young, talented Welshmen, the highlight of the game was Leigh Halfpenny's stunning ability to kick from any direction he was given. He kicked 11 from 11, not even breaking a bead of sweat in the process, very different circumstances I'm sure for Sexton and Farrell who must be sweating buckets after watching the Cardiff Blues fullback hammer each kick neatly over the posts with grace. Halfpenny is possibly one of Europe's finest fullbacks and even with Rob Kearney injured he could still be the number one to start all three test matches, he truly is a prodigy and the fans really get their money's worth watching his raw talent and flare.
So what about Cian Healy? One must feel sorry for the guy to be fair. IF and that's a big if, he did bite Brett Sheehan then it's game, set, match for him and yes his consolation prize should be a plane fare home to Dublin, but looking at the footage it is hard to say what has happened. Healy came out of the tackle looking the worst out of it, nobody in the rugby world likes to see any player from any background carted off on the stretcher, especially in their first Lion's tour, something that is a great honour to any rugby union player. Let's just hope the allegations are false and Healy's leg is on the mend.
Other players that shone through on the night were Dan Cole, Sean O' Brien, Jonny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and Manu Tuilagi. Cole was impeccable at the breakdown while O'Brien prowled on the attack in a consistent manner, Heaslip used momentum and sheer force to keep the game ticking over, while Tuilagi played distinctively well with O'Driscoll, his offloads to Drico were precise and gave the crowd something to smile about. Sexton was probably the best on the field for the night that was in it, his natural way of both play on the field and his kick to touch were top notch and he silently steered the game in the right direction, allowing the superb backline to be unleashed onto the opposition.
So two down and the next match is Saturday against the Reds. Some suggest that the Lions aren't up to scratch, it should be taken into account that these lads are still gelling, getting to grips with how each other plays and building up comradery within the camp. Plus with injury a vital point to avoid during these early games, some may not want to blow a gasket too soon. This may come with a price however, test positions are up for grabs, think of it as a "X-Factor for rugby" scenario and Gatland a Simon Cowell persona. Now is the time to shine because if they don't there's going to be a few very warm benches around Australia in about two weeks time, and I don't mean because of the weather....
The Force was with Western briefly at times, they managed to sneak 17 points passed the Lions but their lack of discipline and a vacant defence line meant that the Lions pushed forward with intensity to hack up 69 points onto the scoreboard, when looking at this one may think this is a cause for celebration but realistically, the Lions were expected to go over the centennial mark, especially playing such a weakened side. Key players from the Force team were apparently resting for a Super Rugby clash against the Waratahs, inexperienced youths stood in their places instead, talk about being thrown in at the deep end.
However, with Captain Drico at the helm, he kept his cool and showed exactly why this is his fourth tour, going over the try line not once but twice. Anyone would be convinced that this man could quite literally find a needle in a haystack the way he finds and utilises space, his first try contained all the ingredients necessary to show that even with men outside his vicinity he confidently went it alone, crashing into the corner, using every inch to guarantee his teammates and the crowd that the number 13 is still etched firmly on his back, well, for the time being anyway. It kills me to say this but he was unfortunately, non-existent up until that try, something you don't want on a tour when you are a veteran like O'Driscoll, especially with fresh meat like Davies breathing down your neck, sniffing at the chance for a test match start or two.
Speaking of fresh, young, talented Welshmen, the highlight of the game was Leigh Halfpenny's stunning ability to kick from any direction he was given. He kicked 11 from 11, not even breaking a bead of sweat in the process, very different circumstances I'm sure for Sexton and Farrell who must be sweating buckets after watching the Cardiff Blues fullback hammer each kick neatly over the posts with grace. Halfpenny is possibly one of Europe's finest fullbacks and even with Rob Kearney injured he could still be the number one to start all three test matches, he truly is a prodigy and the fans really get their money's worth watching his raw talent and flare.
So what about Cian Healy? One must feel sorry for the guy to be fair. IF and that's a big if, he did bite Brett Sheehan then it's game, set, match for him and yes his consolation prize should be a plane fare home to Dublin, but looking at the footage it is hard to say what has happened. Healy came out of the tackle looking the worst out of it, nobody in the rugby world likes to see any player from any background carted off on the stretcher, especially in their first Lion's tour, something that is a great honour to any rugby union player. Let's just hope the allegations are false and Healy's leg is on the mend.
Other players that shone through on the night were Dan Cole, Sean O' Brien, Jonny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and Manu Tuilagi. Cole was impeccable at the breakdown while O'Brien prowled on the attack in a consistent manner, Heaslip used momentum and sheer force to keep the game ticking over, while Tuilagi played distinctively well with O'Driscoll, his offloads to Drico were precise and gave the crowd something to smile about. Sexton was probably the best on the field for the night that was in it, his natural way of both play on the field and his kick to touch were top notch and he silently steered the game in the right direction, allowing the superb backline to be unleashed onto the opposition.
So two down and the next match is Saturday against the Reds. Some suggest that the Lions aren't up to scratch, it should be taken into account that these lads are still gelling, getting to grips with how each other plays and building up comradery within the camp. Plus with injury a vital point to avoid during these early games, some may not want to blow a gasket too soon. This may come with a price however, test positions are up for grabs, think of it as a "X-Factor for rugby" scenario and Gatland a Simon Cowell persona. Now is the time to shine because if they don't there's going to be a few very warm benches around Australia in about two weeks time, and I don't mean because of the weather....
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