ronk wrote: ↑May 7th, 2021, 12:31 amJags won the draft. Highest rated player in 10 years is available and they get him. Pat's 2nd. They get a guy who was expected to be 3rd but fell to 15 and is is exactly what they need.
Leinster did great. Conan and Porter picked (good for them and no more Porter to loosehead nonsense). Guys with injury concerns left out so no Sexton, Ryan, Doris or Ringrose.
Like the old line about the consequences of the French Revolution - it’s too soon to tell! An argument made to me says the chiefs win every draft until somebody drafts a player who winds up to be better than mahomes. I dunno!
Sorry to nit pick but I only found out quite recently that Zhou Enlai was asked about, and referring to, Les evenements of 1968, not the French Revolution. From Nixon's translator on the visit.
I know it sounds cool as being some kind of inscrutable, ancient Chinese comment on fleeting western civilisation but the Chinese state at that point was less than 25 years old after at least a century of being run by other countries.
ronk wrote: ↑May 8th, 2021, 8:48 am
In that case Chicago won because they get a chance to be remembered for something other than for picking Trubisky ahead of Mahomes.
Gatland left the Irish guys who've been struggling with injury and brought players who are 100%
ronk wrote: ↑May 7th, 2021, 12:31 amJags won the draft. Highest rated player in 10 years is available and they get him. Pat's 2nd. They get a guy who was expected to be 3rd but fell to 15 and is is exactly what they need.
Leinster did great. Conan and Porter picked (good for them and no more Porter to loosehead nonsense). Guys with injury concerns left out so no Sexton, Ryan, Doris or Ringrose.
Like the old line about the consequences of the French Revolution - it’s too soon to tell! An argument made to me says the chiefs win every draft until somebody drafts a player who winds up to be better than mahomes. I dunno!
Sorry to nit pick but I only found out quite recently that Zhou Enlai was asked about, and referring to, Les evenements of 1968, not the French Revolution. From Nixon's translator on the visit.
I know it sounds cool as being some kind of inscrutable, ancient Chinese comment on fleeting western civilisation but the Chinese state at that point was less than 25 years old after at least a century of being run by other countries.
I watched that, thought he made a load of sense about the No8s selected.
True.
I think the selection also shows how different Gatland is from Jones and Farrell. A lot of cases here where subs are travelling ahead of the starters.
He's also picked a few guys who can kick the leather off the ball. Murray makes sense if they are planning on box kicking in certain parts of the field or want that threat.
Good video that. Makes me even more nervous about Henshaw making it back in one piece though.
“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”
I see that SA are struggling to get some opposition for warm up games and might have to resort to probables v possibles etc.
Again I wonder if Leinster (and others) could volunteer to play them, especially now that it’s confirmed that the Ireland tour is off. We are still playing two games but it’s not like they’re important.
CiaranIrl wrote: ↑May 9th, 2021, 5:59 pm
Good video that. Makes me even more nervous about Henshaw making it back in one piece though.
It’ll be worth it if we win the test series
I wouldn't sacrifice a player for that in a month of Sundays.
“As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”
JB1973 wrote: ↑May 10th, 2021, 10:52 am
I watched a load of prem and pro 14 rugby this weekend, some players really stood out
Watson and LRZ are both rapid and both look really dangerous, on current form they have to be the test match wingers as it stands
Murray now looks to be streets ahead to get the 9 jersey
Simons maybe a tad light to play 8 vs the boks but he knows where the try line is, I'll say that for him
Biggar took a really heavy head knock and failed a hia , which is never a good thing
On the down side I hate to say it but both awj and toby f looked well under par in their matches and look they are already on the plane mentally
Simmonds equalled Neil back’s English premiership try record at the weekend for a season. It’s quite an achievement. Neil back was a great player, but his tries were generally from mauls whereas Simmonds scores in a good variety of ways.
I always liked Simmonds. He got his England run perhaps a bit early in his career. We hammered them at one stage and I remember the withering criticism by one of the ex-English internationals. It was along the lines of they are a bit of a joke - playing backs in the forwards, and trying to play forwards in the backline. It is essentially what OSS points out squidge is suggesting Gatland is going to try to do now. Although he didn’t get much of a sniff against Leinster, I do think Simmonds is a better player than he was then. I’m pretty happy England jettisoned him tbh.
I thought that Gatland was possibly kind of picking a few people who weren’t getting games to suggest these coaches aren’t as good as the ones I faced in my day, they are doing it all wrong - mydayitis. But squidge’s video makes a good case there.
I rate Conan and Simmons but I'd very surprised if it isn't toby f in the lions jersey come the test matches
One of the guys left out Synkler had a great game vs bath and spoke very well about how much missing out on the lions meant to him, came across quite well in fairness to him
JB1973 wrote: ↑May 10th, 2021, 10:52 amOn the down side I hate to say it but both awj and toby f looked well under par in their matches and look they are already on the plane mentally
I know it's a well worn trope but not surprising to hear based on experience seeing Welsh players for club vs for country.