Lions Team to Face Sharks

[Munsterboy]

My take on the backs is this:

Phillips, Roberts and BOD have nailed down their spots. Geech is now giving the "possibles" who haven't started with them a a chance to show what they can do. Jones, Kearney, Monye and Bowe all started against the Golden Lions. Now it's ROG, Byrne, Williams and Fitz's turn.

No excuses for Williams this time. If he can't perform in that back division, he's gone.

It's tough on D'Arcy but he's only been out there a few days and Flutey deserves it more given he was picked to tour in the first place. However, neither have much hope it seems.

[AidanSloan]

Ok I stand corrected, maybe people know their history better than me but he went out to the Lions in 2001 it was as replacement at 6 for Dallaglio. I'm sure he spent more time at 6 in his earlier days, but then i had the odd pint or two before a match

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Fairly strong team for the sharks when you consider who they're missing.Could be a great game!

The Sharks

1. Deon Carstens
2. Skipper Badenhorst
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Steven Sykes
5. Johann Muller (Captain)
6. Jacques Botes
7. Jean Deysel
8. Keegan Daniel
9. Rory Kockott
10. Monty Dumond
11. Luzuko Vulindlu
12. Riaan Swanepoel
13. Andries Strauss
14. Chris Jordaan
15. Stefan Terblanche

Replacements
16. Craig Burden
17. Patric Cilliers
18. Albert van den Berg
19. Michael Rhodes
20. Charl McLeod
21. Guy Cronje
22. Lwazi Mvovo

[downsouthdukin]

found this post on the gaurdian website, last paragraph made me laugh..

"Earls is supposedly the biggest mistake in lions history, just saw his try again and it wasn't the play of an ordinary player, can someone tell me of a better alternative 13??? Armitage is a FB.

S Jones team is the one I'd pick,
but Monye is unproven going backwards, Fitz/Kearney are options
and possibly start with Murray and bring on Vickery, altough he doesn't put in a an awful lot around the park
Backrow has right balance and experience together
AWJ to replace POC?? Hines and himself actually know how to pass

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

[Vamos los azules]

Presumably McGeechan reckons Darce could step in at 12 with BOD at 13 without needing game time so that's a combination he doesn't need to look at. Like Jones and Phillips, or Hook and Phillips. With Flutey and Earls having recovered since the call went out to Darce I suspect he doesn't feature too highly in the plans at this stage though
Still trying to figure out the S Williams thing. I had nearly convinced myself earlier that McGeechan was playing him so much now as he had decided that he wasn't going to feature in the tests, though that may be wishful thinking. Hoping Luke puts in a big performance on Wednesday to really stake a claim for the wing because Williams hasn't on any of his attempts.

Big day for ROG too - he needs a huge performance.

Looking like some potential test combinations there in the forwards, though remain to be convinced how well POC and AW Jones will combine. I see Hines as the front runner so far to partner POC for the tests.

[suisse]

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

1. Deon Carstens
2. Skipper Badenhorst
3. Jannie du Plessis
4. Steven Sykes
5. Johann Muller (Captain)
6. Jacques Botes
7. Jean Deysel
8. Keegan Daniel
9. Rory Kockott
10. Monty Dumond
11. Luzuko Vulindlu
12. Riaan Swanepoel
13. Andries Strauss
14. Chris Jordaan
15. Stefan Terblanche

That should just be the best side the Lions play away from Springboks and Emerging Springboks. Two good props, a quality second row, and for all the talk of Cobius Grobbelear in the Golden Lions game, read Keegan Daniel. A great ball carrier, and young enough to make a real impact going forward. He had a decent S14, and against Spies, but is just unlucky given the contenders for his jersey. Jacque Botes is a tank of an openside, and runs great support lines off the base of a scrum supporting his number 8. The Lions will not out-muscle these guys up front.
Then there's Rory Kockett, a goal kicking number 9 who effectively forced Ruan Pienaar to find a job elsewhere in the backs. How come SA keep producing scrum halves of such unbelievable quality? du Preez, Kockett, Pienaar and Januarie would all make an Irish 22. Stefan Terblanche should be in the Senior Bok squad.

That's a really, really good team. Hostile crowd to compliment things in Durban. Good luck, Lions

[downsouthdukin]

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

[harryp]

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

I'd put money on O'Connell being "injured" for either the first or second test

[downsouthdukin]

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

I'd put money on O'Connell being "injured" for either the first or second test

na. o connell owned wyn-jones twice in important games this year. wyn-jones is excellent but poc is better imho.

[ronk]

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

Not really. POC is a great player but he'd run at Dunning, you fecking know it, there's no point denying it.

[hugonaut]

Dunno about that – he offloaded in midfield twice before the tackle in the second half against the Cheetahs, which isn't something you generally see that often in his game. Took the same sort of line that he normally takes and caused the midfield defence to bunch a little, then just gave the pass without making contact. Nice to see that sort of variation in his game, makes him more effective in open field.

[ceemec]

Halfpenny pulled out of squad for tomorrow. Recurrence of thigh injury. Hook called up. Getting a bit silly. Why a winger/fullback is replaced with a 10/12 when you already have a 10/12 on the bench seems pointless. Would've been a perfect opportunity to have a look at Monye again for 20mins for Kearney. Can only assume Monye and Kearney are both certainties to start on Saturday but the questionable selections continue.

Ferris is also gone for a knee scan after sustaining an injury in training this morning. Not good at all.

[downsouthdukin]

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

Not really. POC is a great player but he'd run at Dunning, you fecking know it, there's no point denying it.

perhaps he would but id fancy him to run through the wee fatty all the same and not butcher it

[tinker]

Can't understand the calling up of Hook. I'm trying to keep positive on the Lions selections but it's getting kind of ridiculous at this stage. Kearney, Monye and O'Callaghan must be pulling their hair out at this stage. Plus will o driscoll, roberts, philips, o connell et al (ie first test certs) not be played now until the first test? Am i the only one who thinks it would have been pretty obvious to play the guys who aren't in the reckoning tomorrow, the likely test team on saturday and then go again with the remainder on Tuesday? The coacing staff are hell bent on giving everyone a chance but really there is only a handful of the test team not already picked - left wing, tighthead and blindside...

[suisse]

POC and DOC, the 2 biggest donkeys in rugby, could butcher an overlap with only Matt Dunnning to beat and i don't care if they can benchpress the entire Bok pack

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

It is a low-blow............ how many other props can do this........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAvMKkC1kjA

Dunning is a legend!

[downsouthdukin]

Halfpenny pulled out of squad for tomorrow. Recurrence of thigh injury. Hook called up. Getting a bit silly. Why a winger/fullback is replaced with a 10/12 when you already have a 10/12 on the bench seems pointless..

i would imagine the reason is if anything happened to rog there would be no goalkicker on the bench

[downsouthdukin]

Quality stuff! The funny thing is that post you quoted DDS does not sound like one from a bandwagon rugger fan. There's a hint of knowledge, but a complete misunderstanding of POC's (especially) game.

aye.. there is a element of truth but i think matt dunning is a low blow

It is a low-blow............ how many other props can do this........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAvMKkC1kjA

Dunning is a legend!

haha deadly, nice to see he can actually do something, gwan matt, quality

[ronk]

Can't understand the calling up of Hook. I'm trying to keep positive on the Lions selections but it's getting kind of ridiculous at this stage. Kearney, Monye and O'Callaghan must be pulling their hair out at this stage. Plus will o driscoll, roberts, philips, o connell et al (ie first test certs) not be played now until the first test? Am i the only one who thinks it would have been pretty obvious to play the guys who aren't in the reckoning tomorrow, the likely test team on saturday and then go again with the remainder on Tuesday? The coacing staff are hell bent on giving everyone a chance but really there is only a handful of the test team not already picked - left wing, tighthead and blindside...

1/2p was the reserve goal kicker with Flutey maybe playing 10. Roberts can play wing.

[downsouthdukin]

Can't understand the calling up of Hook. I'm trying to keep positive on the Lions selections but it's getting kind of ridiculous at this stage. Kearney, Monye and O'Callaghan must be pulling their hair out at this stage. Plus will o driscoll, roberts, philips, o connell et al (ie first test certs) not be played now until the first test? Am i the only one who thinks it would have been pretty obvious to play the guys who aren't in the reckoning tomorrow, the likely test team on saturday and then go again with the remainder on Tuesday? The coacing staff are hell bent on giving everyone a chance but really there is only a handful of the test team not already picked - left wing, tighthead and blindside...

1/2p was the reserve goal kicker with Flutey maybe playing 10. Roberts can play wing.

oh come on i totally delt with that 7minutes ago like.......

[dipper]

It is a low-blow............ how many other props can do this........... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAvMKkC1kjA

Dunning is a legend!

haha deadly, nice to see he can actually do something, gwan matt, quality

His team mates were not impressed with that drop goal because it was late in the game and they needed a try. Hence his team mate giving out to him and then him putting his hands on his head realising what a stupid thing he had just done!