Lions

[fineintent]

What's everyone's opinion on the Tour, as it is practically over?

I was impressed by 20 minutes of the second test, before Carter took over - seriously, that's a fly-half. He outshone the half fit Wilkinson, who should have spent the summer rehabing rather than playing against the best team in the world. He's out of the third test by the way, which I guess means O'Gara at fly half - who's not great, but it's worthwhile having a look at him I guess.

Thomas, Thompson and Easterby were all decent yesterday - with Williams, O'Callahan and Robinson having shocking games. It's hard to fathom why Robinson is even on the tour, he's a shadow of himself two years ago. We've seriously missed Johnson, Dallaglio and O'Driscoll - but even with them available, I'm sure NZ would have still been rampant. Full credit to them.

[Liam]

What's everyone's opinion on the Tour, as it is practically over?

I was impressed by 20 minutes of the second test, before Carter took over - seriously, that's a fly-half. He outshone the half fit Wilkinson, who should have spent the summer rehabing rather than playing against the best team in the world. He's out of the third test by the way, which I guess means O'Gara at fly half - who's not great, but it's worthwhile having a look at him I guess.

Thomas, Thompson and Easterby were all decent yesterday - with Williams, O'Callahan and Robinson having shocking games. It's hard to fathom why Robinson is even on the tour, he's a shadow of himself two years ago. We've seriously missed Johnson, Dallaglio and O'Driscoll - but even with them available, I'm sure NZ would have still been rampant. Full credit to them.

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Who is that one other person? OH...ME, ME, PICK ME! >_>

I didn't get to see the match, but I just generally feel that Woodward has made the mistake of not playing a consistent team week in week out. Most old Lions teams had a Wednesday team, and a Saturday team, so they got used to palying with each other. I commend the idea of getting as many people involved as possible, but it means that a lot haven't played much together, against a team that has been built upon since the World Cup. I won't lynch Woodward for it (like some do), but he's been a bit of a let down.

[lanky316]

Woodward has been piss poor with his management of the whole thing, picking old and past it players (well Back) and leaving a space open for an unfit Wilkinson can't have been the best start to confidence of all these players.

He's not a good motivator for the non-english players, the "For queen and country" stuff may work on public schoolboys but it won't motivate a group of hairy highlanders or IRA sympathisers. Don't get me started on how few of the grandslam winning Welsh players have been picked...