BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?)
- 
							
							
							
							
Hansen was well informed:http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/19650619/british-irish-lions-call-reinforcements-midweek-games Finn Russell, Scott Williams, Hamish Watson could be handy. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@pakman said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): Hansen was well informed:http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/19650619/british-irish-lions-call-reinforcements-midweek-games Finn Russell, Scott Williams, Hamish Watson could be handy. He must have picked up some useful hotel bugging tricks from somewhere 
- 
							
							
							
							
From a mate Gatland's making it clear that any British person with a pulse or recently deceased in New Zealand will be a Lion before Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley. Magic. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): From a mate Gatland's making it clear that any British person with a pulse or recently deceased in New Zealand will be a Lion before Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley. Magic. Nel and either Gray brother should quite rightfully be spitting fucken tacks that there nobodies are in the squad before them. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@MN5 said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): From a mate Gatland's making it clear that any British person with a pulse or recently deceased in New Zealand will be a Lion before Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley. Magic. Nel and either Gray brother should quite rightfully be spitting fucken tacks that there nobodies are in the squad before them. Definitely on today's performance. NOT! 
- 
							
							
							
							
@MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MN5 said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): From a mate Gatland's making it clear that any British person with a pulse or recently deceased in New Zealand will be a Lion before Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley. Magic. Nel and either Gray brother should quite rightfully be spitting fucken tacks that there nobodies are in the squad before them. Definitely on today's performance. NOT! You're assuming MN5 actually watches rugby? 
- 
							
							
							
							
@Bones said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MN5 said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MiketheSnow said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): From a mate Gatland's making it clear that any British person with a pulse or recently deceased in New Zealand will be a Lion before Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley. Magic. Nel and either Gray brother should quite rightfully be spitting fucken tacks that there nobodies are in the squad before them. Definitely on today's performance. NOT! You're assuming MN5 actually watches rugby? Fuck off raghead. Don't ruin my buzz 
- 
							
							
							
							
Here we go again  If Farrell is fit 1 - Vunipola 
 2 - Owens / George - can see either of these starting. I think George is better off the bench
 3 - Furlong
 4 - Kruis
 5 - AWJ / Itoje - can see either of these starting. I think Itoje is better off the bench
 6 - O'Mahoney - Captain if Warburton is on the bench
 7 - Warburton / O'Brien - can see either of these starting. I think O'Brien is better off the bench
 8 - Faletau
 9 - Murray
 10 - Farrell
 11 - Daly - Won't happen, but North should be nowehere near the Test 23
 12 - Te'o
 13 - Davies
 14 - Watson
 15 - Halfpenny16 - George / Owens 
 17 - McGrath
 18 - Sinckler
 19 - Itoje /AWJ
 20 - O'Brien / Warburton
 21 - Webb
 22 - Sexton
 23 - Williams - not been great but covers wing and fullbackIf Farrell isn't fit, then Sexton to 10 and Biggar to bench instead of Williams 
- 
							
							
							
							
Not going to be far off with that. For me you start the best players as you want them playing more of the game. No point being good off the bench if you are 20-30 points down when they come on. Know Eddie has had success with it with England but he starts Itoje and George only benches as Hartley is captain. The other 'finishers' for England are Sinckler and Te'o who are probably struggling for a start in front of Cole and Farrell. George and Owens is actually pretty even for me saying that. You'd perhaps go George to keep the 2, 4, 5 club unit together at lineout time. Itoje is a better player than AWJ for me, so starts. Henderson was very good off the bench today, so will be interesting to see what Gatland does with the locks. Agree re North, not the game he needed to cement his place and I would go Daly. Watson also quiet today, but he had little space to work with. Wouldn't be entirely surprised to see him spring a SOB, Warburton, Faletau back row, but we'll see. 
- 
							
							
							
							
From this weekends game I would hope that we don't fan out to quickly after a ruck is formed. We can at times get caught with only A Smith defending behind the ruck and a couple of big boys powering through to get in behind us. I hope we take the Lions on up front the way we do when the Bok's and the English say they are going to smash us up front and starve us of the ball. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@No-Quarter said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): This is what I think they'll go with for test one: 1 Moody 
 2 Taylor
 3 Franks
 4 Retallick
 5 Whitelock
 6 Kaino
 7 Cane
 8 Read
 9 A Smith
 10 B Barrett
 11 J Savea
 12 Crotty
 13 ALB
 14 Dagg
 15 B Smith
 16 Harris
 17 Crockett
 18 Faumuina
 19 Romano
 20 A Savea
 21 TJP
 22 Cruden
 23 SBWIt's pretty easy to pick an AB team, and I think what I chose above has just solidified following recent results. Only change I'd make is SBW to start with Crotty on the bench due to Crotty's lack of game-time. A Smith has done enough to warrant a start. As has J Savea. Romano or Scott Barrett is the only other point of contention, but I think they've been keeping Romano on ice and will use him in test one due to his experience. 
- 
							
							
							
							
I also prefer SBW to start. Problem with that is Crotty doesn't appear to offer much impact as a sub. Added to Cruden being unlikely to be used as tactical sub and that means bench becomes very injury focussed. Crotty/ALB suffers from lack of grunt, albeit wouldn't be such an issue if Farrell at 12. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@No-Quarter said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @No-Quarter said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): This is what I think they'll go with for test one: 1 Moody 
 2 Taylor
 3 Franks
 4 Retallick
 5 Whitelock
 6 Kaino
 7 Cane
 8 Read
 9 A Smith
 10 B Barrett
 11 J Savea
 12 Crotty
 13 ALB
 14 Dagg
 15 B Smith
 16 Harris
 17 Crockett
 18 Faumuina
 19 Romano
 20 A Savea
 21 TJP
 22 Cruden
 23 SBWIt's pretty easy to pick an AB team, and I think what I chose above has just solidified following recent results. Only change I'd make is SBW to start with Crotty on the bench due to Crotty's lack of game-time. A Smith has done enough to warrant a start. As has J Savea. Romano or Scott Barrett is the only other point of contention, but I think they've been keeping Romano on ice and will use him in test one due to his experience. What are the strengths/weaknesses of Barrett vs Romano? I'm asking for a friend who doesnt know rugby that well. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@taniwharugby said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MN5 one of Scotts weaknesses is that he isn't as fast as Beaudie or Jordie Unless it's a race to the dinner table 
- 
							
							
							
							
@MN5 said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @No-Quarter said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @No-Quarter said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): This is what I think they'll go with for test one: 1 Moody 
 2 Taylor
 3 Franks
 4 Retallick
 5 Whitelock
 6 Kaino
 7 Cane
 8 Read
 9 A Smith
 10 B Barrett
 11 J Savea
 12 Crotty
 13 ALB
 14 Dagg
 15 B Smith
 16 Harris
 17 Crockett
 18 Faumuina
 19 Romano
 20 A Savea
 21 TJP
 22 Cruden
 23 SBWIt's pretty easy to pick an AB team, and I think what I chose above has just solidified following recent results. Only change I'd make is SBW to start with Crotty on the bench due to Crotty's lack of game-time. A Smith has done enough to warrant a start. As has J Savea. Romano or Scott Barrett is the only other point of contention, but I think they've been keeping Romano on ice and will use him in test one due to his experience. What are the strengths/weaknesses of Barrett vs Romano? I'm asking for a friend who doesnt know rugby that well. Hah, Barrett has a better all-round game but doesn't bring quite the same physicality as Romano, which is why I'd go Romano as a bench option for impact, as well as experience. 
- 
							
							
							
							
@taniwharugby said in BIL & AB teams for Test #1 (AKA - who's impressing you at the moment?): @MN5 one of Scotts weaknesses is that he isn't as fast as Beaudie or Jordie True. But apparently Scott the better mile runner, so an endurance man. I'd go Romano first up. He's been a very good off the bench option this year. But either way you're getting a good lock. 
- 
							
							
							
							










