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British and Irish Lions Tour 2025 - Australia

Farrel is an absolute quality player so no reason why he shouldn’t be there. This is his 4th Lions Tour. Won 1, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 and been a big cog in all 3 so far.

I think that England need to pick players from other leagues. This premiership only nonsense is a joke.
 
Not the greatest performance. I still think the Lions are just over running their support lines a touch.

Mitchell looks sharp on the front foot. Still a few high balls that are far too short to be impactful. Earls looks every bit the test 8. Think Jones did himself a massive favour. Keenan and Hansen didn’t have the greatest run outs.
 


Not sure I agree that the Centre pair will be the test pair

Both Jones and Tuipulotu have shown stepped up

Agree on the back 3 of Kinghorn , Lowe and Freeman ,

9 and 10 are certainties but Mitchell will run GP close

Furlong and Genge will cement their places with a good game - Sheehan a definite

McCarthy will prob get the nod next to Itodje

Back row will be interesting because I think Berne has done well there

Pollock going to be impact off the bench
 
Slightly off topic but waiting for the Lions match and put on NZ vs France.
Just watching the Haka and was thinking is there anything like it in any other sport?
Also how do we think teams should react when facing it?
I’m not thinking about being disrespectful but mentally are you better just facing it or should you as a team form a huddle or go full on Richard Cockerel?
 
Feeling disappointed for all my Welsh mates. I know from past experience when there are no Scots in a Lions team, that as much as I of course still want the Lions to rout the opposition playing great rugby, I feel less emotionally engaged…and emotional engagement makes a huge difference for me when watching any sport.
 
Slightly off topic but waiting for the Lions match and put on NZ vs France.
Just watching the Haka and was thinking is there anything like it in any other sport?
Also how do we think teams should react when facing it?
I’m not thinking about being disrespectful but mentally are you better just facing it or should you as a team form a huddle or go full on Richard Cockerel?
The haka is a thing of beauty. Faced one from a few kiwi mates just for the fun of it. Properly intimidating but made you revved up. I think face it up and take it in. Boks always face it up
 
Slightly off topic but waiting for the Lions match and put on NZ vs France.
Just watching the Haka and was thinking is there anything like it in any other sport?
Also how do we think teams should react when facing it?
I’m not thinking about being disrespectful but mentally are you better just facing it or should you as a team form a huddle or go full on Richard Cockerel?
Was it the French a number of years ago who walked towards them collectively and got in their faces? That's how you deal with it imo. It's an attempt to psychologically get one up on the opposition, the opposition have the right to challenge that.
 
Got to say, the idea of going on a Lions Tour as a fan sounds bloody brilliant. A dream one day to have the money to afford it and the lack of responsibilities to take the time for it!

And this first half hasn't been too shabby either!
 
Good 1st half, 2nd half not so good… Both our scrum halves endlessly kicking the ball away and providing Australia with possession was poor. Our back 3 didn’t do a lot today.
 
Good 1st half, 2nd half not so good… Both our scrum halves endlessly kicking the ball away and providing Australia with possession was poor. Our back 3 didn’t do a lot today.

I thought the last 20 mins was all Oz. They didn’t look like they would score enough at 12-24. The Australians will have learned plenty from that match. Next one will be interesting…
 
I thought the last 20 mins was all Oz. They didn’t look like they would score enough at 12-24. The Australians will have learned plenty from that match. Next one will be interesting…
Hopefully Farrel will have learned something as well, although I was disappointed with the zero impact from the bench today.
 
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