No BOD in the decider!

[CheltenhamHacker]

So the lions team for the decider has Roberts and Davies in the centre, and BOD doesn't even make the 23.

Very gutsy call by Gatland. I still fancy the lions to win, just!

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Full team:

15 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales),
14 Tommy Bowe (Ireland),
13 Jonathan Davies (Wales),
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales),
11 George North (Wales),
10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
9 Mike Phillips (Wales);
1 Alex Corbisiero (England),
2 Richard Hibbard (Wales),
3 Adam Jones (Wales),
4 Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales),
5 Geoff Parling (England),
6 Dan Lydiate (Wales),
7 Sean O'Brien (Ireland),
8 Toby Faletau (Wales)



Replacements: Tom Youngs (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Dan Cole (England), Richie Gray (Scotland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Conor Murray (Ireland), Owen Farrell (England), Manu Tuilagi (England)

 

[USER1999]

So it's Wales versus the Aussies.

I think the Aussies have got it in the bag.

 

[coolhand]

Gatland has bottled it and decided it's more important to appease his employers and the guys that will be playing for him come the Autumn than try to win a Lions tour. Poor choices.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

So it's Wales versus the Aussies.

I think the Aussies have got it in the bag.

Despite being Welsh, i'm actually a little disappointed in this selection, mainly because of BOD though! Looking at it, i'm not sure who else I would replace... Definitely agree Faletau deserved a stab, he has been on top top form! Maybe replace Lydiate if i'm being very tough....

 

[User20205]

There is just no plan b! It's bash or nothing. When the driving mauls and driving round the fringes gets stopped then what?

Bod hasn't been great offensively in the series but no one has really

This is the first time I've watched the lions & thought I'd rather be watching England

 

[Aztecs27]

Wales haven't won in Australia since 1985. It will take a miracle now.

 

[bladeplayer]

So it's Wales versus the Aussies.

I think the Aussies have got it in the bag.

Gatland has bottled it and decided it's more important to appease his employers and the guys that will be playing for him come the Autumn than try to win a Lions tour. Poor choices.

Phew i thought it was just me who though this , surely surely surely there are more than 5 guys capable of starting in the other 3 countries combined ,
I hope they win as they have been unfortunate with injuries to match winners .. i can see them been beaten by 10 ot more tho

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Hypothetically, who would you change? I try to be objective, but being Welsh, i have a slight bias!

 

[bladeplayer]

i would have matched the half backs & 7 & 8 to guys that were used to playing with each others , continuity will be needed so players need to know each others games , i didnt think heaslip would make the starting line ups in the test matches but if he was putting seany at 7 id put heaslip beside him ..

I think if the game was close BoD (as much as i cant stand the clown , we have has issues me and him ha) would have been a good head to come off the bench ,,

I think the biggest loss will prove to be o connell & the oversight at the start not to bring the scottish no 5 .. Jim whats his name, big guy with the beard , for me the best 2nd row in all of the 6 nations


EDIT ... but hey its easy over here to say it wrong ha , i wouldnt have enough knowledge to pick a club 3rd team let alone a lions team ha

 

[Foxholer]

Haven't actually been particularly impressed with either side in fact. Little flair or imagination by the more experienced Lions and Aus are still in 'rebuild' mode.

Injuries have obviously taken their toll - and Warburton will be the 1 player who will be missed imo. BoD hasn't been in his usual sparkling form and it's not an unreasonable, if tough, decision to drop him - though I'd have thought he'd make the bench.

Lions teams have always seem to perform best when dominated by Welsh imo. My father used to explain it as Welsh sulking otherwise!

Current state (1-1) seems pretty fair to me and an interesting, if not full-strength decider to come. Hoping Lions win, but pick Aus - by about 5!

 

[User20205]

Hypothetically, who would you change? I try to be objective, but being Welsh, i have a slight bias!

Good question. For me it's not about personnel. It's about style. If you change style, and play less structured you'd put in Ben youngs, Tom croft, Justin tipuric. Maybe Manu & BOD who may be a better broken field combination.

When England beat the Aussies back to back in 2011 it was about a breaking scrum half, good set piece and good use of turnover ball

 

[Aztecs27]

Good question. For me it's not about personnel. It's about style. If you change style, and play less structured you'd put in Ben youngs, Tom croft, Justin tipuric. Maybe Manu & BOD who may be a better broken field combination.

When England beat the Aussies back to back in 2011 it was about a breaking scrum half, good set piece and good use of turnover ball

Very much this. And as Bladeplayer says, O'Connell has been missed since his injury and Big Jim Hamliton's exclusion from the side is mind boggling.

 

[coolhand]

Hypothetically, who would you change? I try to be objective, but being Welsh, i have a slight bias!

15 Leigh Halfpenny
14 Tommy Bowe
13 BOD (we need a leader in the backs, he'd rather die than let the Aussie's win)
12 Jamie Roberts/ Manu Tuilagi (the other on the bench)
11 George North (Wales),
10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
9 Conor Murray (the best scrum half on tour and a settled 1/2 back combination, with Youngs on the bench in case we have to chase the game)
1 Alex Corbisiero (England),
2 Richard Hibbard (Wales),
3 Adam Jones (Wales),
4 Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales),
5 Geoff Parling (England),
6 Tom Croft (we must win the breakdown and the line outs),
7 Sean O'Brien (Ireland),
8 Toby Faletau (Wales)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

No BOD - disappointed for him and would liked to have seen him a winning captain - but Roberts and Davies in the centre is plenty good for me.

 

[Adi2Dassler]

Considering The Lions very rarely get the ball past #10 this makes no difference at all.Gatland must play the dullest style of rugby ever.

 

[Rooter]

Well someone is not happy!

[video=youtube_share;Deg1bQt1rzQ]http://youtu.be/Deg1bQt1rzQ[/video]

 

[steviep]

15 Leigh Halfpenny
14 Tommy Bowe
13 BOD (we need a leader in the backs, he'd rather die than let the Aussie's win)
12 Jamie Roberts/ Manu Tuilagi (the other on the bench)
11 George North (Wales),
10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
9 Conor Murray (the best scrum half on tour and a settled 1/2 back combination, with Youngs on the bench in case we have to chase the game)
1 Alex Corbisiero (England),
2 Richard Hibbard (Wales),
3 Adam Jones (Wales),
4 Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales),
5 Geoff Parling (England),
6 Tom Croft (we must win the breakdown and the line outs),
7 Sean O'Brien (Ireland),
8 Toby Faletau (Wales)

I can't understand why BO'D has been left out, huge call by Gatland.

Croft spends too much time out in the midfield to influence the breakdown. Lydiate is a better option at 6, stops everything on the gain line, he does the graft which lets 7 and 8 do their jobs.

Would also have liked to see Richie Gray/Ian Evans in the second row instead of Parling

 

[User20205]

I can't understand why BO'D has been left out, huge call by Gatland.

Croft spends too much time out in the midfield to influence the breakdown. Lydiate is a better option at 6, stops everything on the gain line, he does the graft which lets 7 and 8 do their jobs.

Would also have liked to see Richie Gray/Ian Evans in the second row instead of Parling

Look at the stats from last week. Top tackler was vunipola with 17 attempted 2 missed, bod and parling were next with 14 each non missed. Lydiate was something like 12 attempted 2 missed. The man is a revolving door

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

/Ian Evans in the second row instead of Parling

I can only imagine how the Non-welsh fans would have reacted if that had happened as well!