All Blacks 21 Lions 3
that'll teach them suckers.. plenty to say.. haven't been near a computer since i began my great rugby odyssey.. been collecting the newspapers from the Sunday News to Monday's edition of the Christchurch Press.. it's just all over the New Zealand - and British - media as u'd expect..
but firstly what an experience.. worth $115 and more.. even with that awful weather.. ironic isn't it.. Dunedin is supposed to be colder than Christchurch but in all the games i've been there, God has never thrown his spitballs, even though it sure felt like the South Pole.. prob the worst conditions for a game i could possibly encounter.. there was hail, wind, rain.. couldn't see the game in the last 15 minutes coz it was just too wet.. even with a poncho over me.. brrr...
there will be photos up shortly, but coz i'm away in Sydney right now, and dint bring my cable i just can't.. but there are plenty of terrific shots ranging from me with this Welsh guy, to Jonny's praying mantis, etc.. fabulous shots.. and i love Jade Stadium, it's a world different from the small old Brook.. the big Paul Kelly Stand.. even the DB Draught stand was big.. certainly a world class venue if there was any..
but to the game.. and what can i say? from my vantage point in the front row of the temporary Castle Stand - where Sivivatu did score a try in front of me - the Lions looked disorganized, bereft of ideas and especially after the departure of Brian O'Driscoll, leaderless.. their lineouts were a shambles, with or without O'Connell.. certainly not a lucky night for the Irish who prob forgot their four-leaved clover.. Byrne had a night to forget, and O'Connell got sent off for being miles offside early in the game.. but really when he came back there really wasn't much difference, the Lions lineouts were still as slippery as a tomato sandwich on a hot day..
give credit to Ali Williams though.. a magnificent performance from a player i haven't really been a fan of in recent times.. but this was the game to shut the critics up and he did so brilliantly.. capped off a man-of-the-match-if-any performance with a superb try from another shambolic Lions lineout..
and also to every other All Black who on the night were superb from 1 to 22.. in bad weather conditions, they showed why New Zealand is still the premier rugby nation even though the ABs haven't won the World Cup since Czechoslovakia was still a nation.. the Lions could easily have been Japan and Portugal on that night.. there really was only one team in it..
you can say one team was brilliant and the other was just abject.. for a Lions fan this prob would have been the equivalent of the All Blacks' disastrous World Cup semifinal against Australia.. and a bit worse.. apart from Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones, the Lions just didn't play as a Lion should.. the tactic of playing two flyhalfs just dint work coz one of them just couldn't kick.. or rather both of them.. their tackling was fine, but really when u're kicking down the throats of McDonald or Carter, u're not expecting them to kick back unless they're on their own try line.. then again they really needed to tackle hard out coz otherwise the embarassment would have been far bigger..
McCaw along with Collins and So'oialo reigned over Hill, Back and Corry.. and even after Hill's departure, they still had the measure over the Lions loose trio even with an in-form Welsh dragon in Ryan Jones.. and of coz the scrum, Meleamu had a strong game, and Woodcock and Hayman had the wood over their much-vaunted opponents..
so to one big question.. was O'Driscoll illegally spear-tackled? well from what i saw, i think Umaga and Meleamu were just trying to clean up the ruck as u'd expect.. happens all the time.. bugger off Brian.. and Woodie.. so he dint get a camera angle on that, well Schappelle Corby dint get the cameras on her luggage when they were needed.. get over it..
have just taken a look at the Manawatu game.. looks like Corry, Robinson are out of the test running.. Martyn Williams is also not in it coz he's playing.. so watch out for an Easterby-Moody-R Jones trio.. and Gavin Henson definitely.. a reminder that Tom Shanklin, someone who would definitely have been in for the Wellington game after Saturday, is out of the tour as well.. along with Danny Grewcock - u idiot - Richard Hill and Brian O'Driscoll..
well will post the pics once i reach Dunedin.. and i can say i've done 6 of the 10 things that i wanted to do in Christchurch.. couldn't find blond Lions fan but hey the Welsh guy was p close.. and met another English guy on the plane to Sydney.. not a bad effort at all.. as the Lions close their tour of the South Island, memories have been made.. the Lions, even if they will end up being ultimately the most disappointing Lions to tour New Zealand, have put up a terrific show that even Chris Martin couldn't match..
but firstly what an experience.. worth $115 and more.. even with that awful weather.. ironic isn't it.. Dunedin is supposed to be colder than Christchurch but in all the games i've been there, God has never thrown his spitballs, even though it sure felt like the South Pole.. prob the worst conditions for a game i could possibly encounter.. there was hail, wind, rain.. couldn't see the game in the last 15 minutes coz it was just too wet.. even with a poncho over me.. brrr...
there will be photos up shortly, but coz i'm away in Sydney right now, and dint bring my cable i just can't.. but there are plenty of terrific shots ranging from me with this Welsh guy, to Jonny's praying mantis, etc.. fabulous shots.. and i love Jade Stadium, it's a world different from the small old Brook.. the big Paul Kelly Stand.. even the DB Draught stand was big.. certainly a world class venue if there was any..
but to the game.. and what can i say? from my vantage point in the front row of the temporary Castle Stand - where Sivivatu did score a try in front of me - the Lions looked disorganized, bereft of ideas and especially after the departure of Brian O'Driscoll, leaderless.. their lineouts were a shambles, with or without O'Connell.. certainly not a lucky night for the Irish who prob forgot their four-leaved clover.. Byrne had a night to forget, and O'Connell got sent off for being miles offside early in the game.. but really when he came back there really wasn't much difference, the Lions lineouts were still as slippery as a tomato sandwich on a hot day..
give credit to Ali Williams though.. a magnificent performance from a player i haven't really been a fan of in recent times.. but this was the game to shut the critics up and he did so brilliantly.. capped off a man-of-the-match-if-any performance with a superb try from another shambolic Lions lineout..
and also to every other All Black who on the night were superb from 1 to 22.. in bad weather conditions, they showed why New Zealand is still the premier rugby nation even though the ABs haven't won the World Cup since Czechoslovakia was still a nation.. the Lions could easily have been Japan and Portugal on that night.. there really was only one team in it..
you can say one team was brilliant and the other was just abject.. for a Lions fan this prob would have been the equivalent of the All Blacks' disastrous World Cup semifinal against Australia.. and a bit worse.. apart from Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones, the Lions just didn't play as a Lion should.. the tactic of playing two flyhalfs just dint work coz one of them just couldn't kick.. or rather both of them.. their tackling was fine, but really when u're kicking down the throats of McDonald or Carter, u're not expecting them to kick back unless they're on their own try line.. then again they really needed to tackle hard out coz otherwise the embarassment would have been far bigger..
McCaw along with Collins and So'oialo reigned over Hill, Back and Corry.. and even after Hill's departure, they still had the measure over the Lions loose trio even with an in-form Welsh dragon in Ryan Jones.. and of coz the scrum, Meleamu had a strong game, and Woodcock and Hayman had the wood over their much-vaunted opponents..
so to one big question.. was O'Driscoll illegally spear-tackled? well from what i saw, i think Umaga and Meleamu were just trying to clean up the ruck as u'd expect.. happens all the time.. bugger off Brian.. and Woodie.. so he dint get a camera angle on that, well Schappelle Corby dint get the cameras on her luggage when they were needed.. get over it..
have just taken a look at the Manawatu game.. looks like Corry, Robinson are out of the test running.. Martyn Williams is also not in it coz he's playing.. so watch out for an Easterby-Moody-R Jones trio.. and Gavin Henson definitely.. a reminder that Tom Shanklin, someone who would definitely have been in for the Wellington game after Saturday, is out of the tour as well.. along with Danny Grewcock - u idiot - Richard Hill and Brian O'Driscoll..
well will post the pics once i reach Dunedin.. and i can say i've done 6 of the 10 things that i wanted to do in Christchurch.. couldn't find blond Lions fan but hey the Welsh guy was p close.. and met another English guy on the plane to Sydney.. not a bad effort at all.. as the Lions close their tour of the South Island, memories have been made.. the Lions, even if they will end up being ultimately the most disappointing Lions to tour New Zealand, have put up a terrific show that even Chris Martin couldn't match..
posted by Unknown at 12:48 am
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