Manawatu 6-109 Lions
Discussion
wedgepilot said:
Before the game NZ rugby ledgend Zinzan Brooke said:
"And you can expect the New Zealand provincial side Manawatu to really push them in midweek.
Really? Manawatu are mostly part-timers, easily the weakest team the lions will play.
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4622893.stm[/url]
haven't seen this game, but what i saw of saturday was dire. i could go on about how blinkered woodward was in his selection for last saturday. lets hope that some logic prevails.
wales won a grand slam, with gifted players, coached by a kiwi. they beat the english game...what does that tell you woodward, proof aplenty last saturday.
give the welsh boys a run this weekend.
wales won a grand slam, with gifted players, coached by a kiwi. they beat the english game...what does that tell you woodward, proof aplenty last saturday.
give the welsh boys a run this weekend.
good result, but not sure that it actually means anything in the whole scheme of things. It really was men -v- boys.
Looking forward to Saturday's 2nd Test, though. I hope the boys in red don't allow themselves to be bullied like last Saturday. Why, oh why, didn't somebody chin the AB jumpers in the lineout for instance? "SMACK! Stop pinching our ball, or you'll get another slap."
The ABs were infringing at every lineout - jumping across the gap early, taking our boys out in the air and, when it became clear that the ref wasn't going to do anything about it, what did the Lions do about it? Sweet FA. Pathetic. Johnson and Dallglio would surely have sorted them out? It's up to the players to sort things out if the ref doesn't, and the Lions forwards played like they were trying to win a fair play award. What nonsense.
I'll stop here, because this will turn into a seriously long rant.
Interesting to see that the ABs have 'dropped' 3 players for Saturday - McDonald, Marshall and Howlett, who I thought had very good games (apart from Howlett who didn't really have much to do).
Looking forward to Saturday's 2nd Test, though. I hope the boys in red don't allow themselves to be bullied like last Saturday. Why, oh why, didn't somebody chin the AB jumpers in the lineout for instance? "SMACK! Stop pinching our ball, or you'll get another slap."
The ABs were infringing at every lineout - jumping across the gap early, taking our boys out in the air and, when it became clear that the ref wasn't going to do anything about it, what did the Lions do about it? Sweet FA. Pathetic. Johnson and Dallglio would surely have sorted them out? It's up to the players to sort things out if the ref doesn't, and the Lions forwards played like they were trying to win a fair play award. What nonsense.
I'll stop here, because this will turn into a seriously long rant.
Interesting to see that the ABs have 'dropped' 3 players for Saturday - McDonald, Marshall and Howlett, who I thought had very good games (apart from Howlett who didn't really have much to do).
bouffy said:
good result, but not sure that it actually means anything in the whole scheme of things. It really was men -v- boys.
Looking forward to Saturday's 2nd Test, though. I hope the boys in red don't allow themselves to be bullied like last Saturday. Why, oh why, didn't somebody chin the AB jumpers in the lineout for instance? "SMACK! Stop pinching our ball, or you'll get another slap."
The ABs were infringing at every lineout - jumping across the gap early, taking our boys out in the air and, when it became clear that the ref wasn't going to do anything about it, what did the Lions do about it? Sweet FA. Pathetic. Johnson and Dallglio would surely have sorted them out? It's up to the players to sort things out if the ref doesn't, and the Lions forwards played like they were trying to win a fair play award. What nonsense.
I'll stop here, because this will turn into a seriously long rant.
Agree with that
. Woodward seems to think his teams have to be super clean but it does'nt get them anywhere as the refs still give every penalty against them they can. I hope Umunga gets speared into the turf on every tackle. 
bouffy said:
Looking forward to Saturday's 2nd Test, though. I hope the boys in red don't allow themselves to be bullied like last Saturday. Why, oh why, didn't somebody chin the AB jumpers in the lineout for instance? "SMACK! Stop pinching our ball, or you'll get another slap."
Yet again, Grewcock failing to do what he is best at
A bit of handbags from him would be far better than just nibling someones finger!
bga said:
Looking forward to Saturday's 2nd Test, though. I hope the boys in red don't allow themselves to be bullied like last Saturday. Why, oh why, didn't somebody chin the AB jumpers in the lineout for instance? "SMACK! Stop pinching our ball, or you'll get another slap."
Yet again, Grewcock failing to do what he is best at
A bit of handbags from him would be far better than just nibling someones finger!
...and now that he's been banned, who else is going to step into the ring and stand toe-to-toe with the men in black?
bruciebabe said:
Nice one!
Manawatu are a second rate provincial team. I think it was evident to any one watching the match.
A really interesting fact is that this website: www.theonlineticketshop.com/shopfront/sports/default.asp?eventType_ID=747 Thinks that Palmerston North is in the UK? In the old days it used to be just a half hour drive from Wellington in my car.
I’m not sure about this All Blacks, to be honest they may have been a little bit “rough” but rugby isn’t a game where you would expect a soft touch. I’m not sure that the team they lined up for the first test even played as well as those that had played the Southland provincial team? One New Zealand commentator certainly had it right IMO when he said that the Lions players playing in the test didn’t look like they had played enough together as a team.
Any way hopefully the All Black selectors have been have been a bit cocky for their own good selecting other players to integrate with the existing team, with any luck the Lions will turn up ready to play some serious rugby this time. New referee as well right? That should put an end to finding excuses about those issues.
P.S. Did any one else notice that Tana Umaga had a very lack luster game? He certainly didn’t look anything near sensational to me.
>> Edited by speedy_thrills on Tuesday 28th June 15:09
speedy_thrills said:
I’m not sure about this All Blacks, to be honest they may have been a little bit “rough” but rugby isn’t a game where you would expect a soft touch.
Rough is all good fun & in the spirit of the game. I cannot condone a spear tackle though, outside of the front row it is probably easiest way to snap your neck. from every level I have played (Sunday old mans to Semi-Pro) the spear is a no-no.
The Lions were roughed up out there & were too wussy to respond. I'll never want to see that side of the game go but the men in red need to stand their ground & give as good as they get.
The All Blacks are doing what any side does - pushing the limits of what the ref will allow to see what they can get away with - which unfortunately is far too much - the Manawatu game today saw at least 3 head high tackles going unpunished before the ref binned a player - but he said to the player that it was the third high tackle he'd seen - so why wasn't he penalising them?!!
The Lions look disjointed, unhappy and soft - they need to get some steel into their attitude very quickly, as the game on Saturday will make or break the tour. Whree are the hard tacklers, the maulers, and the hard men? The Lions are being bullied and pushed around at every trun, and seem to be unable to respond. Very sad to see.
Woodward has been dreadful - he is a former tourist, yet doesn't seem to acknowledge or understand the spirit of the Lions ethos, and has taken too many players and far too many managers, so the party is struggling to gel into a coherent unit.
Having said that he has been quite unlucky with a string of injuries, and a lot of players seriously out of form.
The Lions look disjointed, unhappy and soft - they need to get some steel into their attitude very quickly, as the game on Saturday will make or break the tour. Whree are the hard tacklers, the maulers, and the hard men? The Lions are being bullied and pushed around at every trun, and seem to be unable to respond. Very sad to see.
Woodward has been dreadful - he is a former tourist, yet doesn't seem to acknowledge or understand the spirit of the Lions ethos, and has taken too many players and far too many managers, so the party is struggling to gel into a coherent unit.
Having said that he has been quite unlucky with a string of injuries, and a lot of players seriously out of form.
I think Woodward has been a disaster, he just hasn't even lived up to what he said about picking on form not reputation!
I am glad to see Jason White is being flown out as we speak. Not only because I am Scottish but because I believe he is an extremely talented player and not only that but he is a HUGE tackler and will hopefully put some of the Kiwi's in their place! I hope he gets to show his worth.
>> Edited by Ricardo G on Wednesday 29th June 10:37
I am glad to see Jason White is being flown out as we speak. Not only because I am Scottish but because I believe he is an extremely talented player and not only that but he is a HUGE tackler and will hopefully put some of the Kiwi's in their place! I hope he gets to show his worth.
>> Edited by Ricardo G on Wednesday 29th June 10:37
ian d said:
haven't seen this game, but what i saw of saturday was dire. i could go on about how blinkered woodward was in his selection for last saturday. lets hope that some logic prevails.
wales won a grand slam, with gifted players, coached by a kiwi. they beat the english game...what does that tell you woodward, proof aplenty last saturday.
give the welsh boys a run this weekend.
Much as I applaud the gist of your post, I feel honour bound to point out that Mike Ruddock is Welsh born and bred.
All the posters who are saying that Manawatu are a second rate team are absolutely right. They are a mid table first division side in NZ. The equivalent in this country (well, Wales, anyway) would be a team like Bonymaen. Never heard of them? Exactly!
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