The last time the British and Irish Lions toured here, 2001, Australian teams won three contests: the last two Tests and the Australia A game.
The Lions won all the other matches – they beat Western Australia, a Queensland Presidents XV, the Reds, the Waratahs, a NSW Country side and the Brumbies who went down by two points.
In these six ‘junior’ games, the Lions ran up 358 points, almost a third of them coming from the Western Australia match, but this was before serious rugby had come to that part of the world.
The Lions gave up a total of 79 points. However, I think the margins will be a lot thinner this time.
The Lions open their tour in Perth against the Force, then take on the Reds at Suncorp. Four days later, they go up against a combined NSW/Queensland Country side in Newcastle, followed by the Tahs game in Sydney, and the Brumbies match in Canberra.
Two days after this the first Test takes place. After the last of the provincial games, against the Rebels, we come to the final two internationals.
Although it’s impossible to know at this stage who’ll make the Wallaby squad, the 25 names already chosen give us a guide as to which players won’t be available for their home side.
As of this moment, only Cummins and maybe McMeniman will be missing from the Force, but the Reds will be without a whole raft of talent, although it appears the team will include Quade Cooper.
There willl be quite a bunch missing from the Tahs and Brumbies too, and I invite Roarers to name candidates for all three of these teams to face the invaders.
I doubt the Lions will be defeated in any of these junior games, but by the time June 22 rolls around there’s little doubt the visitors will be bruised, battered and missing a little skin.
I’m not suggesting there’ll be thuggery – nobody will get mugged like Brian O’Driscoll was in New Zealand – but a number of guys will be determined to show Robbie Deans that he made a mistake overlooking them and will be breathing fire.
And as all these local teams will want to turn it on in front of their home crowd, the tackling and the cleanouts promise to be thunderous.
To win two Tests, Warren Gatland’s going to have to put out his best side. But with six proud teams doing legitimate damage, he could lose the series on a TKO.
Derm
Roar Guru
Can't say I've ever seen Scots, Welsh or Irish wearing monocles. Stereotyping much?
peeeko
Roar Guru
but its not really a QLD side anymore, its a super rugby franchise where players move interstate all the time
wallythefly
Guest
Can someone tell me who won't be available for the provincial games against the Lions; is it the whole Wallabies squad of 30, the 22 or starting XV?
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Bakkies To whom must he bind to? I see a prop "sealing" of the ball and him entering a ruck and no SA player to bind to. He went in to bind to a opposition player and did counter rucking. If you look on the Lions 2 did the exact same thing to Botha. Only thing is Botha don't shatter that easily Jones himself said it Botha did nothing wrong. As for Mortlock what is he doing in the ruck? When Botha was on the field rugby was like it should be. Backs are in the backline and forwards contest the ruck. If they forgot about that thing then guys like Botha shows them why they don't belong in a ruck. Sure it does look bad when a guy like Botha hits a 78kg winger or something but would it look as bad when a 78kg of a winger do the same to him? No.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Bakkies My point >.................................................................................................................................................................................... > > > > > > > You ........................................................................................................................................................................... Both sides did it at the one wasn't going to stand back for another. Intimidation is one of the major things used in the game. Lions 97 used Johnson as captain specifically to scare opposing teams at the coin toss. As for calling rugby players soft planks I bet you wouldn't even lasted 5 minutes in that game.
Bakkies
Guest
Bakkies was unbound and was on his feet after hitting Jones. It was nowhere as obvious as the one where he dropped his shoulder in to Mortlock's head. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7CM-_JlG64 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJBKpcM9l7M
Bakkies
Guest
O'Driscoll had one arm on Rossouw. He didn't even hit him with his shoulder. Rossouw is just a soft plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCVCXiVecl4
Neuen
Roar Rookie
And in 2009 Bakkies Botha was banned for clearing ruck. What made the citing sort of ridiculous is that the Lions players did the same sort of thing minutes later. Of course when you clear a ruck and the guy who was standing over the ball is going to be knocked back and its impossible for Botha to stay on his feet. O'Driscoll with no hander tackle putting Russouw in Disney Land - Not cited Sheridan with his nut cracker - Not cited O'Driscoll with his punch on Matfield not cited All be it the 2nd test was one of the most grueling games of rugby I ever saw in a long time and one a person walked away from feeling its one of the great games witnessed
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Western Province has beaten the British and Irish Lions numerous of times, including three times in 1903 and won another match in 1924, the match then had been regarded as "test" status.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
@Bakkies What about the Irish against Australia?
Bakkies
Guest
and the Cheetahs and WP came close to winning.
Bakkies
Guest
''ps – this wasnt a spear tackle it was a clean out. the law of “if u lift a player then its your responsibility to put them down safely ” doest apply here. it was a clean out.'' Absolute nonsense it was a clear out. Both sets of players had left the ruck and the ball had moved to another breakdown. Umaga picked him up on the inside thigh and along with Mealamu (who I can't stand by the way particularly after that nonsensical appeal for a blatant headbutt against England which was reduced). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SgYSqEa9AI
Bakkies
Guest
Thanks for the comedy. You are wrong about both players.
Bakkies
Guest
''Nonsense … go back and look at the game and you’ll see Australia was on top and probably should have been out of sight before a desperate English revival in the last 20 minutes.'' Look at it from the other angle. England botched so many attacking opportunities and overlaps in that Final. Another two were stopped by a deliberate Campese knock on (which I would have done myself) and desperate tackle from Eales.
Jerry
Guest
Or Michael Brial or Brendan Cannon or....Pot kettle etc.
reality bites
Guest
This blog reminds me of the first time I met New Zealanders. I had a holiday in New Caledonia when I was 17 and a couple of kiwis spent half the night telling me 'Aussie' jokes while simultaneously complaining about Australia's attitude towards them. The fact I'd never met a New Zealander before, never been to New Zealand and had absolutely no preconcieved ideas about the place didn't seem to matter. I think it's called parochialism with a mix of insecurity thrown in.
reality bites
Guest
Jesus, are you joking?
reality bites
Guest
Just don't mention Colin Meads, Tana Umaga, or Hoare
Ralph Stanfield
Roar Rookie
The best thing aboutthis game for me is the South African and Lions players working together about 2 months after the Lions tour. Best sport in the world mate
Kiwi in Europe
Guest
It was unfortunate incicident. Tana was an aggressive rugby player and cleaned him and lost control Mid Air, I dont think he tried too deliberatly take BOD out of play. Apart from this incident he has a history of being a hard but fair rugby player. However it was reckless which.he and the ABs were lucky that they were not suspended for at least 1 or 2 tests which defintely would have had a different outcome in the series. NZ still would have won I believe, but would have been a lot closer. Now hows this for theories. Had Tana been suspended for the series. Conrad Smith would have been selected as Centre and McCaw as captain. This may have resulted in McCaw being a stronger captain by the 2007 World Cup and Smith would cemented as Centre. Which could have resulted in a stronger leadership side and Victory over France in the 1/4 Final.