The Lions tour is over and it encapsulated all that is good about rugby. There are a few things we can and can’t say after this tour.
We can say
A series of Test matches is the way forward. It’s going backwards to go forwards but multiple Tests against the same team over a three week period is great for rugby.
It’s how it used to be. Generally the June tour window has seen a different visiting Northern Hemisphere side playing the Wallabies each week.
The addition of midweek games gives the touring side more to play for too and extra revenue raising games for the states.
We can’t say
Rugby is back to its attacking best… yet. There were too many penalties and too many penalty shots.
It’s getting there though. Rugby lost its way for a while there, but the break down seems to be getting refereed a lot better and the players understand how to clear it better.
Some of the tries this series were magical.
We can say
Israel Folau is the real deal. I hope he stays in rugby. Him playing in front of 4000 spectators in an empty ANZ stadium for the Bulldogs is just a waste.
We can say
Anything Israel Folau can do, George North can carry on his shoulders. Strong and fast, his defence against Folau last night was outstanding.
We can’t say
Warren Gatland favouring Welsh players for the final Test was selection madness. All the changes fired, notably that of Jamie Roberts who came in for Brian O’Driscoll. Toby Faletau was immense, Alan Wyn-Jones took over where Sam Warburton left off.
We can say
The scrum is an important attacking and defensive tool. Furthering on from that, we can say Australia need a level of consistency in it’s scrummaging not yet there, sometimes good yet often times on roller skates.
We can say
Every team wishes they had Leigh Halfpenny. The same can be said of Will Genia, the two outstanding players of the series.
We can’t say
The Wallabies selections were right, personnel or positional. Jesse Mogg has to be in there somewhere, he was a rare bright spark in the third Test. Wycliff Palu had his best game in the third Test however due to lack of match preparation it took him two Tests to arrive at his best
We can say
Ben Mowen should be wearing gold for a long time to come. Lineout leader, strong with ball and in defence, this tour has been the making of the man.
We can’t say
James O’Connor is our best 10. He simply isn’t. His tactical kicking was not good enough. His game management was not good enough.
I can see Robbie Dean’s idea that he creates space either side of him when he takes it to the line, his try and Adam Ashley-Cooper’s try showed this, however two attacking moments in three Tests is not a good ratio.
We can say
Eating Burger King at 4am on a Wednesday actually is a great pre game preparation. We won that Test.
We can say
Thanks to the Lions supporters. From all reports (or lack of police reports), the British and Irish supporters were great craic, great singers and better drinkers. How rugby fans should be. The economy and the sport thank you.
We can’t say
“We’ll get em’ next year!” It will be 12 long years until the Lions are back on our shores.
Can George Smith pull off a miracle?
Garth
Guest
NZ teams do see the scrum as a points scoring weapon, it's just that they prefer to use it as a launch pad for trys, not 3 pointers.
Mantis
Roar Guru
He was clearly exaggerating
mania
Guest
considering the calibre of the aus team on paper, they got owned.
mania
Guest
"Eating Burger King at 4am on a Wednesday actually is a great pre game preparation. We won that Test." yes fully agree.
dwayne
Guest
OMG!
oh diana
Guest
stillmatic 1 - a rugby athlete is somebody like Ioane, whereas Folau - while being athletically blessed - is a beautifully gifted, rugby footballer down to his bootlaces. He carries the football with a lofty, languid grace and executes rugby fundamentals with a high degree of skill and style. Honestly, hand on heart, what more could the bloke have done? There are none so blind as those who will not see...
oh diana
Guest
If you're talking of Folau's second try, Sailosi then a cursory glance at the readily available footage will show you Folau side-stepping Sexton with his right foot, a left hand fend on Corbisiero and a burst on the outside of a despairing dive by the man of the series, Halfpenny.
Glenn Condell
Guest
If the 50-50 calls always go against them they're more like 100-0 calls aren't they?
Cameron Treloar
Roar Guru
Fair call James. It seems bulldogs averaged 23000 last year. That puts Stadium Australia at a bit over 1/4 capacity. It feels empty was the point I poorly made. I am actually a life long Dragons fan and love Rugby League. I played it at junior level in my hometown, waited in line for what felt like forever for Ricky Walfords autograph and decked my house out in red and white streamers for the grand finals St George played in the 90's. However, to leave Rugby to play in a 1/4 full stadium is a waste. You may sight waratahs attendance, but Folau will play up to 13 test matches this season in full stadiums all over the world, Rugby league does not offer that. It was a badly researched figure as you said, but the fact remains.
Matt
Guest
From a neutral perspective it was fair to say that the scrum law changes can't come soon enough. The scrum is supposed to be a safe, fast and contestable means of restarting play following a minor infringement. Instead we have a slow, unsafe and non-contestable means of gaining penalty shots at goal based on the referees assumption. I don't think many rugby fans could argue that there is a different attitude to scrummaging between the hemispheres. Australia and New Zealand in particular treat the scrum as a necessary evil in order to play the game, not a weapon for points. The only difference being that New Zealand usually have a scrum capable of competing so they don't get caught out like the Wallabies on the weekend. European teams like to see the scrum as a weapon for gaining points. If they can win the ball they will not clear the ball and instead try to gain a penalty. I can't argue with the ruthlessness of that winning mentality, after all it is professional sport and you use the advantages you have. However, I think it is time for the IRB to review not only the need to feed the ball straight and reduce the force at the hit (both are part of the imminent scrum trial laws). They should look at placing a safety limit on the distance a scrum can move before a team can win the contest, without forcing a retreating pack to fold backwards on top of itself or splinter dangerously. If a scrum can only move from the mark by 1-2 metres then teams have ample chance to win possession and hook the ball. Any more than that and you run the risk of uncontrolled collapse and also encourage teams not to restart play quickly but to keep the ball in and look for a penalty. Let's allow the players to decide the game, not referee guesswork.
yeah, right!
Guest
Rugby in Australia was not the winner on the day. Despite the great tries too much of this game was taken up with stoppages, scrums, and penalties. Incidentally under the current laws teams must not intentionally delay forming a scrum. Sanction free kick. If this law was enforced there would have been a lot of free kicks coming Australia's way.
yeah, right!
Guest
After a game like this, any criticism of the scrum will be seen as sour grapes. It is not. I think the fact that the Lions team manager Andy Irvine has urged the IRB to rethink scrum laws says it all: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/02/lions-andy-irvine-australia-third-test The scrum is supposed to be a fast restart to play after a minor infringement (as stated under current laws). It is not supposed to be the focus of the whole match.
Sandy B
Guest
Do the league auditors still count in twos?
Peeeko
Guest
Yes they do. Here are the stats. http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/2013.html -2103. . http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/2012.html And the broncos ave averaged 32k for the last two years
Peeeko
Guest
Good to see you know how he feels about the 2 games. Are you psychic or a personal friend?
James
Guest
Good for him bakkies. I do hope the weather is good. But this website ends in .au and he made a very average comment on Nrl which he clearly doesn't know anything about. Next time I make an average comment regarding french ru without researching it, please pick it up.
Bakkies
Guest
NZ also plays on soft tracks in the winter.
Bakkies
Guest
James, Cam plays his Rugby in France I doubt NRL is covered there or on his radar to watch early in the morning.
stillmatic1
Guest
agreed. i was thinking the same thing and was also wondering how over blown the hyperbole would have been if it was falou scoring some of the great solo tries by some of the kiwi teams of late (gear on saturday night, the last minute try by the saders from their own tryline the week before). falou is an athlete, but not a rugby player yet. i suppose the proliterati have to blow everything he does out of proportion considering how much they have paid him!!
gaffa
Guest
Id say it also come down to the conditions that we are brought up on fast dry pitchs made for running rugby. Compare that with the NH wet soft tracks were a strong scrum and a good kicker wins games.