British Lions vs NZ

08/07/17 22:58
British Lions Record on Tour:

Played 10
Won 5
Drew 2
Lost 3

If the test series was drawn, then obviously this is the next differentiator and ergo British Lions won the Tour down under!!!

Well done Gatland and the victorious Lions!
08/07/17 23:35
Jon Fox Davies was awesome
09/07/17 01:23
Eddie Jones will have some interesting selection issues going into the next internationals as some positions have several strong candidates from the Lions and the Argentina games. The strength in depth is very encouraging.
09/07/17 01:42
And don't forget that the kiwi media was calling for a 5-0 record in what they called test matches. The kiwis were calling the Maori and the crusaders 'test' matches until they lost them. The kiwi media also was saying they feared that the lions tour was going to end forever because the Lions were going to have an 0-10 record at the end of the tour. Can't wait for 2019, England looks like they could peak at the perfect time
09/07/17 12:07
It was so disappointing. The Northern Hemisphere (Ireland and England in particular) have a golden generation of players. And yet 'the powers that be' choose the coach of an aged Welsh side and he duly picks a Welsh veteran squad with a few guests, and we blow it.

Townsend or Schmidt would have beaten an All Blacks side in transition 2-1 maybe 3-0; instead we do not even win the series.

Warrenball five/ten years ago got the job done (in the Northern Hemisphere), but things have changed and Gatland is not prepared to adapt.

I think it is coming to the point that England should withdraw and leave the 'Celtic Lions'. Everyone wins; the Celts do not have put up with the English, and we (the English) can give players a rest, ready for the next season.
09/07/17 15:12
I'm a little surprised by that sentiment. I thought this was a huge series, especially for England's aspirations in 2019 as some young players got to prove to themselves the ABs aren't immortal. Also, how many Welsh were on the 23 man roster for 2nd and 3rd test? And who are obvious replacements for those that were n the roster? Maybe at lock and flanker, but the rest of the test team seemed quite appropriate to me, and the captain did save game and thus the test series by knowing how to say a lot without saying much with that potential offside penalty. Side note, am I the only one that thought Reed should have been penalized for hitting the man in the air without legitimately having a play at the ball?
09/07/17 19:48
Black Monks :

I'm a little surprised by that sentiment. I thought this was a huge series, especially for England's aspirations in 2019 as some young players got to prove to themselves the ABs aren't immortal. Also, how many Welsh were on the 23 man roster for 2nd and 3rd test? And who are obvious replacements for those that were n the roster? Maybe at lock and flanker, but the rest of the test team seemed quite appropriate to me, and the captain did save game and thus the test series by knowing how to say a lot without saying much with that potential offside penalty. Side note, am I the only one that thought Reed should have been penalized for hitting the man in the air without legitimately having a play at the ball?


Are you really happy with this tour as an England fan?

I am trying not to get personal, but I thought Gatland was a disgrace, and blew it before the first kick off.

The squad should have been so much stronger, but for Gatland's bias for the Welsh.

The test team ended up picking itself because the players who should have been in the 'midweek team' fighting for test places were in Argentina and Japan.

It amazes me Gatland is giving a free pass for his bizarre replacement picks and then not even having the bottle to play them.

But the good news for me and I suspect most English fans, is that the general manager of the tour has stated English based players may not picked in future as the English club sides are to hard to deal with and too anti Lions.
09/07/17 20:33
First I'm not an England fan, wouldn't claim to be such in the midst of lifelong fans. The first match I ever saw i was in grade school and watched the all blacks, the second game I saw i was playing the game a decade later. I'm far from a historian but I love this game. From an outsider perspective I do think this tour benefited england more than anyone. As far as the midweek team you very well could be correct, but it is a mod week team. Could Eddie have asked for his players to not be picked if they were mid week players? Could the clubs have prevented some selections? You all just went to New Zealand and at worst made a draw for the tour and at best won the tour and England has a lot of players that will be in the next 2 world cups just get some amazing experience.
09/07/17 22:27
Black Monks :

First I'm not an England fan, wouldn't claim to be such in the midst of lifelong fans. The first match I ever saw i was in grade school and watched the all blacks, the second game I saw i was playing the game a decade later. I'm far from a historian but I love this game. From an outsider perspective I do think this tour benefited england more than anyone. As far as the midweek team you very well could be correct, but it is a mod week team. Could Eddie have asked for his players to not be picked if they were mid week players? Could the clubs have prevented some selections? You all just went to New Zealand and at worst made a draw for the tour and at best won the tour and England has a lot of players that will be in the next 2 world cups just get some amazing experience.


The Lions have no power over the clubs in England; the picking of the players for The Lions is up to the clubs, they have the players under contract. There is an agreement between England and the clubs, but that has nothing to do with The Lions.

The season goes on for so long now, that The Lions tour is becoming less and less viable, and with the new international calendar coming out post World Cup 19, there is going to be an even bigger squeeze on The Lions (five tour games tops; of which the first match will be one week after the end of the English season, so these players will not be able to play if picked in the squad).
11/07/17 16:46
At the end of the day NZ are the curremt double world champs. They are miles ahead of any other team. What the Lions did was some achievement drawing them in heir own back yard.

So,e players came to the fore, the back 3, SOB, Itoje, Falatau, and JD2. The last 4 players would get selected for the AB side. Warbuton showed he was correct choice as captain too, his actions secured the draw.