NPR

Biffer wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:09 pm Shall we all stop putting 50p in the dickhead?

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:16 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:10 pm

SaintK wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 7:46 am
Brief summary so you don't have to go back on the thread
All the English players were shite. All the Scottish players were brilliant
And what the fuck is Marcus Smith doing on tour?

That's a very Sweaty-centric opinion.

The plastic jock on the wing was the worst player on the pitch. The plastic jock in the centre was nearly as shite. The plastic jock in the front row was ok.

Absolute fucking nonsense. Just confirming your appalling lack of credibility on this bored.
Tuipoloto was probably the most solid player on the pitch and Duhan did nothing worse than Freeman.

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Biffer wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:09 pm Shall we all stop putting 50p in the dickhead?

Yeah, you're right. Uninformed, ignorant bigots best ignored.

SaintK wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:29 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:16 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:10 pm


That's a very Sweaty-centric opinion.

The plastic jock on the wing was the worst player on the pitch. The plastic jock in the centre was nearly as shite. The plastic jock in the front row was ok.

Absolute fucking nonsense. Just confirming your appalling lack of credibility on this bored.
Tuipoloto was probably the most solid player on the pitch and Duhan did nothing worse than Freeman.

Point of order
In the 3 player rating list I saw VdM was a 5 and Freeman was a 7.
Which I think is probably correct from what I saw.

Dogbert wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:29 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Biffer wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:09 pm Shall we all stop putting 50p in the dickhead?

Yeah, you're right. Uninformed, ignorant bigots best ignored.

Nothing like a Lions tour to bring all four nations together

Wyndham Upalot wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:06 pm For once, it's great to sit on the periphery and witness the inevitable pissing contest unravel.

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:49 pm

Dogbert wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:29 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:23 pm

Yeah, you're right. Uninformed, ignorant bigots best ignored.

Nothing like a Lions tour to bring all four nations together

The reality is most on here are making quite reasonable, informed assessments but that trolling dick is just being a fool.

el capitan wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:10 pm At tier 1 Test match rugby level, Marcus Smith is a specialist for the 22 shirt only.

Not coherent enough with his play for 10, lacking the fundamentals and knowledge for 15. I think he can be a different option to bring on first receiver or fitted in wider if you're chasing the game.... But if the incumbent 10 is Russell, you'd probably just leave him on for the Hail Mary stuff in that case.

As for the match, felt the forwards went fairly well but the backs less so. Lack of cohesion and looking a bit disjointed got punished.

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:30 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:49 pm

Dogbert wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:29 pm

Nothing like a Lions tour to bring all four nations together

The reality is most on here are making quite reasonable, informed assessments but that trolling dick is just being a fool.

When you have a kindred swarm around you sending you echoes it's easy to think that you are in the ascendant and correct. The Jocks in this place have zero self-awareness. Your lads really aren't the be all and end all, even the ones who are genuinely Scottish. Russell and Kinghorn are quality, the rest, especially the project plastics, should not be on the tour.

Slick wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 6:19 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:30 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:49 pm

The reality is most on here are making quite reasonable, informed assessments but that trolling dick is just being a fool.

When you have a kindred swarm around you sending you echoes it's easy to think that you are in the ascendant and correct. The Jocks in this place have zero self-awareness. Your lads really aren't the be all and end all, even the ones who are genuinely Scottish. Russell and Kinghorn are quality, the rest, especially the project plastics, should not be on the tour.

You know there are more English than Scots on here? The reason you don’t have a supporting swarm probably goes back to that self awareness, bar bore thing. Just a thought.

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 6:47 pm

Slick wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 6:19 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:30 pm


When you have a kindred swarm around you sending you echoes it's easy to think that you are in the ascendant and correct. The Jocks in this place have zero self-awareness. Your lads really aren't the be all and end all, even the ones who are genuinely Scottish. Russell and Kinghorn are quality, the rest, especially the project plastics, should not be on the tour.

You know there are more English than Scots on here? The reason you don’t have a supporting swarm probably goes back to that self awareness, bar bore thing. Just a thought.

Being English is a broad church that accepts all sorts, but being unencumbered with an inferiority complex is something we largely share.

Slick wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 7:11 pm

Kawazaki wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 6:47 pm

Slick wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 6:19 pm

You know there are more English than Scots on here? The reason you don’t have a supporting swarm probably goes back to that self awareness, bar bore thing. Just a thought.

Being English is a broad church that accepts all sorts, but being unencumbered with an inferiority complex is something we largely share.

And still they all think you are a dick

Paddington Bear wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 9:37 am

dpedin wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 9:05 am

Paddington Bear wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 8:44 am Pleased that we learned that the players from [insert nation here] were excellent and let down by the players from [insert nation here].

Argentina are a serious side and should be no one’s idea of a training run. I’d be very interested to see how a fully loaded England would go against them in a three test series this summer, can’t imagine we’d win 3-0.

Not sure we learned anything new really, the players who are fairly widely seen as not Lions test players (LCD, Earl, VDM, Hansen, Morgan, Williams, Pollock, Mitchell) showed why that is and the rest muddled through as well as they could. M.Smith full back experiment once again hopelessly exposed.

We’ll see, but asking players in this day and age to whip themselves into test match shape in boiling heat at the end of a full bore season is asking a hell of a lot.

Don't disagree with much of that but the last sentence also applies to Argentina who were also without a raft of first choice players, players who have come off the end of a long hard season, had little preparation time and yet seemed to have a bit more energy and cohesiveness about their game.

I was just disappointed with the lack of control and direction that the Lions had on the game. Lots of individuals but little cohesion. I thought they would adopt a more pragmatic game plan, keep it tight and use powerful pack better before opening up a little in 2nd half. I suppose the poor line out didnt help though?

No doubt about that, but with that said Argentina play regular international rugby as a unit, I suspect England Scotland and Ireland would have looked more cohesive last night than the Lions did.

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 9:40 am I’m finding the differing views on Freeman quite interesting. Seems split down the middle on social media and was the same amongst a group of friends I was swimming with this morning

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 9:40 am I’m finding the differing views on Freeman quite interesting. Seems split down the middle on social media and was the same amongst a group of friends I was swimming with this morning

The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 9:40 am I’m finding the differing views on Freeman quite interesting. Seems split down the middle on social media and was the same amongst a group of friends I was swimming with this morning

The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

Big D wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:09 pm

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 9:40 am I’m finding the differing views on Freeman quite interesting. Seems split down the middle on social media and was the same amongst a group of friends I was swimming with this morning

The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

If Kinghorn makes it to tour it wouldn't surprise me to see them try a back 3 of Kinghorn, Lowe and Keenan in the game the Saturday before the 1st test.

Biffer wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:17 pm

Big D wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:09 pm

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am
The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

If Kinghorn makes it to tour it wouldn't surprise me to see them try a back 3 of Kinghorn, Lowe and Keenan in the game the Saturday before the 1st test.

Kinghorn is a player who can be used very imaginatively if the coach using him has the imagination to do it. Towns end does it a bit, but doesnt have to think about it really as he's playing fullback and stepping up into the line as you'd expect a FB to do, but also able to be either an alternate ten or second receiver.

If you're playing him in the wing, you can see there might be other ways you use him - have you seen much of a wing coming inside to pop up as an alternate distributor, rather than just as an extra man to create space? Question is, is Farrell imaginative enough to do things like that. My instinct is not.

This is part of my problem with Lions coach picks. They have a tendency recently to go with who's successful - understandable. But you've got to examine their success. Both Farrell and Gatland have succeeded with a very disciplined, some might say rigid, game plan. I'm not sure that works for the Lions. It needs a coach who looks at the resources he has, and then designs a system around them (step forward Geech and Telfer). Who knows, AF might surprise me.

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:06 am

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 9:40 am I’m finding the differing views on Freeman quite interesting. Seems split down the middle on social media and was the same amongst a group of friends I was swimming with this morning

The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

Yeah, I liked the fact he was putting himself out there and kept going, but find a 8/10 bizarre, he made a lot of mistakes. Either way, I don’t think that game should particularly count for too much as we go forward

Biffer wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:17 pm

Big D wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:09 pm

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am
The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

If Kinghorn makes it to tour it wouldn't surprise me to see them try a back 3 of Kinghorn, Lowe and Keenan in the game the Saturday before the 1st test.

Kinghorn is a player who can be used very imaginatively if the coach using him has the imagination to do it. Towns end does it a bit, but doesnt have to think about it really as he's playing fullback and stepping up into the line as you'd expect a FB to do, but also able to be either an alternate ten or second receiver.

If you're playing him in the wing, you can see there might be other ways you use him - have you seen much of a wing coming inside to pop up as an alternate distributor, rather than just as an extra man to create space? Question is, is Farrell imaginative enough to do things like that. My instinct is not.

This is part of my problem with Lions coach picks. They have a tendency recently to go with who's successful - understandable. But you've got to examine their success. Both Farrell and Gatland have succeeded with a very disciplined, some might say rigid, game plan. I'm not sure that works for the Lions. It needs a coach who looks at the resources he has, and then designs a system around them (step forward Geech and Telfer). Who knows, AF might surprise me.

Blackmac wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:23 pm

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:06 am

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:06 am
The Rugby Paper gave him an 8 all the other ratings I've seen have been 7
I thought he was ok, couple of errors but was busy looking for work. Will be interesting to see how Lowe an AN Other go next week against WEstern Force

Yeah, I liked the fact he was putting himself out there and kept going, but find a 8/10 bizarre, he made a lot of mistakes. Either way, I don’t think that game should particularly count for too much as we go forward

That's what I thought. Quite a glaring missed tackle for the first try, horrendously out of position for the third, but other that than very busy and reasonable effective going forward. I don't view lost high balls as that disastrous as I think it is a poor bloody hit and miss tactic.

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 2:37 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:23 pm

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 11:06 am

Yeah, I liked the fact he was putting himself out there and kept going, but find a 8/10 bizarre, he made a lot of mistakes. Either way, I don’t think that game should particularly count for too much as we go forward

That's what I thought. Quite a glaring missed tackle for the first try, horrendously out of position for the third, but other that than very busy and reasonable effective going forward. I don't view lost high balls as that disastrous as I think it is a poor bloody hit and miss tactic.

Think that's because Smith wasn't where he should have been?

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 2:55 pm Reports saying that there are still doubts on the fitness of Gibson-Park and Keenan for next Saturdays match
Huw Jones fit and ready for selection

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:31 pm

As I said in another post, one of my big takeaways from Friday is that I am very worried about AF being able to adapt to what he has. Really all he has brought to Ireland is continuity and a team that looks like it is in slow decline. Possibly a bit harsh, but I don’t think he is the messiah

Blackmac wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 3:24 pm

SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 2:37 pm

Blackmac wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:23 pm


That's what I thought. Quite a glaring missed tackle for the first try, horrendously out of position for the third, but other that than very busy and reasonable effective going forward. I don't view lost high balls as that disastrous as I think it is a poor bloody hit and miss tactic.

Think that's because Smith wasn't where he should have been?

Yeah, Freeman didn't get within a couple of metres of making a tackle, Smith was half the width of the pitch away.

Uncle fester wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 5:33 pm

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:31 pm

As I said in another post, one of my big takeaways from Friday is that I am very worried about AF being able to adapt to what he has. Really all he has brought to Ireland is continuity and a team that looks like it is in slow decline. Possibly a bit harsh, but I don’t think he is the messiah

All he has brought?
What are you smoking?

He took over a shambles after Schmidt and has won championships, grand slams, test series in New Zealand and inflicted South Africa's first home defeat since 2022, while playing the most positive rugby we've played in decades.

I get that you really don't like Ireland and there are some odd selections but there's no need to make silly stuff up and hope to convince others by repeating it over and over.

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 7:57 pm Weird casting shade on Farrell’s record. Only Rassie has done better in the last decade.

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:19 pm

Sandstorm wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 7:57 pm Weird casting shade on Farrell’s record. Only Rassie has done better in the last decade.

This is my nightmare post, Irish rugby and Rassie.

“Casting shade”, hope you have a self uppercut incoming

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 6:01 pm

Uncle fester wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 5:33 pm

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 1:31 pm

As I said in another post, one of my big takeaways from Friday is that I am very worried about AF being able to adapt to what he has. Really all he has brought to Ireland is continuity and a team that looks like it is in slow decline. Possibly a bit harsh, but I don’t think he is the messiah

All he has brought?
What are you smoking?

He took over a shambles after Schmidt and has won championships, grand slams, test series in New Zealand and inflicted South Africa's first home defeat since 2022, while playing the most positive rugby we've played in decades.

I get that you really don't like Ireland and there are some odd selections but there's no need to make silly stuff up and hope to convince others by repeating it over and over.

Yeah fair enough, that was a rushed post. I do think that he came in under a system that was geared to winning and had been winning and hasn’t done much to develop that beyond making it more rigid. Not sure I agree that Ireland have played lovely rugby under him. It remains to be seen if he can adapt. I’ve got zero against Farrell.

Uncle fester wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 8:39 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 6:01 pm

Uncle fester wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 5:33 pm

All he has brought?
What are you smoking?

He took over a shambles after Schmidt and has won championships, grand slams, test series in New Zealand and inflicted South Africa's first home defeat since 2022, while playing the most positive rugby we've played in decades.

I get that you really don't like Ireland and there are some odd selections but there's no need to make silly stuff up and hope to convince others by repeating it over and over.

Yeah fair enough, that was a rushed post. I do think that he came in under a system that was geared to winning and had been winning and hasn’t done much to develop that beyond making it more rigid. Not sure I agree that Ireland have played lovely rugby under him. It remains to be seen if he can adapt. I’ve got zero against Farrell.

You clearly haven't watched any Ireland games other than when they play Scotland. Schmidt was the rigid one. The style has loosened significantly under Farrell.

You don't have zero against Farrell. You're just plain ignorant and that's even worse.

Slick wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:02 am

Uncle fester wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 8:39 am

Slick wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 6:01 pm

Yeah fair enough, that was a rushed post. I do think that he came in under a system that was geared to winning and had been winning and hasn’t done much to develop that beyond making it more rigid. Not sure I agree that Ireland have played lovely rugby under him. It remains to be seen if he can adapt. I’ve got zero against Farrell.

You clearly haven't watched any Ireland games other than when they play Scotland. Schmidt was the rigid one. The style has loosened significantly under Farrell.

You don't have zero against Farrell. You're just plain ignorant and that's even worse.

One out bosh and clear out beyond the ball, one out bosh and illegal entry into the ruck, one out bosh and flop over the top of the ruck, cheeky little run around. Genius.

SaintK wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:28 am

Slick wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:02 am

Uncle fester wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 8:39 am

You clearly haven't watched any Ireland games other than when they play Scotland. Schmidt was the rigid one. The style has loosened significantly under Farrell.

You don't have zero against Farrell. You're just plain ignorant and that's even worse.

One out bosh and clear out beyond the ball, one out bosh and illegal entry into the ruck, one out bosh and flop over the top of the ruck, cheeky little run around. Genius.

Fixed for you

Biffer wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:09 pm Shall we all stop putting 50p in the dickhead?