I bet Ian McGeechan

[ookook]

.. is feeling a bit daft after Tom Croft - (who he left behind initially for the Lions tour) had another storming game in the back row and looks a good bet for a test spot... WTF was he even thinking in the first place leaving one of the most naturally talented back rows for years out of the squad?

[GCR99]

He was looking at the big picture and how the Springboks play, in particular, at the breakdown. Alan Quinlan is the master at the breakdown and does what Richard Hill and Neil Back used to do for England and The Lions. His thinking was that he needed a "dog" at the crucial breakdown area and Crofty was lacking in that area.
I agree that Tom Croft is an incredible talent, and hopefully he will show what he can do in the Tests.

[Mich the Tester]

Is the Lions tour about taking talented youngsters or is it about taking a bunch of hardened, proven performers to face the most challenging tour of their lifetime?

Sure the Geech might make the occasional mistake but I still think he’s among the best coaches in the world.

[ookook]

Alan Quinlan age 34

John Smit age 31
Schalk Burger age 27
Pierre Spies age 24

So its about talented youngsters for the Sprinkbok side (excluding Smit).

Croft doesnt play as a "dog" - thats what Martin Williams is for. Like Back, and Hill is an ex-open side from his Sarries days (and both masters of the breakdown).

Nothing wrong with playing old boys, it worked fine for us in the World Cup but come on, I like McGeechan but it was a howler.

[oracleslave]

Nothing wrong with playing old boys, it worked fine for us in the World Cup

36-0

[Mich the Tester]

Alan Quinlan age 34

John Smit age 31
Schalk Burger age 27
Pierre Spies age 24

So its about talented youngsters for the Sprinkbok side (excluding Smit).

Croft doesnt play as a "dog" - thats what Martin Williams is for. Like Back, and Hill is an ex-open side from his Sarries days (and both masters of the breakdown).

Nothing wrong with playing old boys, it worked fine for us in the World Cup but come on, I like McGeechan but it was a howler.

It's only with the benefit of hindsight that you can say that. Croft played well; sometimes in Lions tours guys come to the fore whom no-one expected would be the stars. Anyway, there's loads of competition in the back row and it wouldn't surprise me if someone else makes a good claim for a test spot too.

[ookook]

Well with the benefit of foresight he would there have been there in the first place. Anyway I agree there's tough competion for the back row, and as a flanker myself thats the only important bit

Wallace, Heaslip/Powell, Croft at a guess for the test lineup

[Mich the Tester]

Anyway I agree there's tough competion for the back row, and as a flanker myself thats the only important bit

Wallace, Heaslip/Powell, Croft at a guess for the test lineup

As a blind side/no8 I'd say that the front row and second row are usually a good bunch of lads as well but I've never figured out what the rest are there for.

I wouldn't leave Martin Williams out of the test team personally.

[ookook]

The rest of the team outside the forwards are there to knock on, lose the ball in contact, run into each other, miss tackles, comb hair and make us backrow do all the work.

[Mich the Tester]

The rest of the team outside the forwards are there to knock on, lose the ball in contact, run into each other, miss tackles, comb hair and make us backrow do all the work.

Do you have any idea what a 'double dummy scissors' move is? I don't. I don't even know the difference between a 'scissors' and a 'loop' but I do know they both end up with the ball bouncing around on the ground and the ref blowing for a scrum to the opposition.