By lions eye
June 5 2009

Cheetahs v Lions Sat 06/6/09 Vodacom Park Bloemfontein The British and Irish Lions will go into this game buoyed up from the resounding win midweek.

Cheetahs v Lions 
Sat 06/6/09 
Vodacom Park Bloemfontein

The British and Irish Lions will go into this game buoyed up from the resounding win midweek.  One player who will not feature will be Riki Flutey who suffered and injury last weekend. Although Flutey's injury is only a  minor setback, Gordon D'Arcy  got a late call up as a possible replacement for Flutey.

British Lions Riki Flutey during the Tour match at Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Phokeng, South Africa.  Royal Highveld XV v British and Irish Lions 

Picture by Empics

"Riki is continuing to get treatment but he won't be available for this weekend,  "Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree told the Telegraph.

"It is important that we get Leigh into the tour, get him on the ground and get him playing.   "D'Arcy will possibly also possibly be in the mix at the weekend, depending on how he is".

Injury wise Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald were both passed fit having recovered from respective shoulder and knee / chest infection problems.   Also Leigh Halfpenny's arrival after treatment on a quad injury back home in Cardiff has also improved McGeechan's options ahead of what is expected to be a challenge against another Super 14 outfit in Bloemfontein.

The team to face the Cheetahs has been announced as follows:

15. Lee Byrne (Ospreys & Wales)
14. Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues & Wales)
13. Keith Earls (Munster & Ireland)
12. Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster & Ireland)
11. Shane Williams (Ospreys & Wales)
10. James Hook (Ospreys & Wales)
9. Harry Ellis (Leicester & England)

1. Andrew Sheridan (Sale & England)
2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh & Scotland)
3. Euan Murray (Northampton & Scotland)
4. Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster & Ireland)
5. Paul O'Connell (Munster & Ireland - capt)
6. Stephen Ferris (Ulster & Ireland)
7. Joe Worsley (Wasps & England)
8. Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues & Wales)

Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets & Wales), Adam Jones (Ospreys & Wales), Simon Shaw (Wasps & England), Nathan Hines (Perpignan & Scotland), Mike Blair (Edinburgh & Scotland), Ronan O'Gara (Munster & Ireland), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster & Ireland).

Cheetahs v Lions - Thoughts

Discussion started by Lions 2009 , 05/06/2009 13:13

Lions 2009
05/06/2009 13:13

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Isaac Dix
05/06/2009 13:46

Will be interested to see the 10-12-13 combo in action. I can't recall Fitzgerald playing inside centre? A Very young back line but packed with potential.

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kiwitaff
06/06/2009 16:25

Really poor after a brilliant start. Hook played better than I would have expected but as with last Saturday we were completely outplayed at the breakdown although Barnes' refereeing in that area was best described as inconsistent! Ferris yellowed for one offence whilst Brussow was playing the ball whilst off his feet regularly and not getting penalised. Andy Powell was finally picked up by the commentators for what I've always said about him - never looks for anything other than contact, doesn't stay on his feet long enough to make a target and for that reason together with his poor carrying technique he gets turned over far too easily. I thought Ellis did well and will be putting pressure on Phillips for the test shirt. To me the big difference at the breakdowns today against Wednesday (other than a far more committed opposition) was the part that Gethin Jenkins plays in helping to clear the opposition away at the breakdown. As well as being one of the best scrummaging loose heads in the world he tackles and gets around like a flanker and his fitness is incredible.

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Isaac Dix
06/06/2009 18:09

Hook and Ellis did well today. I felt sorry for the backs. The forwards were poor at the breakdown. Support was too slow coming and we really missed Wallace/Nugget at 7. Ball to the backs was too slow as a result.
Barnes was a little inconsistent. I also picked up on what Kiwitaff said about Broussow. He got away with murder. Cheetahs players were entering the ruck from the wrong side at times?? Nothing said?

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Tigersfan1
06/06/2009 18:20

Earls won't get near the Test 22 but I was really pleased for him to get that early chance and finish it so well after his mare last week.

Worsley and Powell shown to be one-trick ponies and not good enough. And yes, we sure missed a proper 7 today. Worried about lack of leadership, we lost direction horribly even though the tour captain was out ther the whole time.

Half backs did well with poor platform to work from. Shane Williams looks past it I'm afraid.

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Loosehead
06/06/2009 21:34

How can you feel sorry for the backs outside Hook they were dire,yes the forwards were poor at the breakdown they should have cleared out better and kept at least 1 man over the ball scrum wise they put the Cheetahs to the sword and were strong in the lineout.

The backs were far too naive, last years World player of the year was very poor 1 more poor game and he could end up playing himself out of test contention.

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Strinesian Saleanian
06/06/2009 22:37

Quote:

he could end up playing himself out of test contention

He has already surely? Would you pick him ahead of Bowe or Halfpenny (or even Monye!) on recent and current form? His only saving grace is experience, but is that enough for a test place?

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Patrick
07/06/2009 01:54

Shane Williams has definitely played himself out of a test spot. Totally innefective and is a liability in defense, ...and now attack as well!

All the pundits and commentators go on about how he's had a frustrating afternoon, how he's not been put into space and excuses such as that. Personally I'd like my wingers to be able to function when try-scoring opportunities aren't gift wrapped and handed to them on a silver platter. It seems as though if Williams doesn't have the perfect attacking platform, he goes missing. As well as being a turnstyle in defense.

The backs struggled without the likes of Roberts, O'Driscoll or Bowe. Players who can either punch holes through the gainline or create space for others. The backline on display beyond Hook was very poorly selected as a unit.

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waltham
07/06/2009 08:24

Shane Williams does indeed look to be a liability nowadays and hogs the ball far too much...team player??? - no.

Maybe it was just the specific TV coverage - but POC didn't seem to be exactly motivational or inspiring yesterday.

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Madtyke
07/06/2009 16:15

Thoughts from Gran Canaria were that A Powell was one dimensional, nearly always took contact without support and lost the ball in that contact and wasn't very good at clearing out the oppo when going into the ruck area(liked to backrow pose on the edge). Hook and Ellis had a reasonable game, Eliis certainly gets the ball away quicker than Phillips who always seems to have to bring the ball in to his stomuch before passing. Lee Byrne was fairly anonymous in the first 30 mins. Certainly the side that was out there yesterday need to raise their game to get selected over the side that beat the Golden Lions.

[www.arborfieldoldboys.co.uk]

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Isaac Dix
07/06/2009 18:31

Shane Williams shouldn't have gone in the first place. He did not merit a place based on form. He was sent out there based on what he did against SA during Wales' summer tests last season. He has had a poor season since then.
Byrne did little wrong apart from an uncharacteristic mistake right at the end. Injury pending Byrne will be in the test side unless Kearny has an absolute blinder from now on.

Apart from one or two players the forwards were ineffective in the loose. Worsley was too slow, Powell kept spilling the ball, Sheridan looked lost at times, O'Connell and DO'C looked average at best.

Defensively we left the blindside short on numbers far too often. The Cheetahs exploited this. I lost count of the amount of times I shouted at the TV because of this.

All in all a frustrating game to watch.

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Loosehead
07/06/2009 18:51

We should get a strong idea on what the test side is after the WP game.

I think a number of players who played against the Lions last Wednesday will play against WP on the 13th June, with several players who played Sat against Free State will be playing against Natal.

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PoyntonShark
08/06/2009 06:14

Thought Barnes was dreadful, didn't particulalrly benefit either side, was just poor, as mentioned already, inconsistent. Though I do think he was usually right with respect to Brussow, I was screaming about him being off his feet, but replays showed that usually he was playing legally, 9/10 he was the tackler, regained his feet quickly and stripped ball. There were others mind you, flopping onto rucks, falling on wrong side.

After putting up the post to criticise Earls I should say I thought he took his try very well, but was somewhat anonymous after that, neither centre was particulalrly bad, but certainly the wrong combination. O'Connell did nothing of note, other than prevent release of the ball at the end, thus securing the victory. He was willing to carry lots, but hit the deck at first sign of opposition. Powell confirmed every fear I had of his selection, and added great source of opposition posession.

Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can

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Mr lumpy
08/06/2009 09:58

One of the problems faced by the lions is that the saturday team has to meet a team made up of the full club squad who know each other well,and that officials decisions dont help.Where as the weekday lions will again meet up with a weakened XV with 10 of the main team being witheld by the Boks.They ensure that we rave about our performances against a weakened team in the hope that we will select players for the test team on these results having slated our saturday team for their limitations.Lets hope that the management can see through this ploy other wise some good players will miss out

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kiwitaff
08/06/2009 13:41

The thing about being off your feet is it is supposed to be that if your hands are taken away you can stay on your feet. If that was the case for Broussow in the majority of cases then he is seriously deformed!

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