Match thread

Duluth

Wednesday at 10pm NZT

Ref is James Doleman

Bookies have the Reds as 32-pt underdogs... mad.

Canes4life
antipodean

Looks like they're legitimately trying to avoid the problems of the past in having already selected a Test and Other squad before embarking on the tour.

Reds need to take advantage of Kelleher starting. His lineout throwing is abysmal.

Bovidae

Aidan Ross starts.

REDS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, John Bryant, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Lachie Anderson, Jock Campbell (c)

Reserves: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa'agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Conor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry

Canes4life

@Bovidae said in Reds v British Lions:

Aidan Ross starts.

REDS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, John Bryant, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Lachie Anderson, Jock Campbell (c)

Reserves: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa'agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Conor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry

That's a pretty bloody decent Reds side, hope they can upset the ledger.

@Bovidae Wonder if Heremaia Murray was available for selection or not? I thought he started super rugby reasonably strong for them but seems to have faded away

Bovidae

@DurryMexted Kiss has gone for a 6:2 bench, so maybe Henry offers more utility.

ACT Crusader

@Bovidae said in Reds v British Lions:

Aidan Ross starts.

REDS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Matt Faessler, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Josh Canham, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, John Bryant, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan, Hunter Paisami, Josh Flook, Lachie Anderson, Jock Campbell (c)

Reserves: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa'agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Conor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry

Aidan Ross and JTA - two NZers that will play against the BIL for the second time but for two different provincial/franchise teams. Who else has done that also?

Maori ABs or Barbarian teams don’t count.

MiketheSnow

@antipodean said in Reds v British Lions:

Looks like they're legitimately trying to avoid the problems of the past in having already selected a Test and Other squad before embarking on the tour.

Not as clear cut as that IMHO

Giving everyone game time and working on combos

Bovidae

@ACT-Crusader I am sure it was done back when the Lions made big tours and played a lot of provincial games as NZ players of that era often moved around for work. I doubt this feat has been done for teams from two different countries.

antipodean

@MiketheSnow said in Reds v British Lions:

@antipodean said in Reds v British Lions:

Looks like they're legitimately trying to avoid the problems of the past in having already selected a Test and Other squad before embarking on the tour.

Not as clear cut as that IMHO

Giving everyone game time and working on combos

On reflection I can see I wasn't clear in my post. I'm agreeing with you that they're specifically not doing that this time.

Catogrande

Poor Tomos Williams is out of the tour, with Ben White getting the call to replace him. A much worse hamstring tear than was first thought. Shame as he was shaping up very well.

MiketheSnow

Stupid, bloody acrobatics

booboo

@Bovidae said in Reds v British Lions:

@ACT-Crusader I am sure it was done back when the Lions made big tours and played a lot of provincial games as NZ players of that era often moved around for work. I doubt this feat has been done for teams from two different countries.

In terms of timing 7 years between 70-77 tours might have allowed it to happen.

77-83 was 16 years so may have been too big a gap.

83-93 was 10 years.

93-05 12 years.

Considering playing for Maori as well as provinces another avenue for different opponents.

booboo

@booboo said in Reds v British Lions:

@Bovidae said in Reds v British Lions:

@ACT-Crusader I am sure it was done back when the Lions made big tours and played a lot of provincial games as NZ players of that era often moved around for work. I doubt this feat has been done for teams from two different countries.

In terms of timing 7 years between 70-77 tours might have allowed it to happen.

77-83 was 16 years so may have been too big a gap.

83-93 was 10 years.

93-05 12 years.

Considering playing for Maori as well as provinces another avenue for different opponents.

That's just NZ...

booboo

@ACT-Crusader

Do we count players who played for provinces AND played Tests? In that case heapses.

Edit. Ignore...

"two different provincial/franchise teams:

ARHS

@booboo don't think 77 to 83 will have been much of a gap. Should be quite a few on the list. John Fleming and Mike McCool are two that come to mind

ARHS

Mark Loane the Aussie loosie may have played for a couple of different South African teams v Lions too.

booboo

@ARHS said in Reds v British Lions:

@booboo don't think 77 to 83 will have been much of a gap. Should be quite a few on the list. John Fleming and Mike McCool are two that come to mind

Oops 6 years not 16 ... maths ...

Bovidae

@ACT-Crusader said in Reds v British Lions:

Aidan Ross and JTA - two NZers that will play against the BIL for the second time but for two different provincial/franchise teams. Who else has done that also?

I had a quick look at some names. Some of the obvious old-timers (e.g., Wilson Whineray) were often playing for different provinces in non-BIL tour years. There is at least one player and former AB who has achieved this - Graeme Higginson. He played for Canterbury against the Lions in 1977 and for Hawke's Bay in 1983.

And as @ARHS said, John Fleming (Wellington in 1977, Waikato in 1983).

mariner4life

mid-week beers and footy? yes thank you

carn the Reds

sparky

Dammit, I'm working when this game is on. Enjoy your mid-week beers!

Bones

@mariner4life kicks off at lunchtime here, sports bar here I come.

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mariner4life

and by all accounts it's hot as shit so better get the pints in!

Unite

@mariner4life said in Reds v British Lions:

and by all accounts it's hot as shit so better get the pints in!

As opposed to Brisbane which is pretty fresh by Qld standards today, currently 18, feels like 13. Windy as hell from the west, gusting to almost 50kms.

mariner4life

bro it's amazing another 1,800 km further north, currently a very cool 22 feels like 20. reckon i might even need a 2nd layer tonight....

antipodean

@Unite said in Reds v British Lions:

@mariner4life said in Reds v British Lions:

and by all accounts it's hot as shit so better get the pints in!

As opposed to Brisbane which is pretty fresh by Qld standards today, currently 18, feels like 13. Windy as hell from the west, gusting to almost 50kms.

4271d945-742b-4fb0-9d7e-05e1e41559a5-image.png

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mariner4life

it's all relative! you choose to live in a frozen hellhole

MiketheSnow

Should suit us more than the Maroon mob

KiwiMurph

Awful first involvement by Kalani Thomas. At his best he is dangerous but too many errors.

NTA

Pitch looks like shit

mariner4life

This halfback has fucked up majorly with his two first involvements. Awful

how that knock on was missed is beyond me