Fri, 12 May 2017
Canberra 19:45

Ref: Paul Williams
AR1: Nick Briant
AR2: Jordan Way
TMO: Ian Smith

Big implications here. This is the Lions last game outside of SA and after this it really is a downhill run with only the Sharks being a semi-tough prospect.

Their remaining fixtures are:
v Bulls (home)
v Kings (home)
v Sunwolves (home)
v Sharks (Durban)

I'm going to give the Brumbies a chance here. This does not look like the same Lions team from last year. But the Aussie teams have been so dire, just when you think they couldn't get any worse, they manage to pull something out of the bag.

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Corne Fourie

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Robert Kruger/Cyle Brink, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Anthony Volmink

Would be nice to put a dent in the Lions table points that's for sure. Can I bring myself to cheer for the Brumbies? Might require alcohol.

@Frye I think we might also need to have the other NZ teams inflict a few defeats on the Highlanders.

I think currently the Sharks would be the eighth qualifiers.

If the Lions are going to come top by dint of having the softest of schedules - at least they need to be facing an NZ team in the QFs.

I've got no qualms about cheering for the Brumbies this weekend!

..of course this plan could backfire spectacularly if one of the NZ teams comes top.

However, given the likelihood that we will have three wildcard qualifiers - it would be nice if the NZ conference winner got the non-NZ team (which will probably be the Sharks). I particularly don't want the Lions getting the Sharks wherever they end up.

Brumbies:
1 Ben ALEXANDER, 2. Josh MANN-REA, 3. Allan ALAALATOA, 4. Rory ARNOLD, 5. Sam CARTER (c), 6. Scott FARDY, 7. Jarrad BUTLER, 8. Jordan SMILER
9 Joe POWELL, 10. Wharenui HAWERA, 11. James DARGAVILLE, 12. Kyle GODWIN, 13. Tevita KURIDRANI, 14. Henry SPEIGHT, 15. Aidan TOUA

REPLACEMENTS
16 Robbie ABEL, 17. Nic MAYHEW, 18. Leslie LEULUA’IALI’I-MAKIN, 19. Blake ENEVER, 20. Ben HYNE, 21. De Wet ROOS, 22. Jordan JACKSON-HOPE, 23. Tom BANKS

Bumped into the Lions squad yesterday. Elton Jantjies is a midget.

They should win comfortably on a dry track; the Brumbies aren't playing rugby that can outscore them.

Yeah I don't like the Ponies chances against this Lions team, even if they aren't the same standard as last season. The Ponies are dire at the moment. The interplay between forwards and backs seems non-existent. The phase play that they're known for is falling down because the handling is so poor.
Godwin has been a bust.

Didn't realise this game had already started and is on Sky Sport 3. Anyway, I can't believe I'm writing this, but go Brumbies.

The Brumbies halfback is so shit. He makes it so obvious which way he is passing that the whole defence can go that side. mind you his team doesn't seem to give him options either.

Both of these teams are trying to play at a skill level they don't possess. Lions do not deserve their high standing in the comp based on this showing.

Brumbies dominating possession and territory during most of the first half but only 3 points; mostly due to poor decision-making.

What a cripple fight! I thought the weaknesses would be in defence but neither team is capable of troubling a defence in the first place.
Had a look at TSF tipping and no one has picked either of these sides as lowest scorer

@Crucial said in Brumbies v Lions:

The Brumbies halfback is so shit. He makes it so obvious which way he is passing that the whole defence can go that side. mind you his team doesn't seem to give him options either.

Such a punchable face too

Brumbies playing with quite a lot of endeavour, but managing to cock up lots of promising moves with errors and bad decisions.

WTF was that attempted grubber a few minutes before halftime? That was never going to work.

They should really be comfortably ahead.

@Crucial said in Brumbies v Lions:

The Brumbies halfback is so shit. He makes it so obvious which way he is passing that the whole defence can go that side. mind you his team doesn't seem to give him options either.

The 9 isn't great but the worst player on the field is the Brumbies 10. Awful player, at least tonight.

Couldn't they find a better poach than him?

That Lions player had some toe. Just kept going and going. Piss poor cover defence by the Brumbies though. No one there.

Come on Brumbies. Converted try, call it a draw and we can all move on.

Shit these Brumbies are rubbish! What has happened to Kurandrani? There was a short time where he looked like he was going to be a Mortlock type midfield handful but has massively regressed.

This game also shows that the Lions are clearly not as good as last year. They will be beatable, even at home. The hardest thing about playing them at home - just like the Stormers- will be the travel. Hopefully, the Sharks will play one of these teams in the QF.

At least, the Lions don't get a bonus point. That's about the only positive I've got to say about this game.