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http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p057jyj7
Agree completely with Graham Henry here. Once every four years, I'd scrap the boring autumn international programme and have a four test Lions series with games in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin against one of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand - I'm sure it would be far more popular than what we have now.
- 6 nationsOriginally Posted by the other bob wilson
- Autumn Internationals
- Summer tour
- (Lions or World Cup)
I don't think cutting out the Autumn internationals for Lions makes sense given how little international rugby there is. I don't think it makes sense to make it a tour of the UK as part of the challenge, and fun, is going on tour and trying to gel a team together which can compete with the Southern Hemisphere. Perhaps you can rotate as they do with the Ryder Cup.
A draw today was the correct result to the game and fair reflection on the test series.
A remarkable result imo.
I genuinely thought it was going to be painful viewing today but will gladly take being proved so wrong.
Still think that the AB's left far too many points go but credit to every one of the Lions for gaining a remarkable result (based on pre tour predictions) and contributing to an enthralling test series.
Maybe it's me, but the autumn internationals bore me rigid and I think if they were replaced once every four years by a Lions series, it would be a huge success - I'm not sure rotating home and away would work because the Lions only tour South Africa, Australia and New Zealand once every twelve years as it is.
The best game of rugby I've seen bar none was in 1972 when the Barbarians beat the All Blacks in Cardiff after having won a four match series 2-1 over there six months earlier. Usually, Baabaa's match against touring sides were considered something of a jolly with a smattering of players from outside the British Isles being included, but this game was treated very much as a fifth test match with the home side being made up of British players - it was fantastic to see the British side win pretty convincingly by playing a typical Baabaa's style of rugby.
I wouldn't expect a modern Lions v New Zealand game played in this country to reproduce the thrills and spills of forty five years ago, but there'd be far more intensity and meaning to the games than, say, yet another Wales v Australia autumn international at a two thirds full Millennium Stadium.
As for today's game, I'd say that for the second consecutive Saturday the All Blacks must be thinking "how do we not win that?" - the only time I thought we might score a try ended up with Owen Farrell (immaculate with his place kicking, but very patchy otherwise) throwing an interception pass which had Lions man of the series Johnathan Davies performing miracles to prevent a score at the other end of the pitch.
Nevertheless, if the Lions needed luck to achieve the result they did, they certainly earned it and I hope and trust any flatness they may feel after not winning the series will soon disappear when what they have done truly sinks in - the All Blacks were strong in the early seventies and it was a terrific achievement by the Lions to go there and win, but when you consider what the modern day Lions were up against, I'd say that a drawn series in 2017 matches the winning one in 1971.
Yep cant disagree with that, id go further and make the six nations bi - annually ,that would make the world cup a better attraction and stop these insular home grown tournaments, and create a global sport , the number of blinkered Welsh fans who think they are the greatest team ever because they have won an friendly or six nations tournament is madness,its on a par with the English press when they top their qualifying groups .
Anyway lets lets all think about the City now,no Brexit , no election ( i hope ) no Lions ,all that left is Cricket and weather ,Rooooooooooooooooooooooooooot
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