Rugby

It may seem a little conspiratorial but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a decent element of truth in it. I suspect he did get injured but it was nowhere near as bad as they thought but rather than come out and say that they let it play out like it did. Gatland is pretty shrewd.

Some ex players (Jim Hamilton being one) have said it couldn't have been a full dislocation but one that popped out and straight back in.

Some have suggested he is just taking a major risk with his shoulder as its the the end of his career anyway.

Not medics though so who the fuck knows.

Lovely job!

I think with current covid protocols it would be 100% unacceptable and potentially tour-ruining if they were found to have sent a player out of the party and back to Wales only to bring him back again for 'theatrics' or game-playing. Also possible leaving themselves open to legal challenge if AWJ got ill. Anyway, my issue was more with your apparent inability to see any value in his playing ability. I'd take him over Mostart and this version of Lood without a moment's thought...

I can see merit in his referee management and decision making but in my opinion his contributions as a player are marginal. Anyway no point going round in circles re AWJ. Like you I'm hoping for a better game this weekend, hopefully Boks try and play a bit more and try an engineer some ball to Kolbe. I think the Lions will stick with the 2nd half tactics that proved so effective.

Fair enough. Also hoping for a much better game, I'd like to see a few changes for the Lions, can see a good case made for Harris to come into the centres (the Daly experiment didn't work against the Saffa rush defence), would also like Farrell at 10 (or possibly 12 pushing Henshaw out one), Smith should be on the bench because I can see us needing to chase the score in this one. Mako should make the bench if Wyn-Jones comes straight back in. Sutherland was OK but not offering anything in the loose. I'm not sure Owens offers more than George either. I'd like Faletau or Simmonds on the bench too.

I can see Farrell coming in, as much as I don't like him he helped the Lions play in the right areas and his kicking but the Boks under pressure. SA won't mind if he's 12 though as they'll send De Allende at him all day long (Farrell does ship an awful lot of tackles). I didn't think Biggar was amazing so could see a change at 10. I agree Daley didn't have much impact but I think persevering with him is the way the Lions should go, Chris Harris although solid won't scare SA whereas Daley could be a game breaker and his kicking could be useful. Simmonds would be a good pick on the bench to run at an SA team that clearly tires.

The one player from either side who would make the biggest outcome if he played is Duane Vermeulen but I doubt he'll be fit for the 3rd test let alone this weekend. He's so crucial to the SA team and I don't quite think UK pundits have quite appreciated how big a hole he leaves. I could see Morne coming onto the bench for Elton. Mainly for the scenario where SA are leading and Pollard tires again, Morne is a better bet to close it out and calm things down.

Hi Rassie, or is it Jaco?

This is Eddie Jones levels of "talk about me" to distract from player criticism really, isn't it?

Lions team to face South Africa: Hogg; A Watson, Harris, Henshaw, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Murray; Vunipola, Cowan-Dickie, Furlong, Itoje, AW Jones, Lawes, Curry, Conan.
Replacements: Owens, Sutherland, Sinckler, Beirne, Faletau, Price, Farrell, Daly.

I like the look of that. Mako def deserved to start, Murray makes sense for control and kicking and Harris should provide solidity if that's how we're going to play. I like Faletau and Daly on the bench too...

Like the looks of that, if we can hold the scrum.

Murray indicates kickfest (just not to Kolbe in space please). But if the Lions win, I won't care!

In other news, Olympics Sevens has been great. GB very lucky. 5-man Argentina amazing.

Reminds me to try to find a club (probably Vets now!) at my level and get fit again...

Agree - the lions kick chase was really good I thought last week, although I'm continually worried DVDM is going to get carded for going in too high and hard...

the lions kick chase was really good I thought last week

Apart from ignoring PSDT on that one chase... Almost undid all the rest of the good work.

DVDM is going to get carded

I think this is a matter of time and completely agree. Hopefully Gats will be able to spot it coming and hook him before it does.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/579940415

1h of rassie highlighting the injustices of the first test. Highlights include an advantage that wasn't long enough.

I've enjoyed his stuff this week but this one is a bit too far.

He's a supreme wind up merchant and this is largely in jest but not sure he's got the tone right in this one. It would have come across better if he'd mixed in a few decisions that went in favour of SA (incorrectly) to highlight that the officiating was just poor not overly biased.

Gatland winning the mind games by some distance.

Is this the best way to spend time in a week before a decisive test?

He's not the 'Head Coach' though, Jacques is in charge of the day today....;)

It's also taken all the focus off the players, selection, tactics etc so has given them space.

taken all the focus of the players, selection, tactics etc so has given them space to focus.

This. It's pretty funny really.

I think that's what the British press haven't quite grasped, Rassie is having a bit of fun with this. The burner twitter account and its ironic bio are definitely tongue in cheek.

Rassie is having a bit of fun with this

Definitely up to this. I was enjoying the ridiculousness of the twitter stuff - it was highly amusing.

This seems a bit too serious and a proper personal dig at the officials. Too far, as you say.

I think also it risks impacting the officials negatively from the Boks perspective and if I were a Bok player I think I'd be a bit "come on mate, this really isn't helping and we could probably do with your energies being a bit more focused on us and the gameplan etc..." - that said, certainly no objection to coaches having a bit of fun with all this. No harm no foul etc...

Yeah -it's definitely OTT and this one is petty.

It would have been good if he'd just sent the video to the officials as he alludes he's going to do at the start rather than release it to the public.

I suppose it is one way to try and help your team. Surely there are less embarrassing alternatives though? I would struggle to look my family in the eye after putting together a video like that.

DVDM is going to get carded

Yup. Plus he couldn’t catch and barely carried. Poor game. Lions didn’t take advantage of the penalty count in the first half. And blew it in the second. Mostert a proper nuisance. Midfield was all green. Subs timing excellent from them. Bigger win than the scoreboard.

Could it have been different with some decisions the other way? Sure. But we won’t know.

Rassie seems to have won the psychological game for the tiny margins. I don’t buy that it was anything else than trying to gain any little advantage he could (behind a very thin ‘level playing field’ smokescreen). The anything to win mentality seems to have worked or at the worst done him no harm. He knows nobody puts an asterisk in the history books saying this is the one where the coa- I mean DOR ripped into the officials in a public rant. But at what price for the game in general? Not looking forward to Cheika, Eddie et al setting up YouTube channels... (f*ck me - can you imagine an hour+ each of those pair every week)