Lions...Saturday

[matthew123]

Got to be in with a big shout after the Boks have overhauled their team with 10 changes!

South Africa: Kirchner (Bulls); Ndungane (Sharks), Fourie (Lions), Olivier (Bulls), Nokwe (Cheetahs); M Steyn (Bulls), Du Preez (Bulls); Mtawarira (Sharks), Ralepelle (Bulls), Smit (Sharks), Muller (Sharks), Matfield (Bulls), Brussow (Cheetahs), Smith (Cheetahs), Kankowski (Sharks).

Replacements: B du Plessis (Sharks), Steenkamp (Bulls), Carstens (Sharks), Sykes (Sharks), Spies (Bulls), R Pienaar (Sharks), F Steyn (Sharks).

Their coach has criticised the Lions media over their coverage of the Burger incident.

"We had negative media from Britain in 1974 and 1980 and now I've allowed it again in 2009, I've learnt that if they can't win on the field then they will try to win anywhere else they can."

[Narnia]

Hope Vickery has more of a chance this time. No expert on forward play but presume Shaw's bulk will help. See they've changed to a 5/2 split on the bench. Would have liked for Earls to have had a chance. I'm not convinced by either of our wings. What happened to Fitzgerald? Is he injured or dropped?

[matthew123]

Jongi Nokwe, winger, is playing and Peter De Villiers said, "He gives me goosebumps and if you blink you don't see him." Last year he scored 4 tries against Australia.

[JetSetWilly]

Agree about giving earls a go, but he, a deffo better at 15, but after kearneys display last week, he,he's nigh on untouchable

[bignumber5]

so no scots receiving lions caps at all this year...

[Brendan]

This De Villiers character is a bit of a joke, he?s that drunk guy you meet in the pub who thinks he?s an expert on everything but just ends up embarrassing himself. Apparently he isn?t even involved in the training that much. I suspect his appointment is more political than anything else.

He does have a point about the British press though. Their sense for, often ill-informed, sporting melodrama is second to none. All the press has to say about rugby at the moment is, eye-gouging this and eye-gouging that when the IRB has been quite clear that no eye-gouging occurred. Then there is the, ferocious test this and brutal match that. Have these journalists ever watched a match between the Springboks and the All Blacks and seen how ferocious proper rugby is?

[matthew123]

I have to admit I always thought eye gouging meant sticking the finger(s) into and under the eye ball - but from the reaction assumed this had by Rugby Law now been extended to cover stroking finger on face beneath eye socket.. or was Burger yellow carded more for intent?

Who is right and who is wrong?

[Brendan]

Well the IRB decision was that the action was unsporting but without intent. (I think) Although I?m not entirely sure how you can be unintentionally unsportsmanlike.

[Mick Mac]

IMO whether he actually got his fingers in Fitzgerald's eyes or not, it seems clear that is what he intended/hoped to do. He deliberatley went for Fitzgerald with his fingers in the eye area and the ball was nowhere near them. It looked like a nasty move, whether he was successful in actually gouging or not.

I have never seen such an obvious attempt at gouging on television before. Bad advert for rugby. As O Driscoll says if parents are considering whether or not to encourage their kids to play rugby, they would have their minds made up for them right there.

[matthew123]

From the slow-mo of the incident it looked like he was trying to locate the eye and rub a single finger across the surface

[Mick Mac]

Ahh - that's nice.

[Brendan]

diddums.

;-)

[matthew123]

Burger might have been showing his softer side - welcome to south africa!

[Narnia]

Maybe he was just helping Fitzgerald re-adjust a contact lense? I see they SA's have now accused O'Gara of gouging. I can only presume they are being sarcastic give his contribution of missing a tackle and giving away the winning penalty which surely wouldn't have happened if there wasn't some self abuse of the eyes involved.

[bignumber5]

as much as you're all just joshing, i got gouged on the field years back (well, attempted - I still have my eye). It's fecking painful and extremely dangerous. If i was playing now and felt finger "stroke cheek under eye" i'd instantly let go of the ball and protect my face, even if he "didn't really mean it", and using that to your advantage even if you don't actually intend to scoop out someones eye is a professional foul and unsportsmanlike. Burger was pretty obviously aiming for the eye. he is, therefore, a c&nt, and deserves to be cited.

[Mick Mac]

Well said BN5 - and I think I said pretty much the same thing a few posts above - his intention was clear - and as a result I'm amazed he was not found guilty of gouging, it is the most obvious attempt ever seen on television to my knowledge.

[Narnia]

From what I've read he was found guilty of gouging. Isn't that why he was suspended?

[Mick Mac]

No - apparently he was found guilty of a lesser charge, not guilty of gouging.

Cleared

[????]

You on the Lions today M?

[Mick Mac]

No. See Betting matters for today's losing punts....amazing how many bets you can place while the kids have their breakfast.

[matthew123]

Mick - you watching the game today?

[Narnia]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No - apparently he was found guilty of a lesser

> charge, not guilty of gouging.

>

> Cleared

Interesting the press here still refer to it as gouging. I think Quinlin got a longer ban for possibly a lesser offence!

[Brendan]

Which was exactly my point about the british press a few posts ago.

[Mick Mac]

I'm at a BBQ today Matt - so not around in ED - but I will be watching it - I lost interest after last week but have regained my enthusiasm today - would be good to win one.

I have worked out that they have 54 points so far and we have 46 - so a >8 point win for the Lions and we can take a minor moral victory home with us. However unlikely that may be.

But in truth today I think we will get beten confortable today, too many big players have gone from the Lions team.

[????]

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