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British Lions - I don’t get it


TigerTedd

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I’ve got no problem with rugby. I’m happy to watch a rugby match.

But the series against South Africa is billed as a really big deal, it’s been built up for ages, but isn’t it just an exhibition match? What’s actually riding on it? Aren’t the lions just rugby’s equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters?

and why South Africa? Is it cos they’re the world champions? Is that a regular thing that the lions play the world champions? Or is it just a case of ‘we’ve got a free summer in a couple of years, do you want to do a lions tour? Who shall we play? Let’s see who else is free that summer.

I’d rather see something like the winners of the 6 nations play the winner of the tri-nations (is that a thing? if it’s not, it should be). 

or the British and Irish lions play a series against the antipodean aardvarks (is that a thing? If it’s not, it should be). 

I just can’t get behind these series where there’s absolutely nothing at stake. I don’t get cricket test series either. It’s like these preseason games between two teams sponsored by the same brand, so they play for a cup, or, indeed the Brian clough trophy when forest were in league 1, but we know there’s nothing really in those cups, we don’t pretend they’re anything more than pre-season friendlies, it’s just a bit of fun to have a made up cup riding on it. These tests are given all the fan fare of a World Cup. 

even the ashes (and I know I’m beating it dangerously off topic now), it’s just two random teams that have decided to play each other every couple of years. There’s nothing riding on it. It doesn’t decide who’s the best in the world, or the region or the country. It just decided who’s the best between those to teams. What’s the point?

Edited by TigerTedd
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3 minutes ago, David said:

Nobody goes to watch that though 

Fair point. 

but technically, TECHNICALLY, rugby is a variation of football. Hence rugby football, as apposed to association football. 

not sure why I’m continue this argument, but it keeps me busy while I’m waiting for my kids in their gymnastics lesson. 

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Because you don't need a trophy (although there probably is one) for something to matter.

If both sides are invested in it, which they very much are, then it matters.

Plus the tours come around as or less often than World Cups, 6 Nations etc. so there's the element of it being a once in a career opportunity for the players. 

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1 hour ago, David said:

I don’t get rugby. League one minute, Union the next.

It’s like cricket, too many formats, where football is football.

Rugby league is the working mans sport. Rugby Union is for private school boys that can’t tackle. I’ve been involved in rugby league all my life and I don’t get Union, really 2 completely different games. We’ve bought in Australian  rep forwards in Union to league and they’ve been lucky to play to 3rd grade standard.

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2 hours ago, TigerTedd said:

I’ve got no problem with rugby. I’m happy to watch a rugby match.

But the series against South Africa is billed as a really big deal, it’s been built up for ages, but isn’t it just an exhibition match? What’s actually riding on it? Aren’t the lions just rugby’s equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters?

and why South Africa? Is it cos they’re the world champions? Is that a regular thing that the lions play the world champions? Or is it just a case of ‘we’ve got a free summer in a couple of years, do you want to do a lions tour? Who shall we play? Let’s see who else is free that summer.

I’d rather see something like the winners of the 6 nations play the winner of the tri-nations (is that a thing? if it’s not, it should be). 

or the British and Irish lions play a series against the antipodean aardvarks (is that a thing? If it’s not, it should be). 

I just can’t get behind these series where there’s absolutely nothing at stake. I don’t get cricket test series either. It’s like these preseason games between two teams sponsored by the same brand, so they play for a cup, or, indeed the Brian clough trophy when forest were in league 1, but we know there’s nothing really in those cups, we don’t pretend they’re anything more than pre-season friendlies, it’s just a bit of fun to have a made up cup riding on it. These tests are given all the fan fare of a World Cup. 

even the ashes (and I know I’m beating it dangerously off topic now), it’s just two random teams that have decided to play each other every couple of years. There’s nothing riding on it. It doesn’t decide who’s the best in the world, or the region or the country. It just decided who’s the best between those to teams. What’s the point?

I know the Union supporters here rate the British Lions tours as the ultimate games.  I suppose it’s about having the best players from 4 nations combined into 1 side.

4431F384-57AE-43AE-9D0B-DA1594F06F94.thumb.jpeg.ad8816bae44e51d6a05201567f4c8acc.jpeg

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3 hours ago, David said:

I don’t get rugby. League one minute, Union the next.

It’s like cricket, too many formats, where football is football.

American football.

Rugby football 

Aussie rules football

medieval severed head football after a public execution.

Womens football.
 

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I love watching the Lions games. 

Tradition, only every 4 years, perennial underdogs, players that become friends for life. 

If you listen to the players and what it means to be selected for a tour, its the highlight of their careers. 

As for today, here's hoping they can stand up to the Boks physicality and run the pack around. 

Big call playing Price at 9 Conlan at 8 and Hogg at 15.

 Only 2 Wales players picked even though they won the 6 nations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I still don’t get it. Maybe because I can’t equate it to anything in football. I don’t get the idea of touring a country, playing against one team a few times.

The only thing in football I can equate it to is when United do a pre-season tour of Asia or something. Which were all in agreement, is a bit crap. Do the United players think that’s the highlight of their careers? Do the lions players really rate this tour above playing in a World Cup final against South Africa?

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36 minutes ago, CWC1983 said:

I love watching the Lions games. 

Tradition, only every 4 years, perennial underdogs, players that become friends for life. 

If you listen to the players and what it means to be selected for a tour, its the highlight of their careers. 

As for today, here's hoping they can stand up to the Boks physicality and run the pack around. 

Big call playing Price at 9 Conlan at 8 and Hogg at 15.

 Only 2 Wales players picked even though they won the 6 nations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, but you’re Scottish, and a Derby fan. Supporting a British team is the only time you’ve got half a chance of being on the winning side. 

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14 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

Yes, but you’re Scottish, and a Derby fan. Supporting a British team is the only time you’ve got half a chance of being on the winning side. 

 

?

Makes the winning all the sweeter. 

If it was a GB football team, I wouldn't support it. Don't ask my why, I don't know. 

I think with the rugby its the Northern v Southern hemisphere thing.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Boycie said:

American football.

Rugby football 

Aussie rules football

medieval severed head football after a public execution.

Womens football.
 

One of those is football in it's purest form, three are just games invented by goalkeepers who wanted to be more involved, an the other is women's football. 
 

 

 

sorry @angieram, only joking 

Animation Lying GIF

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3 hours ago, Stagtime said:

Rugby league is the working mans sport. Rugby Union is for private school boys that can’t tackle. I’ve been involved in rugby league all my life and I don’t get Union, really 2 completely different games. We’ve bought in Australian  rep forwards in Union to league and they’ve been lucky to play to 3rd grade standard.

Completely different sports. I remember when I lived in West Cumbria I was taken aback by the live of rugby league (and the ever vital quest to prove its them who are the jam eaters)

It's fair to say Welsh rugby union isn't posh, but certainly English and Scottish rugby union is a certain demographic.

As a veteran of the "fatties wimps and weirdos" group in PE I never really took to rugby...

 

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7 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

Completely different sports. I remember when I lived in West Cumbria I was taken aback by the live of rugby league (and the ever vital quest to prove its them who are the jam eaters)

It's fair to say Welsh rugby union isn't posh, but certainly English and Scottish rugby union is a certain demographic.

As a veteran of the "fatties wimps and weirdos" group in PE I never really took to rugby...

 

Mate, I should have made it clearer I was talking about the difference of the games over here. Union is really only a minor sport over here that is predominantly played out of the private school system. I love the locals passion for the game when I’ve been in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. It’s a good way to break the ice in a local pub even though I’m a League boy. I was surprised when I worked at Royal Grammar school just outside of London how big Union was. I’d always assumed that soccer would be the major sport around London but I never saw one soccer ball.

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10 hours ago, Boycie said:

American football.

Rugby football 

Aussie rules football

medieval severed head football after a public execution.

Womens football.
 

Mate putting both Rugby’s together is a no no. That’s like saying a Scotsman is English or kicking around a round ball is soccer ?

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