The passage of time in Wellington and elsewhere
So Joe Sara and l are here for game one.
After a good win against the Maori NZ team last week and a solid performance and win against a weakened Chiefs team, we arrive with confidence of at least a competitive match ahead.
So a rushed get away from work to the airport yesterday then with a bit of a delay. A long trip on the bus from Auckland airport was followed by a good meal at an Israeli restaurant. Something different but good.
Now fun and shopping today before the Warriors game.
Tomorrow is the ‘fourth test’-that is how the game against the NZ Maori is usually described. And certainly the Lions came a cropper against them in 2005.
As ever the Lions needs a win, particularly having lost on Tuesday to the Highlanders by a point. It was a game that they were expected to win against a depleted Highlanders team that had players withdrawn as they were on All Blacks call-up and because of injuries.
The Highlanders game was a marked contrast to the Crusaders game- open and attacking. The lions played well in parts but worryingly continue to fail to finish off scoring chances. They also failed to control the game when in the lead mostly I think due to poor discipline and the giving away of penalties.Weaknesses exist and I do not know if they can be overcome.
Last Saturday the Lions beat the form Super team with a power display with very effective defense. Maybe some things went their way that night.
The NZ Maori are full of some very good players. Of note, Matt Procter, currently playing for the Hurricanes and ex-St Pats Boy.
We watched the match with our red jerseys on( two anyway), bit oh how sorrowful.
It was certainly not the performance the or result that was expected. It could have been worse- a loss to a scratch team of players at best on the periphery of Super Rugby. The Lions were so slow, lacking composure, lacking basic skills and it seemed unable to tackle adequately. We ball in hand there seemed to be an individualistic rather team approach at crucial moments.
The schedule always looked hard but seems to have become more onerous overnight. Some players did not perform and may ahve already scuppered their chances of featuring in the test matches; Stuart Hogg made defensive errors and passing errors and Laidlaw looked detached. Sexton was very out of sorts while Farrell came on and brought sense of improved control.
A long way to go yet and plenty of scope for improvement.
First the deluge, then the despair. The monsoon rains that afflicted Northland did ease but there was little blue sky thinking to be found among the few thousand Lions supporters who have made the long trek to New Zealand.
Arrival in NZ greeted in the traditional way.
Plenty of commentary so far on both sides of the world:
Scaffolders David Junior Makikiriti, left, and Sam Leohan installing a temporary grandstand recently at Toll Stadium, Whangarei, in preparation for tonight’s game. Photo/John StoneInclement weather has failed to put off footy fans in the North as the opening game of the British and Irish Lions rugby tour in Whangarei has been sold out.
Toll Stadium will be full with 20,000 fans for the game between the tourists and the NZ Provincial Barbarians tonight.
Warren Gatland’s team selection makes sense. Thirteen of the 14 who attended the first training camp start and considering all three fly-halves reported for duty the following week, he was always going to have a decision to make, opting for Johnny Sexton…..
Spare a thought for Bryn Gatland, who will have Te’o charging at him throughout – he and his old man must have had a recent falling-out….
Gatland believes the Lions have a couple of advantages over the All Blacks for the Tests; goalkicking is one of them and their bench is another…….
The Lions are refusing to use jet lag as an excuse but such a recent, long-haul journey cannot help but have an impact. Consider too, the additional mental drain – this will be the first time they encounter the five new laws that come into effect in the northern hemisphere next season but are already on trial in the south……
In New Zealand it is the Queen’s birthday weekend – and it is forecast to be tipping it down. There is a school of thought that says rain would suit the Lions but there is no better team in the world at showcasing their handling skills against the elements than New Zealand.
A good reason to get back to the keyboard after such a long lay-off.
The last time they were here in 2005 I kept a record through paper clippings and photos of the Lions’ tour. Well the world has truly moved on, so much of the reporting is far easier to find digitally and so the task of keeping a ‘scrapbook’ falls I think to the blog. This will make keeping the blog active all the more important.
Well the team arrived during the week and tonight in Whangarei they play their opener against a NZ Barbarians team. In the tradition of tours this team is weak and so a gentle introduction. However, unlike other tours this is the only straight forward match for the tourists. Aside of the Tests the Lions play all the Super Rugby teams and NZ Maori. A short but truly intense tour.
We have tickets for the First Test in Auckland and the Hurricanes game. Depending on the health of JC I may go to the 2nd Test in Wellington or to watch it on a big screen at the Embassy Cinema courtesy of MSP rugby club.
Fist game tonight will be watched with red shirts on and traditional curry meal.
Let’s go.
It is a sunny Tuesday morning in west London and Robert Rowan, Brentford’s head of football operations, is watching Kevin O’Connor putting his B team squad through their paces. “Twenty-five press-ups for the strikers and then we go again,” commands the coach to his group of young players gathered from six European countries.
Yesterday Sara and I went to the Basin to watch the second Test against South Africa.
It was hardly classic cricket conditions with minimal sunshine, somewhat chilly and a nice chilly southerly.
It was not a great performance on the part of the Black Caps. In the end they had lost by 8 wickets by the end of the day, Day 3. We had already left but were mostly present to see the tumble of wickets and slow scoring.
Not really a great advert for cricket or New Zealanders at times with the number of people who were pretty pissed by early afternoon.
Last weekend was the annual fun run and serious run in Wellington. In total about 10,000 people participated; about 2,000 each for the 10km and the half-marathon. Eleanor and Joe each did the ‘half’ while Shaz did the 10k.
All did well with Joe and EQ running in less than 2 hours and Sara beating last year’s time by a bit. Joe was possibly more comfortable at the finish than Eleanor. Good stuff by all concerned though.
Sven was in the crowd cheering on heartedly though maybe too American-like for me. Isaac was watching too as he apparently does not like running. I had planned to run but again the body showed its vulnerability and injuries to the achilles and calves proved to be limiting.
Maybe in June I can have a go if the body improves? Maybe the old man needs to fins something more suited to later years of life?
Antonio Conte can do no wrong. The Chelsea manager watched his team ease into the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Brentford, who did not turn up until the second half, and the icing on the cake was provided by Branislav Ivanovic – a player he had dropped from the starting line-up.
It would appear that Brentford played in keeping with a lot of this season- inadequately. Surprising that it would take them to the second half to get into the game- one that was so anticipated. I suppose all will have continue to save their dreams for another year.