British and Irish Lions Tour 2013

[tyroneman]

The level of media coverage (pages and pages in broadsheets - 25% of the Times sport supplement today) is ludicrous, given its - at best - the 3rd most popular sport in the country.

Rugby sickens my hole.

[bennydorano]

Without the Lions it's all Bullets, Caid, dungballing in the UK Sunday Times too. They dont play to the demographics of the UK at all - English make up 80/90% of  the 50/60M UK population & they all love Cricket, Rugger & buggery.

[Syferus]

Down here in the sunny south we call it ruggers

[orangeman]

Was this on the cards in any case ?


Robbie Deans has been sacked as Australia head coach following the Wallabies' Test series defeat to the British and Irish Lions, according to reports in the Australian press.

Ewen McKenzie, the former Test prop who guided the Queensland Reds to the Super Rugby title in 2011, will reportedly be unveiled as the new Wallabies coach tomorrow.

Deans is said to have been released from his contract six months early following a meeting with Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver.

The Lions' record 41-16 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday, which secured the tourists a 2-1 Test series triumph, appears to have sealed Deans' fate.

The New Zealander took over as Australia head coach after the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He led the Wallabies to third place in the 2011 tournament and to the Tri-Nations title in 2011.

But he never delivered the Bledisloe Cup – the trophy presented for series between the Wallabies and New Zealand – and there has been a clamour for the Wallabies to be coached by an Australian.

McKenzie, a World Cup winner with the Wallabies in 1991, was part of the Australia coaching staff under Eddie Jones before taking over as head coach of the NSW Waratahs, Stade Francais and the Reds.

The 48-year-old announced in March that he would be standing down from his position with the Reds at the end of the Super Rugby season to pursue a national coaching role. He was linked with the Ireland post before it was filled by Joel Schmidt.

McKenzie reportedly fended off competition for the Australia position from Jake White, the ACT Brumbies coach who led South Africa to their 2007 World Cup triumph.

The Wallabies' next match is against New Zealand on August 17 in the Rugby Championship.

[AZOffaly]

The feeling was he had to win the Lions series AND the Tri Nations, or whatever it's called, to keep his job.

[mouview]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/sep/05/brian-odriscoll-resents-warren-gatland

Let it go, Brian. Doesn't diminish your standing in the international game. Have you looked in the mirror and wondered that what you see may have been contributory to the Lions' poor first 2 tests?

[muppet]

[AZOffaly]

Do they visit Dáil Eireann as well? After all they are the British AND Irish Lions. I really don't get that whole concept I have to say.

[muppet]

Do they visit Dáil Eireann as well? After all they are the British AND Irish Lions. I really don't get that whole concept I have to say.

Could you imagine the response if Tuilagi repeats to Kenny what he did above to Cameron?

[AZOffaly]

A national celebration? Or are you suggesting Kenny would revert to the spirit of the Gael and chin him?

[north aontroim gael]

Do they visit Dáil Eireann as well? After all they are the British AND Irish Lions. I really don't get that whole concept I have to say.

Could you imagine the response if Tuilagi repeats to Kenny what he did above to Cameron?

Yeah I was thinking that myself.  I took it as a bit of messing, no harm.

If it was Kenny I have no doubt that people would go out of their way to get annoyed about it!  Not so much so as Cameron is British and not that well liked (not saying Kenny is)

[muppet]

Do they visit Dáil Eireann as well? After all they are the British AND Irish Lions. I really don't get that whole concept I have to say.

Could you imagine the response if Tuilagi repeats to Kenny what he did above to Cameron?

Yeah I was thinking that myself.  I took it as a bit of messing, no harm.

If it was Kenny I have no doubt that people would go out of their way to get annoyed about it!  Not so much so as Cameron is British and not that well liked (not saying Kenny is)

If the squad meets Kenny there will be those offended if Tuilagi does that again, and then there will be those offended if he doesn't.

[Applesisapples]

Kenny is an awful bollocks not fit to be a Deputy First Minister let alone Taoiseach. Cameron is much the same.

[Syferus]

Kenny is an awful bollocks not fit to be a Deputy First Minister let alone Taoiseach. Cameron is much the same.

Work on joining our fine country, not attacking it, Bin Laden.

[michaelg]

Do they visit Dáil Eireann as well? After all they are the British AND Irish Lions. I really don't get that whole concept I have to say.

What is there not to get?  As for whether or not they visit Dail Eireann, I'd imagine that depends on whether or not they were invited.