South Africa v Lions

[itszamora]

It was a try, that image is from too late after the grounding. The problem with the try was that O'Gara completely missed a tackle in the build-up to it, because he's a liability. He also of course gave away a rather important penalty late on.

Completely agree about the gouging though, we should have been playing against 14 for basically the entire match. And the Beast's boring in at the scrum went completely unpunished in the first half of the first test. Basically whilst I don't think you can fully blame them, with better reffing the Lions could quite conceivably be 2-0 up in the series, not 2-0 down.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

It was a try, that image is from too late after the grounding. The problem with the try was that O'Gara completely missed a tackle in the build-up to it, because he's a liability. He also of course gave away a rather important penalty late on.

Completely agree about the gouging though, we should have been playing against 14 for basically the entire match. And the Beast's boring in at the scrum went completely unpunished in the first half of the first test. Basically whilst I don't think you can fully blame them, with better reffing the Lions could quite conceivably be 2-0 up in the series, not 2-0 down.

Can't agree about O'Gara. The penalty was needless but he was trying to make something happen - unlike so many stupid offside/high tackle penalties that we gave away. His tackling is his weakest part but to call him a liability is a joke - think of all the missed place kicks/poor tactical kicking from Stephen Jones in the first test - arguably that cost us the game! He's been given such a harsh ride from English & Welsh press (who really can't provide a better option), and I hope he leads Munster to the Heineken next year to prove the doubters wrong.

As for the try - as I said right from the start, I was never trying to prove anything for definite with that pic - but its the closest I could find to the actual grounding. The point is, as others have also said, that the ref clearly didn't think it was a try, yet asked the TMO for evidence that it WASN'T, of which there was none.

 

[Questions]

Anyone who is blaming O`Gara for saturdays defeat is very wide of the mark. We gave away many other penalties not just the one he commited. Had the chap knocked on we would have had possesion in our own half and who knows what might have happened then.

O`Gara is a fine player and a brave lad to boot. He is no Wilkinson in defence but that does not make him a weak link.

 

[itszamora]

Anyone who is blaming O`Gara for saturdays defeat is very wide of the mark. We gave away many other penalties not just the one he commited. Had the chap knocked on we would have had possesion in our own half and who knows what might have happened then.

O`Gara is a fine player and a brave lad to boot. He is no Wilkinson in defence but that does not make him a weak link.

You need big players to step up in big moments of games and O'Gara is the exact opposite of one of those. In rugby these days you need 15 who can defend, he can't and his weakness in that regard cost us the Test. At that level of competition, he is a liability in my view.

 

[Icy Gull]

O' Gara is a confidence player and his is shot, I groaned when he came on, even more so by the end.

 

[Questions]

You need big players to step up in big moments of games and O'Gara is the exact opposite of one of those..

Highest points scorer in Ireland`s history.
5th highest in international history.
4 times Lions tourist.
Scored all of Ireland`s points in there 2003 win over Australia and did the same a year later when defeating South Africa.
Captained Munster to their Heineken cup win in 2008 against Wasps.
Scored a crucial drop-goal against Wales, giving Ireland their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 61 years.


But like you say, not a big player who can step up in the big moments of games. In fact what a loser he is.

 

[itszamora]

Highest points scorer in Ireland`s history.
5th highest in international history.
4 times Lions tourist.
Scored all of Ireland`s points in there 2003 win over Australia and did the same a year later when defeating South Africa.
Captained Munster to their Heineken cup win in 2008 against Wasps.
Scored a crucial drop-goal against Wales, giving Ireland their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 61 years.


But like you say, not a big player who can step up in the big moments of games. In fact what a loser he is.

I have never thought much of him as a player. A good kicker, but a lot of players are and the Lions still had Jones kicking when both were on. Not particularly creative with the ball in hand, and a revolving door defensively.

 

[Questions]

I have never thought much of him as a player. A good kicker, but a lot of players are and the Lions still had Jones kicking when both were on. Not particularly creative with the ball in hand, and a revolving door defensively.

Maybe its the style of player he is. More of a Rob Andrew than a Michelak I grant you.

 

[itszamora]

Maybe its the style of player he is. More of a Rob Andrew than a Michelak I grant you.

Andrew could defend though. My hatred of O'Gara is to a degree irrational I think, but I have just never rated him at all.

 

[keaton]

I don't hate O'Gara but I've never thought he much of a rugby brain

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Yep, what a choker.

[yt]ZQnzngsmVWU[/yt]

 

[Race]

Think we could do with a Willie-John call of 99 for the last test!