June 30, 2005

Disappointment for Gordon

Posted by Editor on June 30, 2005 12:24 AM | 4 comments | Print | E-mail author

Gordon Bulloch has been overlooked for Saturday's Test
Despite leading the Lions to a record win in New Zealand, Gordon Bulloch was left out of the British and Irish Lions' 22-man squad for the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday.

The Lions going into this weekend's match needing a victory to save the series and Sir Clive Woodward has brought in seven new faces and made four positional switches, but there is still no place for either Gordon or Chris Cusiter. Both have performed well on tour and looked set to feature in the second Test after being substituted at the end of the first half in Tuesday night's win over Manawatu.

Gordon said in today's Scotsman: "I thought this week that I had a chance and I was pleased with how the guys performed against Manawatu.

"The lineouts and scrums have gone pretty well in the games I've played and I feel my form has been good. But I've been here before and I'll suffer disappointments again. I've really enjoyed the tour and the fact I captained the Lions to a record win in New Zealand this week will be a great highlight to have, but it's about the Test series and it is hard when you put everything into it and still miss out. It leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth."

You can read the article here

Comments
Posted by McDruid on June 30, 2005 04:14 PM | Reply to this comment

The treatment of bulloch and Cusiter is an outrage. How can they pick Thompson to throw to the Irish locks and keep Byrne on the bench? The secure call would have been to retain Byrne, to throw to his Irish colleagues, with an alternative thrower-in, i.e. Bulloch, on the bench. If they want muscle and mobiltity in the front row, then Jenkins, who can prop on both sides, should have been switched to loose-head to accommodate Sheridan, with White, who is too slow and cumbersome, dropped.

Cusiter is yet another sacrificed for Wilkinson. Against Wellington, Wilkinson did not go well at No.10, so Henson was substituted and Wilkinson went to No.12. In the first test, Wilkinson was seen not to be a No.12, so Stephen Jones steps down to let Jonny-wonder play No.10. And Cusiter is kept out just in case Jonny can't cope between Henson and Peel, in which case the latter will be removed to allow Jonny's comfort blanket, aka Matt Dawson, to come on.

Wilkinson should have been left at home, together with all the other English has-beens, from whom you could easily pick a midweek - emphatically non-test - side to play against the Manawatus of the host country.

Posted by hugues on June 30, 2005 05:57 PM | Reply to this comment

I think, the Lions won't be strong enough for the All Blacks next saturday.
So we'll see the Scots for the last Test.

Posted by ballinj on June 30, 2005 06:08 PM | Reply to this comment

I really hate saying this but I hope the Lions lose this test so SCW is sacked and when he arrives back in the UK we can all throw rotten eggs and such like while roundly booing him.

The Lions are so special and he has in the space of 6 weeks done so much damage to that reputation that it will be a wonder if they ever recover.

It is such a shame as the Lions tours was what first got me interested in watching Rugby (outside of Scotland games) and he SCW has the whole of the UK against the Lions if not the whole of the Rugby world. I feel almost physicaly ill everytime I see SCW's test selections to the extent that I couldn't watch the game last Saturday and having seen the highlights glad I didn't.

Perhaps that was the plan, make everyone so unhappy that the backlash results in future Lions tours being cancelled. Instead of the tour (since I have my conspiracy hat on)their is a game against a select team from Area 51, perhaps called the Barbaliens (really sorry couldn't resist).

Sadly that makes more sense than SCW selection policy.

Posted by swansea jock on July 3, 2005 10:07 AM | Reply to this comment

I to can`t get behind supporting this lions squad,which feels strange as I always have.The way they`ve treated our Scottish
representatives has been poor considering they have both been on form.There was probably more Scottish blood in the All Blacks than
Lions on saturday.Thought Henson bar one tackle was invisible after all the fuss made down here in Wales.

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