THE British Lions’ mighty roar has been reduced to a squeak.
‘Back to Basics’ is a term more commonly used in a party political broadcast and yet this must be the rallying call which Warren Gatland needs to get through to his players in the wake of a disastrous defeat to the Brumbies in Australia on Tuesday. Anything other than a Brumbies win would have been a gross injustice as the Lions spluttered to their first defeat of their tour.
One is taught at school to get your rugby basics right – i.e. the scrum, the lineout, passing and running straight. All four of these facets were lacking in the Lions. Rory Best’s lineout throwing was dreadful, meaning that the half backs had no decent ball to work with. On the rare occasion they did, Twelvetrees and Hogg in particular, were smashed back from whence they came from.
A second considerable concern for coach Gatland was at the much discussed breakdown. The Brumbies back row was magnificent and totally outplayed the Lions, save for Toby Faletau, who was absolutely immense for the Brits throughout.
Time and time again, there were two or three Brumbies players first to the breakdown over their British counterparts. Jake White clearly has a well-oiled side, particularly so given the body positions his team perfected in slowing the ball down and getting the all-important turnovers. The Brumbies seemed to want it more than the Lions, which would be considered blasphemy within the Lions environment, if it were not so true.
However, amongst all the doom and gloom in the Lions changing room, there are still a few days to go before the Test series starts. We only have to look back to the 1997 tour of South Africa when the Lions were downed by the Blue Bulls only to bounce and beat Transvaal the following week. Ask any member of that squad and they will say that it was a key turning point of the tour. Similar notions will be mentioned if the Lions do prevail in the first Test. It is also worth noting that Australia A beat the Lions before the first Test in Brisbane 12 years ago.
Also consider that Gatland’s selection policy would have been made easier after the Canberra defeat. Two possibles for the back row in Tipuric and O’Brien were below par, making the hugely competitive back row selection headache a little clearer. Toby Faletau, if he can keep his energy may well have played himself into the starting XV over Jamie Heaslip.
What will have heartened Warren Gatland was the impact the substitutes made when coming on in the final quarter. A tiring Brumbies defence almost didn’t get over the finish line and that was largely in part due to a much improved Lions set piece. Replacements will have a key role to play in the last twenty minutes for both sides on Saturday and the series, meaning that there could be a surprise selection or two for the Lions.
The Brumbies defeat perhaps just shades it for the Wallabies as favourites going into Brisbane on Saturday night, especially given that the two most important figures in the Wallabies team, James Horwill and Will Genia, are playing on their home patch.
Injuries have derailed the Lions and the back-up does not look so strong judging on how poor the Lions were against an understrength but utterly inspired Brumbies outfit. Whoever wins that first Test should go onto the win the series.
One cannot help but feel that if the Lions lose to the Wallabies in Brisbane then it will be desperately hard to keep a fully fit XV for the next two Tests.
Countering that thought is the fact that Robbie Deans charges have not had any kind of warm up match to go into this all important first Test. Is it wise to go into a full blooded Test match without any match practice? Kurtley Beale for one has not had a top level match for the best part of two months and throwing the talented but inexperienced Israel Folau in would be a risk. Yet these two are amongst the Australia’s most creative players.
So all is not lost for the Lions but what Gatland and his management team do now for the remainder of the week will set the course on whether this tour will be a success or failure. How they react to the defeat and how that message is purveyed to the squad is crucial. Words and deeds have to be carefully thought through to make sure the whole squad is as one both physically and mentally when going into battle on Saturday.
So with that in mind and ahead of Thursday’s hugely anticipated team roll call for the first Test, here would be my 23 match day Lions squad for Brisbane.
Forwards:
Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Mako Vunipola, Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell, Sam Warburton (c), Toby Faletau, Tom Croft
Backs:
Mike Phillips, Johnny Sexton, Jonathan Davies, Brian O’Driscoll, Alex Cuthbert, George North (if unfit Manu Tuilagi), Leigh Halfpenny
Bench:
Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi/Rob Kearney, Simon Zebo, Tom Youngs, Jamie Heaslip, Geoff Parling, Dan Cole
There is so much to ponder, so much to get excited by and trying to work out who is going to be picked on either side let alone who is going to win is as intriguingly difficult as it has ever been.
IMAGE: Lions’ Richard Hibbard disappointed after loosing the fifth tour match of the British and Irish Lions tour against the ACT Brumbies at Canberra Stadium in Canberra, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. (AAP/Lukas Coch)
[ Source: Australian Times ]