Visibly exhausted Lions grind out win
How much can we read into the first game of this Lions tour? They were only just off an enormous plane journey, had barely trained together, were overly eager to claim a test spot already (for certain players), and they played like it. On the other hand, they won – just.
It started ominously, when the Provincial Barbarians dominated possession and territory for the opening ten minutes after a mistake from the kick-off. Lions players were sluggish and not at the races, with the young hosts having a field day with ball in hand, inspired by Warren Gatland’s son Bryn. Johnny Sexton (more on him later) kicked a penalty to take the lead, but gaps were repeatedly being exploited and only cracking cover defence from the outstanding Taulupe Faletau stopped a certain score. Before the interval, they did take the lead through Sam Anderson-Streather, and it was no less than they deserved. On the resumption, Greig Laidlaw, who settled and controlled proceeding whilst the man outside him was losing his head (albeit with little to no threat around the fringes), clawed back another three points. Play was broken and unstructured, and there was little to give the fans giving up their Saturday morning lie-ins anything anything to get out of their seats for – barring an excuse to make another cup of tea. Eventually, courtesy of some impetus from the bench – particularly from Owen Farrell – the tourists were able to take the lead. Anthony Watson was fed by the England 10 and he burrowed over for a converted score. Farrell had an opportunity to make the game comfortable and give his side an opportunity to play some more rugby, but his penalty ricocheted off the post and the score finished 13-7.
It is impossible to believe that the Lions won’t get better; they will. However, with one game all-but-wasted in terms of finding combinations and patterns, will they be firing on all cylinders by the first test? Life doesn’t get any easier for them, with the Super Rugby franchises coming up, but more players will need to take responsibility and put the good of the team above any individual ambition. Still, they won round one where they could have very easily lost, and in terms of building momentum, nothing else matters.
Clermont win Top 14
Clermont ensured their good season ended with some silverware by beating Toulon in a tense and heated Top14 final, which was only decided with Auvergne holding out bravely at the death. The Champions Cup runners-up started promisingly, with a stunning length of the field Alivereti Raki converted try following a Morgan Parra penalty. Parra extended the advantage with penalties book-ending a Josia Tuisova response and Anthony Belleau’s five points from the boot for Toulon, making the interval score 16-10. Two penalties apiece meant the game was on a knife edge in the second half, but Clermont held out against Richard Cockerill’s side to make up for that galling European loss.
Crusaders win epic South Island derby
Crusaders stole victory from Highlanders in a tense clash, both sides claimed three tries and were level with the clock in the red. However, Crusaders’ Mitch Hunt slotted a massive 45m drop-goal for a 25-22 victory. The win was tinged with disappointment as they lost key All Black Ryan Crotty to injury. Blues, who face the Lions in Auckland on Wednesday, came through a gruelling fixture against Reds, winning 34-29, whilst fellow New Zealanders Chiefs beat the Waratahs 46-31. Brumbies finally started to cut clear at the top of the Australian Conference with a 32-3 destruction of Rebels, which sealed their playoff spot. Hurricanes also secured victory over Force 34-12.
Hero of the week
A tie this week. Clermont helped quell the notion that they are mentally fragile, coming through a tough Top14 final against perennial winners Toulon. This award means they have won two highly sought-after prizes in a week. Also, that massive Mitch Hunt drop to win the match sees him share the spoils.
Villain of the week
I mentioned that the Lions needed to put teamwork above individual ambition; the best, most experienced and most mature players would know this. What came as the biggest surprises of the weekend was that Johnny Sexton (a player who should be modelling those qualities) looked like he was doing everything in his power to secure himself a test spot, forgetting that unless he got his team to function, he was going to look like a headless chicken. However, jet lag could explain and forgive a lot, so whoever decided to fly the team out mere days before the first match deserves this accolade and pips Sexton to the post.
Try of the week
It may not have affected the result, but Sekope Kepu’s try for Waratahs was a gem. A prop. From 50m. Need I say more? Honourable mention for that Alivereti Raki effort.
It’s at number 1 in this Aussie compilation.
Discussion points
– Which Lions players moved themselves up/down the pecking order for tests?
– What can be done to make the scheduling of a Lions tour work best for everyone?
– What ingredients make a successful Lions tour?
– Can Clermont kick on and win Europe next season?
– Who can stop the Crusaders march in Super Rugby?
by Joe Large
From the starting line-up: Marler, Best, Moriarty, Joseph, Seymour and Watson probably did their chances no harm. They’ll all get another game and will be looking to show more, but there was nothing too majorly wrong.
Faletau was the star and has probably nailed the 8 shirt. If his main competitor, Stander, plays a couple of blinders, he’ll probably find himself in the 6 shirt – that shows where Faletau is right now.
Sinckler and Te’o have probably enhanced their test prospects as they were surprise call-ups to tour, and while they aren’t inked in, they have at least set a standard to beat. Both could become Lions “bolters”, despite limited England appearances.
Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton were two favourites to start the first test from the outset, and both are coming off injury lay-offs. Both will be better for the minutes they played, but we’ll need to see both in action again before we can tell if their form is where it needs to be.
Henderson and Laidlaw were both unfancied players who didn’t play too well, and therefore find themselves a long way from test selection. They would have to perform outstandingly in their next run out, and probably hope for others to fail or go down injured.
Sexton and Hogg were two players who were both fancied who probably didn’t live up to the billing. Again, they’ll need to raise their performances with some very strong competition and neither should be discounted, but both will hope to get a second start as soon as possible and look to move on.
It will be interesting to see who Gatland picks against the Crusaders. He has to pick the following players to give everyone a start in the first three games: Mako, George, Furlong, Kruis, O’Mahony, O’Brien, Murray, Farrell, Davies, North, Williams.
This is when we’ll get the first real insights into Gatland’s thinking;
Alun Wyn Jones and Kruis is a potential test partnership, will he put them together again? Is Jamie George crucial to this, with the George/Kruis axis from Saracens coming to the fore?
Does he go Murray-Sexton-Farrell or Murray-Farrell-Te’o? If he’s serious about trialling Sexton and Farrell at 10/12, it has to be in this match.
Does he give Hogg another go in what would potentially be the test back three? Or does he switch Williams to full back?
I think Gatland will use this game and the Maori game to try out things for his test team – and these will be the important areas this game. The Blues game and the Highlanders games will be the fringe players trying to force their way into Gatland’s mind in case one of his experiments goes wrong.
Stock going up
Faletau, Teo and Sinkler were the stars of the show and Improved their chances of a test start with some powerful running displays as well as a strong defensive shift
Controversial but I actually thought Laidlaw played well and was much better than I was expecting
Watson, Moriarty and Seymour went well but probably didn’t particularly move their test markers
The entire bench had a positive impact with the only player to not perform better than the man he replaced being Furlong
Stock going down
Sexton was very poor as was Hogg and although their performances will have been taken with a pinch of salt it will be nagging at the back of Gats mind.
AWJ and Warbs looked well short of match fitness and will have a lot to prove in their next couple of games
Marler, Henderson and Joseph were pretty anonymous and made little impact on the game
Best was terrible messing up the basics and failing to have any positive impact
I actually completely agree regarding Laidlaw. He played exactly as he was picked to play; a calm and mature head. He took on a lot of the decision making as Sexton was making poor ones. The problem is that he holds no threat, so will be nowhere near a test start. Keep up like that though and he may be a decent bench option if we need to play keep ball or territorial. If not, a solid bet for midweek captain with displays like that
Test-wise:
Front Row :
Sinckler – great. Passable in the scrum, strong runs and lines, passes better than either Laidlaw or Sexton. Super sub for the tests
Marler – fine but needs to carry more if he wants to make tests
Best – Poor. Not visible in the loose, weak in the set piece, no leadership from such an experienced player. Hartley should have had his place.
Second row:
AWJ – poor, slow and lacking in leadership
Henderson – cumbersome, lightweight, poor defensively.
On that evidence, Launchbury and the Gray brothers must be livid. In fact I’d take England’s top 8 locks before either of these 2 would get a look in. Neither should be anywhere near the test team on this evidence, but you just know AWJ will be selected.
Back Row:
Warburton – utterly anonymous in play and leadership. If he can’t impose himself on a bunch of semi-pros, what hope he can do so to the ABs?
Moriarty – ok but one dimensional. Reminds me of Andy Powell. Poor play to be stripped of the ball a couple of times.
Faletu – excellent. A different style of 8 to Billy but no worse for it.
Moriarty is solid mid-week material, Warburton on that evidence should be also but won’t and Faletau is a nailed on starter
Scrum half: Laidlaw does what he does but he is slow of thought, deed and pass. At one point a space as big as a bus opened up in front of him and you could almost see the wheels of decision turning in his head before he just shipped the ball on. Poor decision making when camped on oppo line. Wish Ben Youngs was there. Mid-week scrummie only
Fly half: Sexton. Made to look like an amateur by Gatland. Crap passing, poor kicking and awful decision making. Looked one dimensional. Needs to pick it up but with the only other option being Biggar, he will be in the test team.
Centres:
Teo – good lines, strong running. Possible test bolter and set down a marker for the likes of Henshaw
Joseph – poor. Ineffective running, missed a couple of tackles. The JJ of the Ireland game not the Scotland game. Mid-week only
Wings:
Seymour and Watson – similar, both ok, both need to look for more work. Watson took his try well. Still in the running for the test team.
Fullback – all the bad bits of Hogg, none of the good. Wasted 2 nailed on tries. The concern with Hogg (other than his defending) is his tendency to go it alone, his inability to spot the opportunities that his running opens up and if he does spot them, poor skill levels in making the most of them. All evident here
Overall, pretty awful. Yes they were jet lagged but that was always a given for this game. Yes the oppo had nothing to lose, but they were mostly semi-pro. The lions should have hammered them.
Needs to be massively improved for the Blues game
The last Lions tour served up some of the most boring, uninspired international rugby I’ve ever seen and put me right off the brand. With almost the exact same coaching set up I didn’t expect anything different this time around. I didn’t watch the game but sounds like it went as expected.
I am amazed by the criticism Hogg is getting after the game. Yes, it was a poor performance but apart from the dropped ball and missed pass he did not play that badly. Several jinky runs and offloads were impactful and his defense was solid. Overall he was more of an impact than Joseph.
And Pablito, its wrong to suggest he has a poor skill set, IMO he is one of the most Skillful players in the NH if not the world.
lions has been strong all the way. keep it up with the good work