We’ll have to learn to live with mistakes
It is probably something everyone will have to get used to, if they haven’t already done so. The three Lions’ outings so far against Argentina, Western Force and the Reds have been full of mistakes, some handling errors, a lot of misplaced passes and some misreading of what team-mates are doing or where they are going to run. In all three games the opposition have taken advantage of that and rattled the Lions’ cage. The payback for having international players start the game and then flood in from the bench early in the second half is offset by the steep learning curve the players are on to gel as a team. As England World Cup winner and former Lion Lawrence Dallaglio said before the tour started, the whole Lions enterprise is set up to fail. But the second 50-point win in a row says something is solid.
Fewer replays makes for refreshing viewing
By design or just the way things are rolling, there have not been many TMO referrals and replays in the opening two matches played in Australia. There was at least one referral against the Reds, and a try was awarded to the Lions after review. But the experience so far is that people are generally content with the referee diving into a pile of bodies and making the call without going through all of the angles and prolonging the game. The replays have become part of the rugby entertainment business but less of them and allowing the match to move on quickly on is quite refreshing in its own old-fashioned way.
Smooth Jamison Gibson-Park operates well with Finn Russell
It was encouraging to see the Irish nine, Jamison Gibson-Park, back playing competitive rugby. It is only when he is away from the game and returns that the smooth tempo he gives a team - compared with Alex Mitchell’s staccato style of play - is so eye-catching. Ronan O’Gara rightly said on television that at his best Gibson-Park is up there with French nine Antoine Dupont. Although he clearly has another gear or two above what he showed against the Reds, his linking with outhalf Finn Russell, his control at the base of rucks, accurate kicking game, snipe threat and temperament were all on display. Already connections within the squad are beginning to form and although it was the halfbacks’ first time out together the Irish scrumhalf and Scottish pivot have the look of a Test-match pairing despite having much more to add to their game than the outing against the Reds showed.
Ben Earl holds court in Lions centre
Irish centre Bundee Aki was replaced at the end of the match by England backrow Ben Earl. It was an interesting decision by Andy Farrell, giving the forward 15 minutes to try his hand in a star-studded backline. Earl is a dynamic player and has some pace. Not as much as Henry Pollack, another Lions backrow, but enough to possibly cause havoc in the midfield. Indeed, after providing cover in the centre against Wales during the Six Nations, Earls said “it is not too dissimilar”. “Half the stuff I do is as a 12 anyway,” he explained at the time. He also played the last six minutes of England’s 47-24 victory over Italy during the Six Nations at centre and scored the final try. Steve Borthwick first used him in the backline during England’s victory over Japan last summer. A hybrid player. Watch this space in Australia.
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Freescoring Lions are going to be hard for Australia to keep at bay
How will former Ireland and current Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt counter the Lions change of gear when the teams meet later this month? In the two games on Australian soil the cogs have shifted and the tries have flowed. Only four minutes into the second half agaisnt the Reds, Maro Itoje triggered the surge, scoring a try after good work from Aki. Nine minutes later it was flanker and player of the match Jac Morgan who ran a great line to take a flat pass and dive over. Just four minutes after that England wing Tommy Freeman twisted and used his strength to force himself over the line, and Huw Jones ran most of the length of the field to touch down on 65 minutes. Replacement Garry Ringrose ended the try fest on 80+4 minutes, touching down in the corner. No doubt Schmidt is already on it.
