Lions need to switch off before the series decider, says coach Rowntree
him the whole game. Or not rolling away. Those are what I call dumb penalties.”
“You just can’t afford it. Our discipline is going to be big a focus. You’re not going to win big rugby games if you’re playing with 14 men. We have to make sure that we’ve got 15 men for 80 minutes. You can’t afford a yellow card. Look how many points were scored on Saturday when either they had a yellow card or we had a yellow card.”
On a more positive note, Feeney also praised the Stormers’ attacking efforts, and although he admitted that they were “a bit rusty” in certain areas, he was also happy with the Stormers defence in the last stages of the game.
“It was pleasing to come back after the break and score six tries. We scored some good tries from broken play and counter-attack, and we used the width of the field. The boys went out and gave the ball a bit of air, so that was pleasing.”
“I think we were a bit rusty in a few areas. In the last 15 minutes our defence stepped up another gear and that showed that the boys really wanted to make it happen.”
On the injury front, the return of Springbok centre Damian de Allende to full training after recovering from a quad injury is a timely midfield boost following injuries to Bok centre Juan de Jongh (concussion) and former Highlander Shaun Treeby (rib injury; two weeks) at the weekend. Fullback SP Marais will also miss out on the match against the Sunwolves after landing awkwardly, and Feeney said that he might miss the match this weekend and be ready for the last group-stage game against the Bulls. Centre Huw Jones, who was set to return this week, has been pushed out another week and should make his return against the Bulls.
Props Oli Kebble (thigh) and Ali Vermaak (calf) are still recovering from their respective injuries, and both players face a race against time to be fit for the Super Rugby quarter-finals. WELLINGTON: The British and Irish Lions need to “switch off” for a few days to heal bodies battered from their punishing tour, but there is no danger of players losing their edge ahead of Saturday’s series decider against the All Blacks, said Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree.
While the All Blacks went straight to Auckland to prepare for the third test at Eden Park, the tourists travelled south from Wellington to New Zealand’s top winter sports destination around Queenstown for two days rest and relaxation.
The Lions sent the threetest series to a decider after beating the All Blacks 24-21 at Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday, and Rowntree said the side had to physically recover in order to withstand the coming storm.
“They need to switch off,” Rowntree told reporters in Wellington before they left. “We have done it the last few Lions series, to have a few days off after the second test because they are tired. We have worked them hard.”
Rowntree, a no-nonsense loosehead prop in his playing days, whose England career ended in 2006 after 54 caps, said there was no danger of the players being unable to raise the intensity level again for the decider.
Victory at Eden Park would see them join the 1971 team as the only Lions side to win a test series in New Zealand.
“There is a series in the balance. How many of these guys have won a Lions series in New Zealand?” he said.
“What excites the guys is that there is more to come in our game. We’ve got the best players in the home nations and they’ve had a taste of it.
“The first test they were down, but we got a reaction and they’ve got a taste now so the feeling is ‘right, let’s get this done. Let’s raise our game again.’”
After losing the first test at Eden Park 30-15 on June 24, the Lions ended the All Blacks’ 47-match, eight-year unbeaten streak at home on Saturday and Rowntree expected a “massive reaction” from the world champions.
“They don’t make many mistakes,” he added. “They will be hurting, as we were after last week, so we’re expecting a reaction going into the game at Eden Park.
“They don’t lose there very often do they? But we ... want to get this done. We kept ourselves alive and now head into a decider.
“So the lads are aware of where we need to be going into the last game.” – Reuters