Lions Test akin to Cup final insists Hansen
ALL Blacks coach Steve Hansen compared tod first Test with the British and Irish Lions to a World Cup final as they prepare to take on a touring party that has been growing in confidence and form.
The Lions have shaken off a slow start to their tour to develop themselves into a formidable force full of flair but they now face the task of handing the world champions their first defeat at Auckland’s Eden Park in 23 years.
When the Lions last visited in 2005, New Zealand ‘blackwashed’ the series 3-0, continuing a run that has seen them win 29 of 38 Tests dating back to 1904.
The latest edition will be a classic clash of northern and southern hemisphere styles, contrasting game plans, and different rule interpretations under South African referee Jaco Peyper.
The tactics will be intriguing, with England lock George Kruis saying the Lions will “try anything” to gain an advantage, including screaming in the lineouts to upset the All Blacks.
“You’ve got to put pressure on players somehow and that’s one way of putting pressure on them,” he said.
The All Blacks are confident their speed and sleight-of-hand offloads will get them through the close-marking Lions defence.
The Lions are about power, kick and chase and as their tour has rumbled on, a shadow Test team, formed for game three when they beat the Canterbury Crusaders, have developed into a class unit.
From the Lions squad that beat the Crusaders, 19 of the 23 remain for the Test including 13 of the run-on side.
Along the way they have fine-tuned a powerful scrum and lineout, and defensive line speed that stifled both the freescoring Crusaders and Maori All Blacks, conceding only one try.
“To play the All Blacks you have to be bold, you have to take risks,” Gatland said.
“It’s right up there,” Hansen said, when asked to compare the Lions tour to winning the 2015 World Cup final.
“The World Cup’s a knockout tournament and the difference with the Lions is you get three (Tests).
“So if you stuff the first one up you get another one. And it’s the same for both teams. It’s exciting.” — AFP