Inspired All Blacks are pumped up
The coaches of the Lions and the All Blacks have finally played their hands and dished up some tasty head-to-head clashes, writes
IN PREPARING his team for tomorrow’s seismic first Test against the British and Irish Lions, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has made a point of looking to the past for inspiration.
The history of past Lions tours; the reminder that only one All Blacks side, in 1971, have lost a series to the combined team. The fact that they are unbeaten at Eden Park since 1994.
And the recognition that for this group of players, the three-Test series will be their last chance to face the Lions.
“The Lions come every 12 years and we’re excited about that,” Hansen said.
“It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for most people and look at the guys in the first game (Provincial Barbarians), they loved it and they are now keen to go to a higher level.
“The Super Rugby sides, they stood up and were counted and it inspired those young kids.
“You can feel the enthusiasm and real hunger in the hotel with the players. They’re really up for it.
“That’s what this Lions tour does for our rugby. We respect it.”
Respect for the current Lions team has been slow to come in rugby-mad New Zealand after the visitors sputtered through the first week of their tour.
Since then, barring a 23-22 loss to the Highlanders, they have built momentum on forward-dominated performances that starved the opposition of possession and shut down their opportunities with a quick, smothering defence.
The inside back combination of Conor Murray and Owen Farell have also been superb with their tactical kicking, while the hard-running midfield of Jonathan Davies and Ben Te’o have proved the best at giving their side frontfoot ball.
The big test against the All Blacks is whether they will provide that space to an attacking back three of Liam Williams, Anthony Watson and Elliot Daly, with coach Warren Gatland choosing the trio in the knowledge the Lions will need to score tries to beat the world champions.
“The message to the players before we came out to New Zealand was that to play the All Blacks you have to be bold and take risks,” he added.
“Yes, we are playing to a structure as every team does, but we have been giving the confidence to the players to bring in an offloading game when its appropriate.
“We know we have got to be courageous coming here, we’ve got to be bold and play some positive rugby.”
Gatland’s worry is that if they get too positive and make errors, the All Blacks will exploit them ruthlessly, as evidenced by their 78-0 thrashing of Samoa last week.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read has returned to the starting team after almost eight weeks out with a broken thumb, while winger Rieko Ioane was the only surprise selection for the world champions, replacing Julian Savea on the left wing.
Ryan Crotty has recovered from a rib injury to allow Hansen to pair him with Sonny Bill Williams in the midfield. – Reuters There is little argument as to who the best flyhalf in the world is currently, Beauden Barrett, but the man standing just behind him in the pecking order is Owen Farrell. The young Englishman is integral to the Lions’ effort and provides the blueprint for the game that Warren Gatland wants to play. With Farrell being a defensive minded, kicking flyhalf, he is the right man to mark the mystic Barrett who will try and break play open through that channel. Needless to say, that it will be a bit of an immovable object vs an unstoppable force battle.
by league grunt. T’eo will be no stranger to Williams, having been born in Auckland and played against him in the NRL. These former foes, in a different sport, will want to get the better of each other in probably the biggest stage in rugby union. T’eo has been selected to get over the advantage line with his surging runs, but he too will meet a brick wall in Williams who is magnificent in defence as he is in audacious offloading.
EDEN PARK TEAMS, KICK-OFF TOMORROW: 9.35AM