Daunting... but it won’t be mission impossible
THE LIONS find themselves standing at the foot of a sporting Everest. What awaits them is the near-impossible mission of trying to beat ‘the most dominant team in the history of the world’.
That is what the All Blacks called themselves in 2013 and New Zealand’s global conquerors have continued to justify the declaration of supremacy. Their dominance has been simply staggering for a nation with a population of four million — less than six per cent of the British Isles. The Kiwis have claimed the last two World Cups and shown no signs of relinquishing their place at the top.
Since Steve Hansen took charge of the All Blacks at the end of 2011, they have a win ratio in excess of 91 per cent. Their record under Hansen is played 69, won 63, drawn two and lost four. Ireland claimed the ultimate scalp last November and England managed it further back, in December 2012.
The search for positive omens for the Lions is largely fruitless. New Zealand last lost a Test in their own country in 2009. Eight years of home rule is a fair indicator of how they have set towering standards that rivals have been utterly incapable of matching.
It gets worse. Two of the three matches in this series will be played at Eden Park in Auckland. That has proved to be the ultimate fortress, the place where the hopes of visiting teams come to die.
When the All Blacks were last beaten there, rugby was still an amateur sport. It was 1994. France were the victors, but New Zealand have since won 37 matches at their largest stadium.
New Zealand’s claim that this is the most dominant team in the history of all sport carries considerable weight. They have been top of the pile for several years, with record spells of success and margins of victory over the world’s other top sides.
They play most, if not all, of their leading rivals every year and all attempts to surpass them have proved futile. The team changes but results stay the same.
For the Lions, historical context is not comforting. This far-away destination is their final frontier, in every sense. This is the 12th time the cream of British and Irish rugby has come here and only once have they gone home triumphant: when a side full of Welsh wizardry won the 1971 series 2-1.
The last time they were in these parts, the big cats were well and truly tamed. Sir Clive Woodward’s team were the victims of a 3-0 ‘blackwash’.
All in all, it has the look of a futile task for Warren Gatland’s squad. Yet, when it comes to the Lions, there is always expectation and hope. There is always that fantasy notion of what could be achieved when four countries are amalgamated into one formidable force.
Of course, that unifying process is part of the problem. Much has been made of how the tourists have been handicapped by their lack of preparation, through no fault of their own.
They have to travel to the other side of the world in a state of exhaustion at the end of a gruelling season. They must bond rapidly and become a cohesive team in weeks, when normally the process takes years. Combinations must be forged hurriedly, in hostile territory and amid huge pressure for positive results.
Nevertheless, the Lions embrace the ludicrous backdrop and give it a go, based on fierce commitment to the whole concept. It helps that Gatland has previous in the head coach role, having masterminded the 2-1 win over Australia four years ago. He knows how these tours work and, as a Kiwi, he knows the landscape and culture.
That has helped in the opening weeks as the host nation have alternated between welcoming and antagonistic. The people have, on the whole, reacted positively but the Kiwi rugby fraternity has been in combat mode, with everyone from Hansen downwards keen to rattle the cages of the visitors. It was expected. Anything else would have been a break with tradition.
The tour started slowly with a narrow win over a New Zealand Provincial Barbarians side full of part-timers and the Lions were immediately written off.
Then the midweek side lost to the Blues in Auckland. Six days later, a weakened Highlanders team earned a famous win in Dunedin and the derision grew louder.
But the weekends have brought precious respite and momentum.
The Lions’ first- choice XV comprehensively shut down the Crusaders, who lead Super Rugby, and stepped it up a gear against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday. These were results which reverberated around New Zealand and raised hopes of a compelling series.
A clash of styles is in the offing. Hansen’s men warmed up by thrashing Samoa 78-0, scoring 12 tries in a display of their attacking artistry. In contrast, the Lions’ best moments have been founded on power and pressure. Control up front, a set-piece platform, shrewd kicking and relentless, aggressive defence. It is shaping up as a classic example of unstoppable force meets immoveable object.
Gatland has players with a winning habit: Irishmen who beat these opponents in Chicago, Englishmen who have become accustomed to beating rivals from north and south and Welshmen who formed a core of the Lions’ successful side four years ago.
Another factor in favour of the visitors is the presence of the ‘Red Army’. The Lions are an unrivalled box- office phenomenon. Around 30,000 supporters are expected to make the journey from the UK and Ireland. Many have been here for weeks already. They provide the noise and the colour to galvanise those who have the task of taking on this near-impossible mission.
The Lions are truly at the foot of a sporting Everest, but they believe they know a route to the summit. Watching the ascent promises to be a captivating experience.