Simmering Lions told: Now show us what you’re made of
Rory Underwood with a timely history lesson for the Lions
WARREN GATLAND’S Lions are ‘hurt’ and ‘simmering’ ahead of today’s do-or-die second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington. ‘We’re playing the best team in the world in their own backyard, they’re 1-0 up and we need to win,’ said defence coach Andy Farrell. ‘It doesn’t get any bigger than that, does it? ‘We’ll see what we’re made of.’ After the 30-15 loss at Eden Park last weekend, Gatland questioned the pride of his players, and Farrell added: ‘There’s a simmering mood. It’s about character this week for us. It’s about manning up and putting everything on the line. It’s do-or-die for us and these guys are a little bit hurt about the manner in which the game went last week. We will see what we are made of this week. But you have to be careful you don’t overdo it and cloud what needs to be done. ‘You don’t just win the game by being raging mad. You have to be smart.’
Rory Underwood made a few bumpy landings as a trainee fighter pilot with the RAF, but nothing compared with Wellington in 1993 when his superb match-winning try against the All Blacks featured the ugliest touchdown of his career
The flying wing had just hit the afterburners and seen off John Kirwan and John Timu when he launched himself for the line.
Usually the most elegant of divers — with a record total of 49 Test tries for England, he got plenty of practice — Underwood got his approach all wrong and crashed to earth like a novice.
‘I still get ribbed about it,’ says Underwood, who is in Wellington this week supporting the Lions.
‘I was very conscious that this was an important moment in the match, a chance to put some daylight between us and New Zealand, and in my anxiety I dived a little early. Halfway through I thought “I’m going to be short here” and tried to stretch out and elongate myself.
‘It wasn’t very graceful, in fact it was horrible, but it was five points and I had played a part in beating the All Blacks in New Zealand. To this day not many rugby players can say that.’
It was Underwood’s only Test try for the Lions on two tours but one of the most memorable of his career. The Lions’ 20-7 victory that day is still their biggest win over New Zealand.
Underwood’s try was the icing on the cake, but he has always been embarrassed taking the credit for victory, pointing to an outstanding team effort in which everybody raised their game after the disappointment of a controversial last-minute 20-18 defeat in the first Test.
The Lions had been done in cold blood in the final minute of that game when Australian referee Brian Kinsey penalised Dean richards 40 metres out after he had appeared to make a routine wrap-up tackle on Frank Bunce.
Grant Fox stepped up to kick the match-winning goal. Earlier Bunce had been awarded a try when Ieuan Evans had appeared to touch down safely in goal as both went for the ball.
The Lions had to bounce back from the disappointment of defeat and something similar will be needed today.
‘We were angry but anger doesn’t win you rugby matches,’ said Underwood. ‘you can take some energy perhaps from that anger but to win big rugby games you have to think clearly, have a plan and execute ruthlessly. That’s what we did in that second Test.
‘Can the Lions win on Saturday? of course they can but it will need everybody to play to their full potential — as you always need to against the All Blacks.
‘The big positive from last week is that they created five really good try-scoring chances. When is the last time you saw a side do that against the All Blacks in New Zealand? When was the last time you saw a team unpick an All Blacks defence from 90 metres out and score a try of such quality as the Sean o’Brien score?
‘This Lions squad don’t need an old timer like me to tell them they must absolutely nail their tryscoring chances. It makes life much simpler and it’s good for the morale to get some reward for excellent play. We are going to need a bigger physical performance from our pack than last week. What really won us the Test in 1993 was a dominating display from our forwards in the first half when we played into the wind.
‘I remember we held them at a couple of five metre scrums and that the two Martins — Bayfield and Johnson — had big matches at the line-out. The forwards were the heroes.
‘It was the forward power that set us up, that and a fantastically committed defence and rob Andrew controlling the game with his kicking. We relied on that until we got that one chance early in the second half. And when it came, to be fair, we were pretty clinical.’