Gatland’s men have found their way of playing – and it makes them dangerous
The Lions are clicking on and off the field and are rightly performing in a way that suits them
Defence shows the character of a team, how they are connecting, how they are respecting each other, and that was what we saw from the Lions in Christchurch. It was a sign that things are clicking off the field. And without that, you cannot do much.
Warren Gatland and his management team would have worked with Sam Warburton and a number of the senior players to put these things in place – something I failed to do correctly in 2001.
It was not that the Crusaders played poorly, it was that the Lions forced those mistakes. For the first time in 2017 the Crusaders were under constant pressure, did not have the time or the space to execute, and lost their discipline.
It was a terrific performance from the Lions in that regard. Defence has shifted up a gear or two. It has become more direct, meaning that you set wider and thereby have a shorter distance between the defender and attacker, so there is less time, less space. Being more direct means that there is a real emphasis on having as many players on their feet as possible. If you cannot defend, you cannot win.
Andy Farrell has already shown himself to be a quality coach with England and latterly with Ireland. He knows a lot of the players and they know him, his systems and the way he works. That is what we are now beginning to see in action. The foundations for the Lions are being laid. There are still layers to put on top in terms of the attack, but that takes more time.
What was encouraging was that Conor Murray, Owen Farrell and also Jonathan Sexton showed up well.
For me, Murray is the best half-back in the world. Farrell we know about, and he is a strong individual. What will have pleased the Lions is the way in which Sexton looked to be back on his game. He made quite a statement and looked the part again after his poor opening to the tour.
There was criticism in some quarters about the style of game the Lions played, their kicking and turning game; “in the washing machine, back and forth, back and forth,” as Crusaders coach Scott Robertson put it.
I do not agree with the criticisms. It would be a sad day for rugby if it were only ever played in one way. Just because there are 500 passes in a game does not mean it is a good game. A contest is about presenting a challenge, posing questions, and the Lions did that.
Murray’s kicking was spot-on. Kicking is a huge part of the modern game and has been part of the All Blacks armoury for some years. Kick to exit, kick to recover, kick to score, kick-pass – there are many facets to it.
The Lions are playing in the manner in which they have grown up. That is the style with which they are most comfortable and I am sure the Lions will not be deviating much from it. Why would they? Why should they? That is what head coach Eddie Jones has done with England, recognised the natural strengths of the game there and brought them to bear.
The game in New Zealand is fundamentally different to the game in Europe. Some of that is down to climate. Super Rugby is played in the summer. Kids here also play with ball in hand from the moment they first play the game. It is in their genes. But, as we saw and as we know, there is more than one way to play.
It took the Crusaders some time to get to grips with many things on the night, and that difference in attitude was one of them. Why did they not take the points on offer from penalties? There are times when you need to be pragmatic and take the points in a tight game any way you can. And, yes, I learnt that the hard way when we did not look for a dropped goal in that World Cup quarter-final against France in Cardiff in 2007. It cost us that night. And it cost the Crusaders.
The Lions had five kickable penalties and kicked four from four. The Crusaders went to the corner and the driving line-out for three of them. True, a large percentage of scores these days come from the driving line-out.
It is a boring part of the game, but it is part of the game. I would like to see that change but that is not for now.
The one area where the Crusaders had an advantage was in the scrum, and Warren will look to spend time sorting that out. Little has changed in the past 100 years as regards set-piece ball. You cannot play if you have not got security of possession – and quality possession.
Never mind the problems the Crusaders had with the refereeing interpretations in the first half. They should have got to grips with that far sooner than they did. All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen and scrum coach Mike Cron will not be making the same mistake. They will realise that there is a difference in the hemispheres in how the scrums shape up before engagement. They pre-load, as we call it here.
The laws state that there should be no contest before the ball is put in. Referee Mathieu Raynal was perfectly within his rights to see it as he saw it. The French referee’s interpretations at times had the players scratching their heads, but that is also part of international rugby and the Lions, with all their experience, just kept their composure and got on with it, again impressive.
Just as the Lions are learning from these games, so too will the All Blacks, and the tourists need to work on their scrummaging.
The match in Christchurch was massive in the context of this tour. The Lions have made a statement that they are going to be competitive come Test-match time, and that is critical for our great game.