>> Guscott: Te’o fits Gatland’s No.12 mould
IT was crucial for the Lions to bounce back and get the victory yesterday and it was telling how the rest of the squad reacted at the final whistle. In my experience from touring, a win like that when the pressure was on is vital to the group cohesion and positive mentality. There is no division in this squad and while they all want that Test jersey, it’s a massive plus to see such camaraderie.
The positive energy that brings creates a massive uplift going into the next training session and helps them towards their end goal. It is also a huge plus for the all the thousands of travelling fans and victory will surely have boosted the atmosphere and created a buzz ahead of the next game. Beating the Crusaders who were on a 14-game winning streak certainly lets them crow about something again.
It not only got the winning vibe back in camp, the defensive showing was a marked improvement on Wednesday and only one break from impressive young centre Jack Goodhue caused the Lions problems.
But who in their right mind had written the Lions off after Wednesday’s defeat? Yes it wasn’t a good result but those saying that if the Lions had lost against yesterday it would have been tour over are either uninformed or sensationalist.
Smart people know it’s a steady build towards the Tests and Warren Gatland was going to use all his 41 players in the opening three games.
It changes now as he hones his key partnerships and it will be interesting to see which way he goes in midfield.
Jonathan Davies’ departure for a head injury assessment and likely absence from the next game is a blow because he had finished the season with a bang for Scarlets and was looking strong in that opening half. With neither Jonathan Joseph nor Robbie Henshaw really finding anywhere near their best form so far, it is still wide open for me who wears 13.
But the key question Gatland faces is the 10-12 dilemma. While Johnny Sexton looked to have picked up his game from last week, he’s still not at his peak and I’m not convinced a Sexton-Owen Farrell partnership will do the job in the Tests. Yes, having two fly-halves who understand tempo and making space for others is an advantage in attack, but in defence it leaves you open. I’d much rather have Ben Te’o marshalling the midfield.
Te’o has impressed me at 12 and he fits the mould of what Warren Gatland likes in his inside-centre. He has done the job asked of him by running hard and direct, and challenging the line looking for an offload to get someone in behind the defence. Gatland has always opted for that solid unit at 12 – even at Wasps back when with Fraser Waters – and I would not be surprised to see him start that first Test, with Farrell at fly-half and Sexton on the bench.
Te’o is a very talented player and there is much more to come from him. Big game atmospheres don’t faze him and since starring for the Rabitohs in Rugby League, he has stepped up with ease to each new challenge whether it be PRO12, Premiership or England.
He showed in the Six Nations what a force he can be from the bench and he’s carried that into this tour. While others wilt under pressure, Te’o strikes me as a winner who thrives when he has to deliver. He had another direct, forthright performance but his final pass is usually better than when he should have put Liam Williams away after a neat break in midfield.
And for someone of such power, it would give the team such a boost to see him really cut someone in half with offensive defence. He can do it, and he needs to, because those uplifting moments can change a game.
At the moment he’s my front
runner for 12 with Davies outside him – Joseph and Henshaw need blinding games to force their way in.
Conor Murray enjoyed a fine start to his tour and he’s nailed on at No.9, so much so he was one of my outside picks as captain. His kicking game was excellent and each bomb he put up gave his chasers enough time to put pressure on the catcher – time after time. With Murray and Farrell combining, the exit strategy was worlds apart from Wednesday.
Farrell gave a command performance but I wonder whether he would have thrown that long pass out near the end if he had been playing for Saracens. For his club he has developed an all-round coolness and patience to his play and on that occasion simply putting the ball through the hands would have exploited the overlap and set up an easy try.
Like Te’o’s poor pass to Williams, those are the type of chances the Lions cannot afford to let go begging.
Farrell knew he had a penalty waiting so he may have thought it was a ‘play to nothing’. Wrong. It was a play to absolute wipe out the Crusaders and put a big marker down.
Anthony Watson impressed from full-back and I’ve always rated him highly as a runner in broken play.
He added another dimension in attack on the counter and ripped the Crusaders open on a few occasions. One big thing for Watson to work on, though, is his ability pick the right option when he has too much time to think.
Instinctively he’s one of the best finishers around and in a flat race will beat most. But there have been times this season when he seems to have been confused, and rushed into making a move that actually played right into the defender’s hands.
Wallaby full-back Israel Folau is probably the best out there right now at standing his defender up and then forcing him to make a move he doesn’t want to. Watson seems to let the defender dominate the space and having too many options slows him down thinking, ‘Shall I pass, chip, grubber or go myself ’. He needs to learn to keep his composure and work on final execution because one on one he’s absolutely electric.
In greasy conditions the Lions can be forgiven for some of the dropped balls and fluffed chances. They will have to become more clinical but right now creating so many chances against the top NZ franchise is a big, big plus ahead of the Tuesday’s clash against Highlanders.
There are always defining moments on Lions tours, and should they go on to clinch the series, this vicory over the high-flying Crusaders will be one of them.
“Conor Murray enjoyed a fine start to his tour and he’s nailed on at No.9. His kicking game was excellent”