End this aimless kicking, Zinzan tells Gat
ZINZAN Brooke has warned the Lions they will be smashed by the All Blacks if they continue to be a bunch of ‘aimless high kickers’.
The former All Black No.8 claims the tourists must ditch any ideas of hitting the world champions with an aerial bombardment and simply fight the rugby war on the ground.
Brooke, 52, told TRP: “The Lions have a strong set of forwards who thrive on having control and momentum. They have plenty of experience, strength and skill, and the scrum and line-out was very good against the Blues.
“But there is absolutely no point in having that control up front and doing all the donkey work when the ball is wasted by the halfbacks time and again – it’s being kicked down their throats and returned with interest.
“I’ve been disappointed by the decision to constantly kick away possession. It’s a tactic which is just asking for trouble over here unless performed perfectly. You at least have to give yourself a 50-50 chance of getting the ball back. That has not been the case so far, it’s been pretty aimless and you are not going to beat the All Blacks playing that way.
“You have to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible here and use the high kick as a surprise weapon.”
Despite defeats to the Blues and the Highlanders, Brooke is banking on a thrilling Test series.
“I believe the Lions are still on track, though they need to learn and step up a gear quickly. It was always going to be a difficult tour and Warren Gatland would have wanted tough tests of his team at the start of it to get them up to speed.
“But it’s also about combinations. The Lions have only been together a short time and need to gel.”