Gatland hits back at ‘personal’ criticism as Lions win ignites tour
Defiant coach says he was ‘hammered’ after poor start Farrell inspires gritty victory over Crusaders
Warren Gatland hit back at his critics last night as the British and Irish Lions recorded a morale-boosting 12-3 victory over New Zealand’s pre-eminent Super Rugby side, the previously unbeaten Crusaders. Owen Farrell scored all the points with four penalty goals.
It was a much-needed win after a stuttering start to the tour during which Gatland (right) has been lambasted in print and on airwaves by his fellow New Zealanders. “It’s been a tough week, a very tough week,” said the head coach. “There has been a lot of criticism and people have written the tour off already after two games, saying that it was over. That has been challenging for all of us. We needed to stay strong in the group and keep the faith. I even heard someone say it was more embarrassing than 2005.
“I have been hammered by the New Zealand media as well so it has been a targeted campaign against me personally. That is part of coaching at the highest level and we know you have got to be able to handle those sort of things and handle that sort of pressure and sometimes that brings out the best in me as a competitor.
“The goal is the Test matches and to keep improving for that. I hope we didn’t disappoint people tonight with the result. It was pretty important.”
Another defeat would have meant the Lions made their worst start to a tour in 24 years. As it is, they fly south to Dunedin today to prepare for the game against the Highlanders on Tuesday. Any doubts captain Sam Warburton was in danger of missing the start of the Test series were allayed by Gatland, who said he expected him to play a part at the Forsyth Barr Stadium after recovering from an ankle sprain.
Warburton is badly in need of game time after barely playing in the past two months but if there are any concerns about the stocks at openside flanker being depleted, they were offset by a barnstorming performance by Ireland’s Sean O’Brien.
There were two head injuries for the Lions to review. Full-back Stuart Hogg was forced off after catching the elbow of scrumhalf Conor Murray and has a cut, as well as bruising, to his face. Centre Jonathan Davies was removed from the fray on pitchside advice. Both injuries occurred in the first half and both failed head injury assessments. However, they are expected to come through the six-day return-to-play process. Every player in the 41-man squad has had a start and it is almost certain that the team that Gatland fields for the next Saturday game, against the Maori in Rotorua, will be his shadow Test side. Several players made compelling cases for inclusion. Half-backs Murray and Farrell were imperious while Gatland described the play of O’Brien as “outstanding”. The head coach was delighted with the form of the entire back row while there was praise also for Maro Itoje, who came off the bench. “It was a step in the right direction and there was a great feeling out there,” said Farrell. “The Crusaders are a side that can hurt you from anywhere and to back it all up with some good defence was brilliant.”
The Lions played to a carefully constructed game plan, kicking from hand and turning their opponents. Crusaders coach Scott Robertson was asked if the Lions had come up with anything that had surprised either him or his team. His reply was: “No.” However, Robertson did admire the ferocity of the Lions’ approach. “It was one of the more frenetic games and there were some big bodies flying at us,” he said.
Att: 20,497
Oh we of little faith. How often has that been said over the past 48 hours, from Labour HQ to Lions Central in Christchurch? How did we ever doubt them? How did we ever think they would remain a ragged bunch of misfits as had been the case only seven days previously in Whangarei? There was snap and drive and cleverness in all they did as they inflicted the first defeat of the season on the mighty Crusaders with eight All Blacks in their ranks. The Lions were unrelenting and unforgiving. Owen Farrell was colossal, a warrior in red. Where he went, every man jack followed.
These were no mugs that had been knocked over. This was the first time Crusaders had been kept tryless in two seasons, only the third time in 315 games they had registered so few points. This was a mighty statement, a victory that has ignited the tour and made New Zealanders the length and breadth of the country sit up and take notice. They, too, want this series to be a ripper. On this evidence, it will be.
This was a watershed moment. Much as the Test series is the yardstick by which any tour is measured, the likelihood of the tourists being able to generate sufficient momentum would have been rent asunder with a loss. This was their time. They all knew it and they all played with the rage of the potential damned, lending itself to a high-octane display, the sort of breathless, invigorating stuff we yearn for in a Lions team. Welcome to the tour.
There was so much to admire, so much to savour in an absorbing, unremitting contest. Conor Murray was a pinpoint kicker, George Kruis a go-to line-out whizz. Toby Faletau’s footwork, Sean O’Brien’s thunder, Ben Te’o’s angles: it was all there. There was bite in every tackle, pile-driving momentum in every contact. Ignore the scoreline which speaks of a barren ledger on the try count. The Lions created several chances but did not convert them. That polish in the finishing will surely come with greater familiarity. They may not throw the ball to the wide extremities at every turn as Super Rugby sides do but this was Test match football, with Murray and Farrell hoisting kicks high or spreading them to the corners, mixing things up. The Crusaders knew what was coming their way. But they could not cope with it.
It was a Saracens-type masterclass. Te’o did enough in the first half alone, with his step and awareness to suggest that he should be the Test No12. Murray and Farrell were hardnosed and involved, directing and challenging. There were eye-catching cameos, too, from all the back row. Anthony Watson did his prospects no harm, either, when forced to switch to full-back when Stuart Hogg went off. A word to the good, also, for Jonathan Sexton. Players were making statements, ensuring that not just coaches would take notice but the entire Kiwi population. There had been a creeping sense of anticlimax in the air, as if the Lions were not all they were cracked up to be. No longer.
The set-piece put in a hefty shift, winning over referee Mathieu Raynal to their cause very early in proceedings, particularly at the scrum where they won several penalties and freekicks. The Crusaders looked baffled, the crowd enraged.
There were some powerful carries from Mako Vunipola and Alun Wyn Jones. Hooker Jamie George had a solid evening, as did Tadhg Furlong along- side. Given there were six All Blacks in the Crusaders pack it was a very decent effort from the red-shirted forwards.
It was a cracking contest, end-to-end, play-to-play, occasional errors only adding to the frantic feel. Both sides had their chances. Te’o danced his way through at one point, Sean O’Brien made a thundering run. Crusaders had their moments too, plenty of them, notably when tyro fly-half Richie Mo’unga latched on to a fumbled ball and sped upfield linking with Jack Goodhue. The Lions had to scramble and they managed it, as they did all through the first half.
The Lions began at a fair old lick. The difference in tone and tempo was marked. They were almost over the tryline within 30 seconds only for Jonathan Davies’s pass to George North to
be intercepted. There was to be no letup in the Lions’ bold attitude. They got due reward for their pressure, too, with Farrell banging over two penalty goals in the opening 15 minutes. It was a thoroughly deserved advantage. The possible champions-elect of Super Rugby were well and truly rattled.
It was frantic rugby, quite in keeping with the occasion at what is considered the Kiwi equivalent of Thomond Park. The Lions’ line speed had the Crusaders under the cosh, forcing them to make mistakes that no other side had managed to induce this season. The home side went down the tunnel 9-3 adrift, their lowest return at the interval in 51 games.
The Lions even managed to overcome the disruption caused by losing two players from the back line. Hogg copped a blow to the head from his own player, Conor Murray, and was replaced by Watson while Jonathan Davies was hauled off for a Head Injury Assessment, Sexton coming on in his place.
The Lions began the second half as they had left the first – with attitude.
The Crusaders have come from behind so often, though. And centre Jack Goodhue, on the fringes of the All Blacks, proved just what a threat they can be with a wonderful break from deep, his kick-through grubber as he was felled a perfect ball for his wing to chase but George Bridge could not gather. Close, very close.
Back came the Lions, though. Anything the Crusaders could do. Liam Williams broke down the left wing, chipped ahead but knocked on in the gather. It was lung-scorching stuff. Shortly afterwards, it was the turn of Watson himself to set the pulses racing, eating up the yards, passing to Sexton who found CJ Stander in support but the Irishman could not hold on. It was a gilt-edged chance spurned.
Who would crack first? The Crusaders infringed and Farrell kicked the goal to put the Lions clear at 12-3 with 10 minutes remaining.
Cries of “Lions! Lions!” began to ring round the stadium. They all sensed that victory was in sight. And it was.