Gatland insists Lions are on the right track
Five Wales players will start for the Lions against top New Zealand Super Rugby side the Crusaders in Christchurch tomorrow, with Warren Gatland defiant about tour prospects despite a shaky start.
An unconvincing 13-7 win against the NZ Provincial Barbarians and a 22-16 defeat to the Blues on Wednesday has seen the tourists come under a hail of criticism from press and pundits in all countries.
The Lions are desperate for a victory and performance to kick-start their campaign and Gatland has selected a XV that many believe could be close to his Test side, even though the Kiwi denied that suggestion.
Wing George North and centre Jonathan Davies both make their first appearances, while Liam Williams has the chance to atone for his sin-binning in Auckland in the left wing berth.
Alun Wyn Jones captains the side with England’s George Kruis alongside him in the engine room, while Taulupe Faletau returns to the No.8 position in between the Irish back row duo of Sean O’Brien and Peter O’Mahoney.
At half-back, the pairing of Conor Murray and Owen Farrell is favourite to face the All Blacks.
Gatland insisted that things will improve for his embattled Lions following a first week that can at best be described as challenging.
“Look, we are well aware how tough it is out here in terms of the opposition,” he said.
“That’s why the challenge for us is to come together as quick as we can. These Super Rugby sides have been together for seven months and you would expect they would have a certain amount of cohesion.
“They have got All Blacks in their ranks so you know the quality of the sides. It’s a great test for us and great preparation.
“We have learned a lot from the first two games and we are conscious as well we are trying to keep a few things back behind closed doors and make sure we are right for that first Test.”
Meanwhile Steve Hansen unveiled a 33-man squad ahead of the All Blacks’ warm-up match against Samoa next weekend that contained no real surprises. No.8 Kieran Read will again be captain. Former Wales boss Hansen said he expected much more to come from Gatland’s squad.
Hansen said: “I have always said this and I still believe it, they are the best Lions side to come here.”
WITH Warren Gatland having revealed the centre selection is going to be one of the toughest of the lot on this trip, Jonathan Davies is well aware he has to grab his chance if he is to be a Test Lion for a second tour in a row.
The options in midfield are plentiful with Robbie Henshaw, Ben Te’o, Jonathan Joseph, Jared Payne, Elliot Daly and potentially Owen Farrell all in the mix along with Davies.
To use Gatland’s own words, it’s going to be “one of the hardest positions for us to pick, getting the balance and combination right”.
Davies has had to wait his turn to stake a claim, having sat out the first two matches after joining the squad late due to his involvement in the Scarlets’ PRO12 title triumph.
So now it’s a case of making up for lost time as he prepares to take his tour bow against the undefeated Crusaders at Christchurch’s AMI Stadium tomorrow.
“Obviously, it’s not good on the sidelines watching,” he admitted.
“I’ve had to bide my time. I came into camp quite late.
“I’m just excited to get out there on the field now.
“The competition in the whole squad is very fierce. You look at the 41 players, everyone is talented. They are the best of the home nations and it’s the same in the centres.
“I am concentrating on making sure I do everything in my preparation and performance to get the result on Saturday.
“Competition is very strong and you have to make sure you take your opportunities, work to what the coaches want and not try and go outside the box.”
Davies says he’s helped on that front by having been through it before, having played in all three Tests on the 2013 trip to Australia.
“I am fortunate that being on the tour four years ago, I know what to expect,” he said.
“I haven’t been nervous. I’m just excited for the challenge, the opportunity to play for the Lions again. It’s the highest honour in our rugby.”
Davies has arguably been playing his best rugby since that 2013 triumph Down Under of late, producing sparkling form during the march to the PRO12 crown.
“The end of the season was great for us with the Scarlets,” said the 29-year-old.
“We were playing with a lot of confidence and it was a lot of fun as well. I enjoyed that.
“But this is a totally different kettle of fish. It’s almost a Test match every other day or so.
“And Test-match rugby is so much faster. There isn’t as much space as in regional rugby.
“I just want to keep enjoying my rugby like I have been and keep working hard. I’m looking forward to the game now.”
It’s certainly some challenge, with the Crusaders having won all 14 of their matches in Super Rugby this year.
“You look at the amount of All Blacks they have and it’s a tough test,”said Davies.
“They are the form team in Super Rugby, but we have to look to stick in the arm wrestles and come out on top of them.
“The opportunity we have on Saturday is to get momentum back onto this tour.
“Touring with the Lions is very tough and a test of character. At the moment, we are reacting well. It’s all very positive. We need to enjoy the occasion and get the win.
“Hopefully we can put in a good performance together. It’s a very important match on this tour.”
Reflecting on what the Lions need to be focused on in particular at the AMI Stadium, Davies said: “You can’t switch off at all.
“The Crusaders kick the ball least in Super Rugby.
“They are going to run from anywhere, so we all need to be on the same page in defence.
“Discipline is key for us too. Giving these teams opportunities to get territory and attack, we can’t have that.
“We can’t give away soft penalties. They love playing with ball in hand. Giving away penalties makes our job that much harder.”
The 64-cap Davies will be partnered in the centre by a relative newcomer on the international stage in England’s Kiwi-born Ben Te’o.
“Ben showed up well against the Barbarians and for me it’s making sure we get a relationship quickly,” he said.
“We want to get some fluency in our attacking play. We need to know every little detail and every role.
“Attacking wise, the little details and the pictures you see are important.”