COACHES GEAR UP FOR CRUNCH CALLS
NEVER mind all the fuss about England’s footballers, for a while of late it’s appeared rugby could be coming home a month or so earlier than expected as Covid cast a shadow over the Lions in South Africa.
Even now, events in the republic make matters a shade uncertain, with Siya Kolisi reported at the weekend as being among six players in the Springboks squad to newly test positive
That takes the number of cases to more than 20 in the South African camp when management are factored into the equation.
A large group were rescheduled to return to training on Sunday.
But the world champions are clearly having a nightmare build-up ahead of their Test series against the Lions, with last Friday’s planned game against Georgia called off amid infections.
It hasn’t been great for the Lions, either, with Warren Gatland’s squad hit by Covid issues last week, forcing eight players who’d been picked for the midweek game against the C Cell Sharks into isolation.
Seven of those featured in Saturday’s encounter with the same opponents.
Under the circumstances, Gatland and his players are doing well to keep ploughing on.
There’s a Test selection hurtling the way of the coach, too.
Here are the calls surrounding the West Wales players that are likely to see him and his fellow selectors burning midnight oil in the runup to the team announcement.
LIAM WILLIAMS V STUART HOGG
Hogg was odds-on for the full-back spot at one point but his tour has yet to ignite.
After missing the warm-up clash with Japan, he did well enough against Sigma Lions, only to be ruled out of bench duty against the Sharks four days later amid the Covid problem that hit the tourists’ set-up.
The Scot was then the only member of the eight players who’d been forced to withdraw from the first game with the Sharks not to be involved for the weekend game with the same opponents.
Williams, meantime, performed well in Saturday’s match, having a hand in a number of tries and looking secure under the high ball. He’s someone who’d wrestle a hungry bear for a pot of honey if it would move his team a millimetre closer to victory.
Nothing is settled yet because Hogg is respected hugely by the coaches, who made him captain for the opening game in South Africa. But he has ground to make up.
■ Verdict: Williams is ahead.
SEPARATING THE WIDE MEN
How do you even begin to pick two from Josh Adams, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, and Louis Rees-Zammit, all the while assuming Liam Williams is being looked at as a full-back?
Does Gatland go for Rees-Zammit’s pace which could make the difference in a tight game?
What about van der Merwe’s intimidating size? At times on Saturday evening the big man seemed almost Gulliver-like compared with some of his back-line opponents, finishing with 14 defenders beaten as he made 130 metres with ball in hand. Then there’s Adams (circled, left), who can’t stop scoring, and Watson, who showed his class as he applied the knockout blows to the Lions’ latest opponents.
What to make of it?
While Rees-Zammit is a match-winner, Gatland will watch closely in training to check that his defence is up to scratch for a Lions Test.
Van der Merwe?
He’s looked immense with ball in hand.
But when he came up against the world-class Kotaro Matsushima in the Japan game he didn’t look so hot without the ball.
By contrast, Gatland knows Adams is reliable with and without possession. He knows he has an all-round game, and he knows Watson can live at Lions Test level because he coped well in 2017.
■ Verdict: Adams and Watson will feature in the first Test.
WHAT ABOUT THE CAPTAIN AT NO. 9?
Conor Murray just needs to find some form.
He and Gareth Davies didn’t exactly play the house down against C Cell Sharks, with them each looking in need of rugby.
Ali Price has appeared in decent nick with his box-kicking and general play.
That said, Murray is the tour captain. When Gatland picked him, the assumption is he felt he was a good bet for the Test XV. On his day, the Munster man is a class act with his vast experience and box-kicking.
But he needs a convincing performance.
■ Verdict: Murray remains favourite for the spot, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to show what he’s about.
WHO’S NO. 1?
Rory Sutherland did better than many gave him credit for in the second game against the Sharks, winning two scrum penalties, carrying nine times for 14 metres and missing nothing in defence. If that’s not rock solid for a loosehead prop, it’s hard to know what is.
He’d previously come on three days earlier and steadied the scrummaging ship after a difficult evening for Mako Vunipola.
The top-performing No. 1 in the Six Nations was Wyn Jones, and he’s been doing steadily on tour without quite touching the heights achieved a few months earlier.
What he needs is a defining performance on the trip.
Vunipola’s scrum misadventures in game one against the Sharks wouldn’t have helped his cause, though respected judges reckon some of the calls against him were harsh.
■ Verdict: Sutherland is front-runner.
THE TIGHT CALL AT HOOKER
Ken Owens left these shores as favourite for the Test XV but his tour has been fractured, with bits of games here and there.
His one start lasted for 55 minutes and he played well.
Since then the Scarlets skipper has come on for the final quarter or so of two matches.
By contrast, Jamie George has had two starts and a replacement outing off the bench.
The Englishman has made the most of his opportunities, hitting his targets with 27 out of 28 lineout throws, and rattling up big carrying and tackling figures.
When plenty were losing their heads in the opening half against CC Sharks on Saturday evening, the skipper for the night kept his composure and showed what can be done by executing the basics well.
Don’t rule out Luke Cowan-Dickie from the mix, either.
■ Verdict: George is looking good for a starting role unless one of his rivals comes up with something special.