That Red Card
What a game it was in Wellington last night. Much will be made of the red-carding of Sonny Bill Williams in the 24th minute and the outcome of the match but I don’t subscribe to that theory. I thought the All Black coaches managed the situation very well. Their call to play with seven forwards was smart particularly as they knew the Lions would be probing in the backs all night. No doubt they’d have looked at these sort of contingencies as part of their meticulous planning.
Credit must go to the Lions for selecting a team to run the ball with Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell in the midfield. Despite the wet weather, they stuck to their guns and ran in two exceptional tries.
But the fact remains that had Beauden Barrett nailed all his penalties the All Blacks would have the series wrapped up. However that’s not the case and the eyes of the rugby world will all be on Eden Park next Saturday for the decider. What a game that will be.
Lions New Attack
The Lions have definitely evolved as an attacking force throughout the tour and, with nothing to lose, Warren Gatland benched his power centre (Ben Te’o) and put his faith in two ball players. In addition he also selected two electric wingers instead of the monster wingers he’s preferred in the past.
This was a huge call and as the rain tumbled down the Lions fans must have questioned the call. They need not have worried as their maverick midfield and jack-in-the-box wingers put on a great show in treacherous conditions. Note in this clip how Jonny Sexton manages the attack on the short side whilst Owen Farrell took control on the open side.
The Lions first try was outstanding. It started with a Jonny Sexton run around and some exquisite hands and a wriggling run from Anthony Watson before they went wide giving Taulupe Felatau a one on one with Israel Dagg. It was a try we’d have expected the All Blacks to score and it must have been very satisfying for the Lions coaching team.
All Blacks Tactics
The All Blacks have a very astute coaching team with Wayne Smith designing their attack tactics. They clearly wanted to put the ball on the deck in the slippery conditions and it’s a tactic that has served them very well over the years. Note in this first clip how the attack is set on both sides of the ruck and Beauden Barrett is an option out the back of the forward ball carriers. This shape asks a lot of questions of the defence and the kick to score option was excellent. The kick itself was a bit too heavy but the idea was terrific. Textbook play in wet conditions.
This second clip is another illustration of the All Black strategy. From a scrum, they launch Ngani Laumape into the Lions midfield to generate some go forward. Then there are options both sides of the ruck and a kick to score option attacking the space out wide and behind the line. The tactics are good yet again the execution is slightly off. Note it’s the captain Kieran Read leading the chase for the ball on the floor on both occasions.
Next Week
It must be said that the French referee (Jerome Garces) had a colourful game and may have invented a couple of new laws. However, for mine the avalanche of penalties and the sin binning off Mako Vunipola made up for the Red Card on SBW, which was probably a Yellow Card at best.
Next week expect the Lions to keep running the ball and the All Blacks to be extremely pumped and more clinical. It’ll be a titanic struggle and we can expect to see two teams throwing everything at each other. Let’s hope we get a referee capable of managing such a big game and it would be fitting for the most attacking team to get the result.
It’s game on!
