Defense
Considering that the Wallabies had the majority of the ball as well as territory (63% possession/64% territory) it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to realize the Lions did the majority of the defending on the weekend. The Lions made 140 tackles to the Wallabies’ 71. Most teams start to feel the fatigue of playing such long stretches of defense around the 100 tackle mark, so it is no surprise the Lions were visibly fatigued in the final quarter of the match.
Maybe it would be in the best interest of the Lions to engage in some Skype sessions with the Stormers coaching staff? Both teams defended with a reasonable level of success with the Wallabies making 91% of their tackles and the Lions completing 90% of theirs. The Lions were dominant at the breakdown and in contact though, claiming the ball 12 times during the match.
While Mako Vunipola and Geoff Parling have both been criticized for various reasons following the test, one thing is clear – they both went through a mountain of work in general play. Both made 14 tackles on the evening and Vunipola also forced 3 turnovers. Sam Warburton also forced 3 turnovers of his own.
