Well, what a sequel to game one! A little scrappy at times, but the last 15 minutes was all quality. The series is deliciously poised, and I can’t wait for Saturday.
Let’s not pretend it was a super top quality game of rugby. There were plenty of quiet performances on both sides and the ratings reflect that. Have a look:
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THE WALLABIES
Benn Robinson
Not as dynamic as last week, but the scrum was definitely improved. Played the full 80, and was generally solid. 6
Stephen Moore
Lineout was good, but I thought he was quiet. A few silly errors in the first half didn’t help. But he worked hard in the second half and didn’t let the side down. 5
Ben Alexander
Stepped up his game from last week, both at the set piece and aroud the field. A well-played 50th. 6
James Horwill
Industrious effort from the skipper, performance at the set piece was exceptional. Hope it isn’t the last we see of him this series. 7
Kane Douglas
Not his best outing. Was largely anonymous apart from a few dropped balls. 4
Ben Mowen
So solid. Led the lineout brilliantly, and played a key role in Gill’s steal. Gave away a few penalties though, and was probably outpointed at the breakdown. 7
Michael Hooper
Worked and worked and worked some more. Can’t fault his enthusiasm, though Warburton got the better of him on the ground. 7
Wycliff Palu
Upped his work rate this week. Led the run count, and rucks hit. Busted a few tackles as well. But the backrow was beaten at the breakdown, and he threw a silly offload. Subbed after 60 for Gill. 6
Will Genia
Flawless. Again. Probably the difference between winning and losing. 9
James O’Connor
I thought he was poor initially. But then I watched the game again. Underplayed his hand nicely, and his option taking was generally good. Set up the try well. Not one for the ages, but a definite improvement on Brisbane. 6
Joe Tomane
Only his second Test, and I thought he was pretty good. Looked dangerous in attack, and was solid in defence. A good start. 6
Christian Leali’ifano
Like JOC there were no ‘wow’ moments in general play, but I thought he was generally solid. His kicking performance was outstanding though. Another long-term Wallaby has been unearthed. 8
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Like Genia, this bloke is all class. Never put a foot wrong, and outplayed BOD for the second week in a row. 8
Israel Folau
Wasn’t given the space he had in Brisbane, but still played bloody well. Looked dangerous every time he touched the ball. 8
Kurtley Beale
Made a few errors, but threatened the line on a number of occasions. Needs work under the high ball. A real mixed bag. 6
Sekope Kepu
Came on for Alexander and played the last 20. Scrum held up well and he had a few nice touches. 6
Rob Simmons
Given plenty of time but struggled for impact. Didn’t make any errors but you can’t help thinking that MMM or Peter Kimlin may have offered more. 5
Liam Gill
Was fairly anonymous until ‘that’ steal. The Justin Harrison moment of the series. 7
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BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Mako Vunipola
What a roller coaster. Some rubbish scrums, then some crackers. A dropped ball then a great steal. Has ticker. 5
Tom Youngs
Lineout and scrum both struggled. Impact around the field was limited. Hooked for Hibbard with 15 to go. 5
Adam Jones
Scrum struggled at times, and he didn’t really do much around the field. Not at his best. 5
Alun-Wyn Jones
One of the Lions’ best forwards. Stepped up in the absence of POC and showed a lot of fight. 7
Geoff Parling
Got through plenty of work, and led the Lions in tackles. Supposedly a lineout specialist, but was outpointed comfortably there by Mowen and Horwill. 5
Dan Lydiate
Like Parling he did a lot of work, and played his part in a dominant Lions back row. But he wasn’t outstanding. 6
Sam Warburton
The Lions’ best. Made a couple of great pilfers, and led from the front. His injury was a clear turning point. A great captain’s knock. 8
Jamie Heaslip
Much improved on last week. Ran hard, tackled well and played a big role at the ruck. 7
Ben Youngs
Fairly quiet throughout. Kicking was good, but hardly a memorable performance. 5
Jonathan Sexton
Played pretty well. Kicking was almost flawless, running good. Didn’t use his centres well, though. 7
George North
Always dangerous, but like Folau he was better contained this week. Still looked like the only Lions back who could really change the game. 7
Jonathan Davies
Poor. Barely touched the ball and missed the tackle on AAC with the game on the line. Roberts or Tuilagi will wear his jersey next week. 4
Brian O’Driscoll
Didn’t have many opportunities. Defence was good enough, but he doesn’t look like the BOD of old. 5
Tommy Bowe
Had a few nice touches. Tackled well but was rarely given the ball in space. A world class player who could have been used much more. 6
Leigh Halfpenny
Another solid game. Kicked well… but not well enough! Didn’t offer much threat in attack. 7
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RaboDirect G&GR Man of the Match:
Plenty of good candidates on both sides, but I don’t think you need to overthink this one. Will Genia was at the centre of everything for the Wallabies, and didn’t put a foot wrong all night. The best no. 9 in the world by a country mile.
The patented G&GR ratings guide:
10 – A legendary performance to go down in the history books
9 – Outstanding performance: Man of the match shoo-in
8 – Excellent all-round game
7 – Good game with a few sparkles
6 – Solid performance
5 – Average – ho hum
4 – Below par
3 – Had a bad game
2 – Tell your story walking pal
1 – A complete joke
