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The three Test series between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions has the decider we all hoped for.
After two ground record crowds in Brisbane and Melbourne, and with extra tickets for Sydney released (and presumably snapped up) yesterday, what odds for a third ground record?
If it wasn’t already apparent, rugby fever is taking hold.
The Lions’ plan very nearly worked
The Lions picked a slightly more defensive side from Brisbane, with Dan Lydiate coming in for Tom Croft, and Warren Gatland looking to make the most of the Welsh combination, where Lydiate lays on the scything tackles and Sam Warburton comes in over the top to do the pillaging.
The Lions were always going to play it up Australia’s end, and the stats show they followed that plan to the letter:
Well less than 40% of possession, less than half as many passes and runs as the Wallabies, 140 metres made to the Wallabies’ 459m, around half the number of rucks as the Wallabies and twice as many tackles made.
They did whatever they could to get into Leigh Halfpenny’s kicking range, and hoped referee Craig Joubert would take over after that.
And it all but worked a treat.
When the ball was in their half, as it was for more than 60% of the game, they were superb at slowing the ball at the breakdown. They brought the game into their strengths. It nearly won them the series.
Halfpenny had missed only two from 20-odd shots coming into the second Test, and kicked five from seven on the night. He hit the crossbar with one earlier long-range attempt, and just didn’t quite get the final kick of the game.
Talk about a game of inches.
Scrum advantage Australia. Then the Lions. Then a lottery…
I couldn’t believe my eyes in the first half when Australia weren’t just getting the ascendency at scrum time, but were completely dominating, having exposed and highlighted Mako Vunipola’s ‘hinging’ to referee Joubert at the first scrum of the game.
To his credit, Vunipola fought back very well, and the Lions’ scrum took control of proceedings as Ben Alexander’s limitations came home to roost.
For much of the second half, the scrums became a lottery, and it was actually difficult to tell who was or wasn’t infringing, and who was on top.
Adam Jones was superb as the Lions fought back, and he was able to have some major success by pushing across Benn Robinson, which created the angle for Vunipola to get at, and get under Alexander.
Australia jagged a tighthead in the first ten minutes after the break, but then it felt like the Lions were back on top soon after that. And that made the next point even more interesting.
James Horwill has some serious balls
At 15-9 down, and with more than ten minutes to play, Horwill made the decision to take a scrum penalty option only metres out from the line.
With the Lions probably on top in the scrums at that point, it was a massive call, the boldest call by a Wallaby captain in I don’t know how long.
It was Horwill showing his cards in that moment. It was him saying to the Lions – and probably his own team – if we’re going to win this game, we’re going to win it by crossing your line. It was a massive call.
Given how big a call it was, and how big a statement Horwill was making, backing his teammates, it was such a shame James O’Connor undid the moment with as basic a skill error as not watching where he was passing to.
I know what O’Connor was trying to do, but in not looking where he was passing, he made it easy for the Lions defence to mark up on both him and Israel Folau on his hip. Such a ballsy call deserved a better conclusion than what resulted.
Thankfully, O’Connor heeded the lesson five minutes later, with a very well timed pass to Adam Ashley-Cooper.
And perhaps, Horwill’s tears on fulltime were not so much the emotion of the win, but the realisation that he’ll miss the biggest rugby event in Australia since the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.
Handling errors and poor options nearly cost the Wallabies dearly
Kane Douglas didn’t have the best night error-wise, though perhaps the blow to the mouth that ultimately took him out of the game took its toll.
Michael Hooper was busy at the breakdown again, but at times had hands like feet.
Christian Lealiifano dummied inside and was promptly manhandled into touch. O’Connor’s aforementioned no-look pass was followed soon after by kicking a ball out on the full that had clearly been passed back into the 22.
And these guys certainly were not alone.
As well as giving away 14 penalties for the match, the Wallabies also conceded 19 turnovers, and made 14 handling errors. It’s probably a good thing they weren’t playing a team prepared to do something with all the ball that was being coughed up.
And it’s all fine and good to want to play ‘up-tempo rugby’, as numerous Wallabies said post-match, but that sort of desire and planning amounts to nothing if your game is littered with handling errors and poor option taking.
Fortunately, and this is something I’ve mentioned a bit in the last 12 months, the Wallabies were able to win a game they perhaps weren’t entitled to or, at the very least, in spite of themselves.
The series gets its much-needed decider
23-21 to the Lions in Brisbane. 16-15 to the Wallabies in Melbourne.
Overall, the Lions are leading 38-37, meaning another one-point win in Sydney would leave the scores level across the three Tests.
I just pity the bloke who has to take the final shot at goal in Sydney.