British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland is tipping plenty of lively debate in Wednesday’s Test selection meeting after his supposed second-string troops outclassed the Chiefs 34-6 in Hamilton.
The hosts barely had a sniff on home soil, as a mid-week Lions squad – missing most of the players expected to play the All Blacks on Saturday – picked them apart at will, running in four tries and dominating from first to last.
Despite their struggles, the Chiefs remained within touching distance until early in the second half, when blindside Mitchell Brown was sent to the sin-bin for helping collapse a maul on his own line – and conceded a penalty try to boot.
They then gave up breakaway five-pointers to winger Jack Nowell – who had earlier bagged one – and the Kiwi-born Jared Payne, ending the contest.
Gatland will have plenty to think about before his meeting with the other Lions coaches on Wednesday, given a host of positive squad performances.
Dan Biggar controlled the side with aplomb from first-five, while the likes of Nowell, Dan Cole, CJ Stander and Courtney Lawes impressed.
Their involvement in Saturday’s Test wasn’t ruled out.
“The result was the first priority, and then the performance – we got a bit of both so I was pretty happy, and some guys have put their hand up,” Gatland said.
“The way (selection) always works, I can tell you from experiences in the past, is that it’s always a consensus of that group, it’s never one person’s call.
“The selection meeting with the coaches tomorrow will be tough, (but) that’s the way you want it – guys put their hand up tonight, and I have no doubt there’ll be some healthy debate about the Lions Test side.”
Sloppiness at the set-piece brought about much of the understrength Chiefs’ undoing, squandering three lineouts and a trio of penalties at scrum-time.
Yet while the mid-week Lions enjoyed most of the first-half territory and possession – and produced a more eye-catching style than their Test comrades – they struggled to convert it into points, with few genuine try-scoring chances.
Englishman Nowell’s 25th-minute first was secured via a leaping effort from a pick-and-go, before the floodgates opened for the Lions in the second stanza.
Gatland said he was chuffed for Nowell, who struggled to assert himself in his two previous games, and with another suffocating defensive performance.
“We’re getting stronger and stronger in that area against the best attacking teams in world rugby, who score multiple tries week-in and week-out, and we’re starting to strangle them a little bit with the way we’re defending,” Gatland said.
“But on Saturday we’re up against the best team in the world in their own back yard, a place they haven’t been beaten at since 1994.
“It’s going to be a completely new level.”
ClarkeG
Guest
Chivas......you're still here! That does not really fit with my idea........but never mind.
Chivas
Guest
I'm sure you do Clarke
ClarkeG
Guest
Chivas....I have a really good idea.
Chivas
Guest
You do whatever you need to do Clarke. I was sharing an opinion based on multiple comments I have read over the past few weeks and posted against Wal. Yes you did twist things from province to provinces and suggested I was splitting hairs. To me there is quite a large difference. My comment was on the need to point out that the Lions were playing a sub-standard team and by inference that they shouldn't take much in the way of positives out of it, whether intended or not. Anyway, my point has been made and now we are talking about my lacking balance. If you don't care about anything I have stated either in the posts or above or below, but are only interested in whether or not you think my comments demonstrate a lack of balance, then I am not sure what your point is, but at this point it just seems to me to be just argumentative. Maybe I should go and look up what lacking means as clearly I also lack in reading comprehension as well as an understanding of the meaning of simple words. Thanks again.
ClarkeG
Guest
oh dear
ClarkeG
Guest
Yes baz...hiding under certain keyboards could be considered very low indeed.
ClarkeG
Guest
Chivas ...you should pay more attention to what you write and more particularly, closer attention to what I write. Your implication was that I said you were unbalanced. Again.. I did not say that. Read what you wrote. No twisting going on from my end. Again... my point was your apparent lack of balance in your post so whether or not you moved on with Wal is of little interest to me to be fair. But talking of moving on. Would you like me to find directions for "lacking" on google maps. You could move on to there perhaps.
Jack
Guest
So what? Still failed when it matters.
Chivas
Guest
Ok my point wasn't unbalanced it was lacking in balance. A province, a large catchment area it's all the same. I'm fully aware of the point being made thanks Clarke of a team below international status without its internationals is below a non international side without any internationals. But each team has its challenges and I moved on with Wal as you can see by my post to Wal below. Why don't you so the same. But you come in with a snide comment and then twist words to make something out of it.. maybe something like what you are attempting to accuse me of... But good balance Clarke. Thanks.
aussikiwi
Guest
You have reverted to type so quickly JimmyB. What was it, 12 hours before the vitriol came out?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Well in Piutau at Ulster you have our worst example. Tracking the way he was it's very conceivable he would be playing in this series. So it's not just project players. Those sorts of things get ignored in this analysis. By tucking away some of our best players then claiming you have a better side here is laced with irony. My not seem that way to you but the NH is where they are, and the NH is where the Lions eminate from. Send all the SH players home, then take two or three hundred first line domestic pros out of your comps, put them in a Super rugby then see how good the club and international levels are up there. That is the situation we are in, and Oz and SA particularly are now suffering for it. Sure they choose to go, but to then claim the rugby is superior off the back of it...no time for that. Especially when no one in the NH concedes the point.
Henry honey balls
Guest
Taylorman NZ rugby has benefited from its proximity to places like Tonga, Samoa and Fiji since long before the dawn of professional rugby. Not sure which nation you were specifically referring to but France were probably the biggest offender in the North however, under Bernard LaPorte they have brought in much stricter restrictions on bringing in overseas players and the numbers are dropping. I think they would be a much stronger outfit if their focus was on indigenous players anyway. Ireland the team I support have never had that many overseas players especially compared to the current Australia team for example half of whom were born overseas. Over the years I doubt there have been much more or even more at all in the Ireland team than in the ABs. Aside from Kiwis there has never been a PI player playing for Ireland and very few have played in Irish provincial rugby sides. Stan Wright of the Cook Islands is the only one I can think of. New world rugby guidelines will pretty much bring an end to the idea of project players which is a good thing really.
Henry honey balls
Guest
I think the Lions will win the series 2-1 or at the very least win 1 test. Refereeing will play a big part in this series.
taylorman
Roar Guru
No, but he could look to a Retallick or Whitlock, you know, the pair he'll be playing this series. Williams doesn't play any longer, why would he look up to him?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Whereas you response doesn't address any of it, how quaint... If you think they're so good, why the need to ship in increasing levels of help to play it every year, stripping NZ, Oz, SA, Samoa, who's side that played us virtually all play in NH club rugby, and Tonga.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Based purely on last year? No. But that was clearly due more to a massive decline in the quality of Oz and SA with both sides practically losing to everyone, and bigger margins to the ABs. In 2015, the year the NH sides needed to perform, none did, so did they all suddenly improve out of sight in 12 months? This year? SA look to be more competitive with convincing wins over France, Oz not so. Oz are in big trouble, their Super sides declining further again this year. Last year was a weird year.
rebel
Guest
Don't forget being good at pointing out other country's lack of humility.
rebel
Guest
Is O'Mahoney ok or is he out of the tour?
JimmyB
Guest
Gee Taylorman, that post just about sums you up perfectly, absolutely dripping with arrogance, lacking reason and referring to the opposition with contempt.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
'Lack of grace' can be annoying. This Lions-AB fixture sometimes throws this up in different ways. Traditionally it's manifested itself in the ABs with trying to put the opposition captain in a wheelchair by driving his head and neck into the turf - with Lions, apparently, it's being a bit noisy at line outs. Each to their own. I suppose young Itoje could always try and model himself on someone like that splendid gentleman Ali Williams to learn how a gracious lock should carry himself.