Lions' tactics likely to change: Hansen

Yes I know, bit like the Lions themselves, seems when all is said and done every tours the same, so very predictable, for me seeing it unfold exactly how I'd imagined it is fascinating. At least the pointers suggest a win is more likely this week. I think there's enough factors there to see a Lions win...provided this side really does have its matchwinners ready and willing to take it. 1993 the turned it around so cleanly, won by 13, yet 2005 they folded for their worst result in test 2, lost by 30. Is this more a 93 or 05 team? I think it's somewhere in between and we are going to get a close result, either way. Looking at the Lions twitter feed they're still very upbeat, they've really taken to getting out, visiting the clubs, schools and they're very popular, upbeat, and so are their fans. Might sneak a quiet one on them this week. Some really good signs are there.

You're in danger of becoming a stuck record, Tman. Same old comments about the Lions over and over.

Yes it will, Chiefs especially. Is he back for the World Cup?

TM they didn't do much wrong. And I must admit I have always taken for granted how good B Barrett is under the high ball. But he is some kind if player, plus A Cruden is a great player his Kickoff's are probably the best in rugby, his all round game will surely be missed by NZRU next year.

Superba true the Lions made breaks, but the AB's scramble Defence was amazing. Once breached the AB's defence worked harder than the Lions attack. That could be shown by Whitelocks tackle in the first minute on C Murray he chased the play 50 metres to make that tackle right on the line or J Moody being within a metre or 2 of Obrien when he scored he also chased some 60 metres . Ok he didn't make a try saving tackle but the effort of those guy's exemplifies why it is hard to score tries against the AB's they just give you so much extra opportunities to make a mistake. Oh and Rettalick chasing back to tackle Watson and close down the play.

True RT, it appears as though they'll have to 'go for it' and that will be fun. There only chances in the test was when they pushed the ball around, not quite finishing two of three the ABs might have have scored in the same position. But it's a huge change in mindset to just start throwing the ball around and to do it in a tour defining and deciding test match for the Lions? And if they're going to do that, look at the time wasted against the top sides with the rush defence etc. It seems they had one style that could beat the non AB sides but it needs another style to beat the ABs. No wonder they've not won very often.

Personally I think the AB's have the wood on the visitors as well as now having had a game to really blow out the cobwebs (the Samoa game was not imo the ideal preparation. I think also there maybe some fatigue factor but they bought down plenty of players to try and not burn his key men out so that may or may not influence the visitors too greatly (they basically have 3 teams here so can space the players workloads) Based on that, and the trend for the AB's is to improve in their 2nd and 3rd tests, I'm fairly confident TM/Jacko but not prepared to just dismiss the BIL's just like that. It is after all a sport. I guess it depends if the BIL's can find a way to score say 28 points ... I think they would need to do that to have any chance of winning. 27.75 points is the average of what the opposition scored against the AB's in their 28 losses this century.

Yes Jacko Lions will come back and the refs interpretations, whistle blowing should be something Hansen needs to take into account. It's a modern day fact that in the very big matches Refs as well as players come under pressure. Peyper was good but it did feel a bit too easy for the ABs. This week I think the arm will go the other way more, just a feeling. But for a team to just sit back and watch and learn all the while where many are saying the ABs are gonna get this and that, it's pretty scary that they can just say 'this is what we are going to do' and do it. To be able to have a side that can switch gameplans by the turn of a dial and execute it to the extent they did...and still play their own game amongst it all...and it wasn't perfect...is quite extraordinary. We saw it in Ireland, versus the Boks in the semi World Cup, SA in 2013 and Eden park.

Spot on TMAN it was an absolute pleasure to watch the ABs attack what was said all last week to be the Lions strenth. The Lions were going to strangle the Abs with their rush defence and deny Barrett any decent ball.Someone forgot that the ABs are no 1 in the world and they play what is needed, not what is expected, and the Lions got bluffed into believing the press. beating a forward pack that you have better personal than is the easy part but beating a determined ABs forward pack is a different story. The lack of gainline by the Lions really surprised me and it was their backs who were the most effective as the Defence nullified their forwards effort. Murray proved to be ineffective at getting the ball away quickly from the ruck and while his box kicks were good, it didnt lead to points even tho it did lead to some good field position. I dont understand why he needs to step back or wait 3 seconds every time he decides to pass a ball. It reminds me of Phipps from Aus. I am hoping that the next test will open up a bit more and perhaps be a bit faster, but if Hansen decides to go up front again then a 1 point win seals the series......AGAIN

12 years...

I think the win really has shown the masterclass of this side. Said before the match the ABs will find a way to nullify the rush defence, be it splitting left or right or coming back in to expose the gaps behind it. Also said they would neutralise the murray kick and from that performance Murray is no longer the best 9 in world rugby. ABs simply watched and took them head on and comfortably accounted for both. Take away the freak try, which for these guys happens once a decade and the last minute try and you have a very convincing win. Said the ABs would work on the Lions gameplan, combibations and would upset them so much theyll need to change them from test to test. Looks like this week theyll be doing both. This is why the history of the Lions here is as tragic as it is. As a concept they have a deep history, as a side they have none. Each four years they get together and work out how theyre going to beat the ABs in a few weeks. Then they get showcased in all their glory in front of the ABs for a few weeks so they can work out how to play them. When the serious stuff happens during the match they have no reserves as a side to call on in terms of what theyve done as a team in the past. In other words theyre transparent, so utterly and completely transparent. They have nothing other than what weve seen in two weeks. This week id expect much more aggression, scraps even. Theyre absence last week even suggested theyre lying down already. They would disappoint if they are not in the AB faced more. Gats was far to calm, resigned in the press conference. Lions are in trouble. Deeeeep trouble.

The Lions , on 3 occasions , sliced the ABs defence to ribbons .Something I have not seen done to them for a long time .Unfortunately for them this only resulted in one try when 3 were possible .

Warren Gatland wants referees to clampdown on All Blacks' 'dangerous' play. Gatland says All Blacks' "dangerous" harassment of Conor Murray's kicking game. British and Irish Lions boss Gatland was left frustrated with what he felt were deliberate tactics from the All Blacks diving "blindly" at Murray's standing leg whenever he launched a box kick... Whatever helps Gats

who... Never heard of her? Same guy who published this amusing rubbish.. Smug blanket settling over NZ' after All Blacks' Lions test win

And it killed them. And most importantly they didn't adapt. The first try for BIL was awesome but was definitely not 'built'. The second try for them was weak defence and too late. I thought the ABs had incredible control at set piece. They nullified rolling maul. Won the scrum. I thought BIL pack looked slow after 30 minutes. Retallick was awesome as was KR. I just feel that whether the players, coaches or the collective, NZ have the rugby brain and wit to deal with anyone. Makes it tough on BIL but maybe they need to create more? Maybe go all out attack? Maybe stop Warren from chatting to Steve Hansen via the press. Whatever it is, it just got a shed load harder.

Is the second half of this not a copy and paste of an article by Mark Reason published on Stuff?

In the press conference a reporter alluded to retaining Cruden with Barrett to FB and .hansen responded...'I like your thinking'.

Well they'll have to change their tactics because plan A ain't working. Now they'll try something else, then they'll try something else in the third, then they'll go home.

Our brothers ability to change tactics for certain opposition is just pure class. When the knives are out, the brothers regroup and assess strategies, like england in 2013 at twickenham where the brothers played trench warfare like rugby and got the result and last night had a plan to play it fast and furious close to the forwards turning the big lion brutes inside and out to thwart their rush defence, awesome brothers awesome, keep up the good work.

The Lions have tasted defeat at the hands of the All Blacks, now the Lions face a must-win second Test. Gatland has to go back to the drawing board in a bid to find a solution to this All Blacks problem. It’s make or break time for Gatland and his Lions... Will Gatland be brave enough to change or, will they doggedly stick to the same script that we now know is not enough? the Lions XV that could line out at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington 1. Mako Vunipola 2. Jamie George 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Maro Itoje 5. George Kruis 6. Peter O’Mahony (c) 7. Sean O’Brien 8. Taulupe Faletau 9. Conor Murray 10. Owen Farrell 11. Elliot Daly 12. Ben Te’o 13. Jonathan Davies 14. Anthony Watson 15. Liam Williams With the replacements – 16. Ken Owens, 17. Jack McGrath, 18. Kyle Sinckler, 19. Courtney Lawes, 20. CJ Stander, 21. Rhys Webb, 22. Jonathan Sexton, 23. George North. Once the All Blacks started to look after the ball, and stopped trying to offload, they built pressure. Time after time that fatigues you and fatigue makes you make mistakes. The ABs executed the plan very well. Hansen also took a swipe at the Lions’ stated ambition to become the best forward pack in the game. “I always find it amusing when people tell us they are going to beat us up in the tight five,” he said. “We can play down-and-dirty rugby too, if we have to. You don’t become the No1 side in the world without having a quality tight five.” But! The job isn’t done, so many times in sport the winning team gets knocked over the next week. The Lions are a good team, so if the ABs don’t prepare properly we’ll come second. Faletau saying. “We still believe we are capable of winning the next game and getting what we want out of this tour,” Taulupe Faletau said. “There’s no need to panic. We know the game was there for us to win. We just need to get our basics right and hold on to the ball. We’re against the world champions, it’s not going to be easy – but we’ll work hard for it.” When it comes to playing the All Blacks, what you see is not always what you get. They scored 78 points against Samoa eight days before the first Test despite having only 45 per cent of the possession. They were at their most dangerous when not in possession, but against the Lions, opponents who believed they could secure a decisive advantage up front, the percentage rose to 61. The Lions were unable to establish a territorial toehold and most of their chances came from counterattacks. The All Blacks defused the Lions’ scrum by staying square and upright and they defended the driving maul by quickly going low on the lineout receiver and preventing it getting into gear. The buildup had been dominated by talk of how the Lions would deal with the threats of the outside-half Beauden Barrett, who played most of the match at full-back!! The ABs have shattered images throughout their history, playing in big matches in a way they were not expected to as they take on a team at its strongest point and the first Test was almost a role reversal. It was the All Blacks who won the physical battle, controlling the breakdown and the scrum, and playing the game in their opponents’ half while the Lions were at their most dangerous on the counterattack, as they showed with their opening try. There will be a response from the Lions but the All Blacks will again move the point of their attack. The ABs have a few injury problems.. But Hansen has several other options, including Waisake Naholo and Nehe Milner-Skudder. In one sense, it matters little who is playing because players are so comfortable in a system which allows freedom of expression and places emphasis on skill. When it comes down to the reading of a game and reacting to the unexpected, no one does it better than the All Blacks.