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As good as the theatre has been on the field so far during the All Blacks versus Lions series, events off the field have been equally compelling viewing.
Like a good Hollywood movie, the Steve Hansen v Warren Gatland subplot has been gritty and mesmerising, with undoubtedly more twists and turns to come as we approach the climax.
The two have exchanged blows throughout the tour, all adding to the enormity of the occasion and providing more than their fair share of newspaper headlines. Much of this I have to say has been fuelled by the New Zealand media, a large part of who have seemed hell bent on patronising and niggling the Lions coach and touring party from day one.
Gatland hasn’t helped himself at times, obviously irked by the constant negativity and reeling from the convincing first Test loss, throwing silly statements out that All Black players were recklessly targeting his star halfback Conor Murray.
Steve Hansen initially fought back before realising that things were starting to get out of hand and therefore as a result taking things down more than a notch.
Make no mistake about it, Hansen is a shrewd operator and from difficult and edgy beginnings with the media has become a master at controlling them from an All Black perspective. Hansen realises the importance that they play in the overall scheme of things and like a master chess player his every move is a controlled one.
Don’t be fooled by his statements about the Lions victory being good for the game and the gracious accolades he was paying them afterwards, he will be hurting badly and one senses what he says behind closed doors will be vastly different to what he presents to the media.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Of course the series will ultimately be decided by the 23 players that take the field for both sides and how they cope with the pressure of the situation as well as the implementation of their chosen game strategies. This is the week in which the coaches really earn their money, how clever they can be in delivering something different to what has been seen in the series to date?
Both teams know each other and their opposition players extremely well. They will hold assumptions about what the other team will do and will create strategies around how to counter those ideas.
However the beauty of international rugby is that you can only assume so much and it is often a coaches ability to deliver the unexpected, to throw a spanner in the works, that can prove the point of difference between winning and losing.
Hansen won the strategy battle in the first Test as the All Blacks hit runners close to the ruck to negate the influence of the Lions quick line speed. This coupled with the All Blacks accuracy and physicality meant the Lions had no answer.
It is difficult to determine a winner in the strategy battle for the second Test given how the red card changed the nature of the game.
Gatland has however shown that his team is capable of moving the ball, contrary to previously widespread convictions, and as he was only so happy to point out in the post match press conference with his statements that the Lions have been the ones playing all the rugby so far in this series.
Both coaches have been jabbing away, it will be fascinating to see which one lands the all important knock-out blow this weekend.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.