B&I Lions v Wallabies, Test 2 Match Thread, Sat June 29, 1105am

danthefan

Hippo wrote: »

Then perhaps remove that option.

Well that's not especially fair on the team who wins the free kick. They'd have to run it or kick to touch. Running it is useless against an organised defence and kicking to touch obviously loses you the ball.

Digifriendly

mystic86 wrote: »

Just re-watched the 2nd test, first time seeing it since watching it live in the pub..

The Lions deserved to lose. I'm really disappointed with the Lions, and I blame Gatland for the most of it.

The Lions did nothing creatively the whole game, nothing! Never looked like scoring a try. I'd recommend everyone re-watch the last 17 minutes of the game.... The Lions didn't score in that time, and the Australian play was very, very good (at least compared to the rest of the game). It was the only part of the game where either team played lovely positive attacking rugby, but it was all Australia. And in such a tight game where there was nothing in it up to that point, their play in the closing quarter alone means they deserved to win IMO. I saw a stat at the 77th minute which said that in the last 10 minutes of play (67th-77th minutes), Australia had 70% of the possession. I didn't see a territory stat for the same period, but I'm sure it must be similar.

Youngs at 9 was crap!! Our scrum was really struggling and we needed to get the ball in and out ASAP, instead he didn't bother putting the ball in at all. I hope he isn't in the squad at all next week, surely he can't be.

As for Sexton, he hasn't been nearly as big an influence on the series as I thought he would be before it started. I assume the way he is playing must be directly related to Gatland's instructions. If I see Sexton do one more Garryowen I'm going to explode - ffs Gatland will you change the goddamn tactics!! You'd swear our backline were such dominant aerial threats compared to the Australians' backline when you look at how much Sexton is kicking it, but that isn't true, they catch just as well as us and we NEED to stop this tactic!
Sexton has made a couple of mistakes too in the second test and hasn't looked as sharp as normal and has generally been a bit quite, but I have faith in him and again, I blame Gatland and the tactics. I really wish there was a coup and Sexton, Drico et al decide they are playing the game the way they know how to do best.

In the warm up games we did a LOT of pre-planned backline moves that worked very well, but they were almost all from set pieces which we set ourselves up for these from. However, relying on these moves to get our tries kind of assumes we will be dominant in set-pieces, and this isn't the case at all!
Look at the lineouts, Australia were very good in the lineout, albeit we lost O'Connell which is a big loss, both in the lineout and as a forwards leader. They stole lineouts and were generally very disruptive. In the very last lineout of the game, in their own 22 (very bad mistake by James O'Connor to kick it out on the full like that!), winning by 1 point, Australia wonderfully stole a lineout and Gill did a wonder-feat in one-handedly gaining possession for Australia, absolutely crucial play for Australia. (AW Jones gave away a stupid penalty right after this).

As for the scrum, OK it was a lottery at times, and Vunipola did recover some-what as the scrum wore on, but he (at least) started very bad and directly gave away 6 points near the start of the game. He simply can't scrum straight, and only seemed to do well when he was going in at an angle, which of course is illegal.
I hope to god Corbisiero is fit for this Saturday.

The Australians were far too dominant at the restarts, would loads of their own restarts in the 1st half, we need to do a lot better here.

Davies needs to go. He just isn't good enough. What a god-awful grubber kick attempt btw. Oh and nice work on covering AAC for that try (not!).

Of course a definite huge positive was our defensive, which was fantastic!
However we need both sides of the coin and Gatland has certainly brought a dour, negative, overly defensive (minded), negatively structured and instructed game plan to this Lions Tour.

I'm not a happy man. Even if we win on Saturday and win the series, but win playing like we did last Saturday, I will be happy but not ecstatic. I want us to open up and show the world what these players can do.

Excellent post and agree 100% with your analysis. Lions need to be more creative and ask more questions of the Australian defence.Whether bringing in Roberts or Tuiliagi (as some are suggesting) is the answer I'm not sure but things do need to change or the series will be lost.

donfers

Australia have played all the rugby in the series so far