IRB have strengthened Wallaby resolve
WARREN GATLAND has much to ponder over his few days by the pool at Noosa Heads, not that he has time for sunbathing. Having made five changes to his starting line-up for the second Test, he must now consider tweaking the side again in this, the final team selection of the 2013 Lions tour of Australia.
Having worked assiduously on this project for well over a year now, the series now comes down to this, his final act as coach of the Lions — for another four years at any rate.
With so little separating the teams, getting the balance right now, both in terms of tactical approach and selection will be the winning and losing of the entire series. But for one or two small margins, this series could well have been decided already with both sides claiming, with good cause, that they should already be in possession of the Tom Richards Cup.
Had Christian Leali’ifano not been knocked out in the opening sequence of the first Test, one could argue that the composure and assurance he brought to the table in Melbourne, both in terms of his general play and of even more importance, his goal-kicking, suggests Australia could now be two-nil up.
Flip that around and had Paul O’Connell and Jamie Roberts still been on board for that game at the Etihad Stadium, I feel the Lions would have enjoyed a far more leisurely few days on the Sunshine Coast.
Key moments at vital times shape destiny such as Kurtley Beale failing to plant his foot when taking that last-gasp kick at the Suncorp Stadium, Liam Gill’s acrobatic one-handed steal at the final lineout on the Wallaby twenty-two in the closing minute in Melbourne. Shades of Justin Harrison and all that.
The nature of Lions Test rugby, unless you happen to be touring New Zealand, suggests that the series will be very close. That is why Gatland now faces the biggest examination of his coaching career. Even when he led Wales to the semi-final of the World Cup in 2011, his blueprint for beating Ireland in the quarter-final was already well established at that stage, while their defeat to France in the last four was defined by the sending off of his captain Sam Warburton.
Warburton had his best game by far in the second Test, completely outplaying Michael Hooper on the deck and led the way at the breakdown, enabling the Lions to control that crucial segment. With Warburton out, if Deans chooses to recall the vastly experienced George Smith to the fray, we could see a sizeable shift in that battle at the breakdown.
In many ways, it was a case of role reversal up front in the second Test with the Wallabies having the more dominant scrum at crucial stages and also producing far more useable ball from the lineout.
That is an area Gatland simply has to address for, while the Lions lost only one of their 13 deliveries last weekend, the quality of ball produced for Ben Youngs was not anywhere near as good as it was in the opening test.
With Paul O’Connell injured and Tom Croft omitted, that was always going to be an issue.
The Lions had to resort to a sequence of snap variations to win their opening three lineouts, none of which enabled them to launch a maul or transfer the ball quickly enough into the midfield to cause any problems for the Australian defence.
Contrast that with Brisbane when three successive lightning deliveries off the top of the lineout from Croft had Jonathan Davies running at the opposition and across the gain line. One of those carries resulted in Leali’ifano being carried off. Yet it was two minutes into the second half in Melbourne before Davies was afforded the same opportunity. That has to be rectified this time out — especially if Roberts is back on board.
The fact that James O’Connor handled twice as much ball as a first receiver than Jonny Sexton did over the course of last Saturday’s game also tells a story. Australia will not be as profligate in possession this time out and Gatland needs to make sure Sexton is better served as he is far more astute than his opposite number in turning possession into points.
The Wallabies camp received an unexpected boost when their inspirational captain James Horwill escaped any further sanction for that alleged stamp on Alun-Wyn Jones, despite the best efforts of the IRB. The game’s governing body hasn’t covered itself in glory over their handling of this citing.
The bottom line was that Horwill was tried in a four-hour hearing by an IRB appointed judicial officer, the highly experienced New Zealand QC Nigel Hampton. He studied video evidence from nine different camera angles yet was happy to declare that on the balance of probability, he could not find an intentional or deliberate action of stamping or trampling.
We may not like every judgement that comes out of these hearings but what is the point in the IRB selecting independent counsel, whose expertise earned him the appointment in the first place, if they choose not to accept the outcome of the process?
It’s a bit like the government in recent times calling a series of referenda on the same issue until they get the decision they were looking for.
By extending this witch-hunt for another week, the IRB have only strengthened the resolve of the Wallaby squad, who viewed the entire exercise with suspicion and an attempt by IRB council members from the four home countries to strengthen the Lions hand. Personally, I would prefer the Lions to win the series with the Wallaby captain on board and not be subject to conjecture for years to come and have that achievement tarnished in some way.
The fact that Horwill will now be on board makes that task that bit harder, but so be it. He has been cleared of any wrongdoing, not once but twice, and therefore deserves to be there.
His decision to opt for that scrum with nine minutes to go despite being only six points behind was brave in the extreme. Few international captains would have made it but as always with decisions of that nature, the end — Adam Ashley-Cooper’s try in this case, justified the means.
Australia are now in a stronger position as a result of the entire Horwill affair and only the return to arms of the Lions injured trio Alex Corbisiero, Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts can help close the psychological gap that has developed between the sides since Melbourne.
