Byrne stakes claim for Test spot
Last Saturday’s defeat in Hamilton to the New Zealand Maori was punctuated by sloppy lineout ball from Steve Thompson, front row indiscipline from Andy Sheridan and an all-round lack of aggression from the Lions pack.
In Ireland hooker Byrne, the Lions solved all three of those problems in one fell swoop, as Wellington were easily beaten 23-6 at the capital’s Westpac Stadium.
With Gethin Jenkins and Julian White either side of Byrne, the Lions have finally hit upon their Test front row and no one deserves it more than the Leinster hooker.
A place in Clive Woodward’s side for the first Test against New Zealand in nine days’ time would cap a remarkable emergence from the shadow of Keith Wood, who so dominated the Irish and Lions selection process during the late 1990s and into the early part of this decade.
After Thompson’s wayward delivery against the Maori threw the Lions’ game plan into chaos, the Irishman’s sharpshooting was again the major plus point yesterday as Byrne found his jumpers seven times in a row before a couple got away once victory was in the bag.
That many of those throws were again to the front of the lineout could be construed as conservatism, but after losing so many lineouts to the Maori at the weekend, it was a welcome sacrifice to make in the name of guaranteed possession.
It was also the solid platform provided from the lineout that led to the opening try of the game. Byrne found Danny Grewcock jumping at four in the 36th minute and the quick ball to Peel set up Martin Corry for a charge which allowed Jenkins to cross the try line.
However, there was much more to Byrne’s play and head coach Woodward will find that difficult to ignore when he names his Test team in Christchurch next Wednesday. With Jenkins and White, Byrne formed a dominant front row in the scrums, many of which Wellington felt the need to spoil, forcing referee Paul Honiss to either reset or award free kicks and penalties from.
Byrne also gave lie to the belief that Thompson was the only hooker in the squad - which also includes Gordon Bulloch and Andy Titterrell - with the ball-carrying skills to take the game to the opposition.
It was a good day all round for the Lions front row, as Jenkins’ first-half try topped a performance that saw him rampaging all over the pitch and White dominate his side of the scrum while also throwing his weight behind the Lions’ driving maul.
Midweek coach Gareth Jenkins singled his compatriot out for praise. “As for Gethin Jenkins, I thought he was man of the match,” he said. “He proved to everyone in New Zealand what type of player he is, and showed the form he has been producing in the northern hemisphere.” Test shirts seem to beckon for all three.
Meanwhile, Gordon Bulloch yesterday played down a training ground incident with John Hayes that reportedly left him needing stitches.
The Scot was injured during a workout but he was cleared to take his place on the bench for yesterday’s game against Wellington.
“It was just some old-fashioned rucking with some good clear-outs,” he said. “I got my head in the way of John Hayes at one point and you can tell who came off worse.”
“It was an intensity that was demanded by the players as well as the coaches. We were a wee bit soft against New Zealand Maori, so we have challenged each other to bring more aggression into our play.
“There is always going to be friction. If there is not, it shows that the correct intensity is not there for Test selection.”
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