Lions face searching Waratahs examination as battle for Test places hots up

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR:

With three of the four opening fixtures on this tour proving less than competitive, Warren Gatland and his coaches are eager for their players to get as tough an examination of their Test potential as possible against a fired up — if understrength Super Rugby outfit coached by former Leinster boss Michael Cheika.

The series opener against Australia in Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium is now just a week away and the Lions’ first visit there seven days ago gave selectors their only really meaningful look so far at the tourists under any sort of pressure as the Queensland Reds took the game to Sam Warburton’s side.

Forwards coach Graham Rowntree is certainly hoping the Waratahs provide the required intensity. The Lions need to be taken out of their comfort zone in what is sure to be a lively atmosphere with the game being played in front of a 44,000 sell-out crowd.

Cheika has already promised physicality, adding that his players will have “a crack” at anything in red that moves.

The Western Force promised the same of course but were brushed aside in Perth 10 days ago and Rowntree is expecting a much harder fixture today as the Lions build towards their clash with the Wallabies.

“It will be tough,” he said. “This fixture 12 years ago was fairly tough. It is our next game with new combinations, guys have got to take their opportunities because we are watching, in training as well.

“We got a good test last week (against Queensland), crikey, they ran us ragged and I’m sure the ’Tahs will give us another workout.

“It wasn’t an 80 minute performance Saturday. The third quarter was littered with errors which really broke our stride. We are looking to cut those down and will have to if we are to win.”

Given the fact that the Reds have been the only reasonable opposition to date in the Lions’ unbeaten start to the tour, Rowntree revealed the squad has been scrutinised at every opportunity since they first convened in Wales for training camp in mid-May.

“We have been doing that since the very first training session at the Vale of Glamorgan. We watch how the guys are in the environment, who the diligent ones are, watching the computers, who are the ones learning the calls. We watch training videos back, see how the body language is, we are watching them 24/7. I have been very impressed. They are everything I expected. They have all been very professional.”

Gatland and his coaches will not pick their Test team until Tuesday night, Rowntree said, following the game against the Brumbies in Canberra but it is reasonable to suggest today’s game in Sydney will provide the basis for the first Test selection with particular attention paid to the battle for back-row places, the most fiercely contested positions in the squad.

Tom Croft at blindside, captain Warburton at openside and Jamie Heaslip at No.8 start against the Waratahs and has the definite look of a Test back row, but then so would any combination at Gatland’s disposal with today’s replacement Dan Lydiate as well as Sean O’Brien, Justin Tipuric and Toby Faletau all making strong claims.

That the Waratahs will have their captain, Dave Dennis, available, having been released from the Wallabies camp for this game, at least gives the breakdown contest today some potency, while the Lions will also welcome the return from injury of the Waratahs’ combative openside Pat McCutcheon.

Cheika, though, is still without 11 internationals, including the injured back rower Scott Higginbotham, although four Test players, will face the Lions, centre Rob Horne, wing Drew Mitchell, who starts at full-back and prop Paddy Ryan joining Dennis in this eagerly-awaited tour match.

The Waratahs should still be beaten, their stretched resources barely extending to the bench, where three second-tier Shute Shield players will start the game alongside Richard Aho and AJ Gilbert, who made their Super Rugby debuts last week and 21-year-old prop Sam Talakai, who could make his NSW debut today.

Which leaves it up to the Lions to make their own luck and make the most of these fast disappearing opportunities to grab a Test place.