Lions must stop another lightning strike to save series

The All Blacks had it, the Lions need to stop them getting it and fight for some of their own.

Lightning Quick Ball, the production of clean ball from a ruck in three seconds or less, is the holy grail for the world champions. Their target set by head coach Steve Hansen is to achieve LQB at a rate of around 45 to 50% of rucks in the belief that will be enough to do the offensive damage required to win games.

Against the British & Irish Lions in last Saturday’s first Test at Eden Park, the LQB was up around a phenomenal 67% and clearly Warren Gatland and his defence coach Andy Farrell have to figure out a way to reduce that figure considerably before this Saturday’s second Test at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium or the 2017 series will be beyond the tourists with a game to spare for New Zealand.