Neil Back

Lions missed chance

Wed Jun 24 02:48PM

Last weekend's first Test was a cracking match, but there is no doubt it was a missed opportunity for the Lions. And when I say that, I do not mean that the Lions were the better team.

For the first 50-60 minutes, the Springboks were superb and at 26-7 there was only one team in it. Had it been a one-off Test I don't think the Boks would have made the changes they did and allowed the Lions to stage such a thrilling fight-back.

It's a brutal truth that the Lions came off second best in the first half. The Boks pack was superb and out-muscled the Lions. They had clearly done their homework and fully exploited the Lions decision to select a tall tight-head alongside a small hooker.

When Adam Jones and Matthew Rees came on for Phil Vickery and Lee Mears it shored up the Lions pack and allowed them to create a platform to play some rugby - but by then the game was as good as lost.

I really felt for Vics and for me the difficulty he was under was proof that the scrum is not a one-on-one battle. It's about balance and the Lions got it wrong in the first Test. Vics has never suffered like that in the scrums before and has won everything going, which should tell us a thing or two about the difficulties the Lions pack were having.

Could the Lions have looked to solve the problem earlier and could the players have done anything about it out on the field? Yes and maybe.

Adam Jones and Rees made a difference when they came on so perhaps those changes should have been made at half-time. Those extra five minutes of near parity up front may have made all the difference.

And perhaps the Lions pack could have tried to address the problem in a different way. They may not have had had the answer in technical terms, but it is not unknown for players to create 'issues' elsewhere.

Former England hooker Brian Moore mentioned that the Lions front row could have got into a scuffle in order to make the ref aware of any illegal scrummaging from the Boks.

As a coach I cannot condone such behaviour, but let's be honest: it would not have been the first time players have taken matters into their own hands.

I think Adam Jones and Rees will now start the second Test, with Vics and Mears on the bench. I also think the Lions will change their second row by bringing in Simon Shaw for Alun-Wyn Jones. Again it is a matter of getting the balance right.

I expect the Lions to start with the same back-row, with Martyn Williams on the bench to make an impact late in the game.

Tom Croft did very well, especially when you consider he was not even in the original squad, while I think there is more to come from David Wallace on the openside.

Wallace is quick and tremendous in defence and I think we will see more of him on Saturday. The same could be said for his Ireland team-mate Jamie Heaslip.

Behind the scrum I think the coaches will bring in Luke Fitzgerald for Ugo Monye as the only change.

Ugo has had a good tour and deserved his place in the first Test, but - as he has admitted - he missed a couple of try-scoring chances.

It may be a harsh call for Ugo but that's the reality of Lions tours.

Comments1 - 8 of 8

Jenny Cooper your parents must be really proud of you, it's quite obvious yo have ne respect for yourself
From drfelectrical on Thu Jun 25 09:06AM
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Fairly predictable that two ex England internationals would stick up for Vickery despite him getting a 24 carat tuning. Get the Chariots goggles off boys. He was murdered and Mears is too small to help him. Once Rees and Jones got on Beast went very quiet because old Bismark was too busy with Rees to target Jones.
On the other comments what the hell has Alun Wyn Jones done wrong on this tour. Let's face facts AWJ is the number 1 tour lock so I can only think that ptothej want's to replace POC with DOC or Shaw or Hines.Finally, I wouldn't pick O'Gara in test match even if Jones and Hook had swine flu.
From richardwdavies on Thu Jun 25 12:31PM
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AWJ was excellent in all the warm up games he played, but against Botha he was bullied. I reckon the man could well be in contention for a future tour captaincy. however, at the moment we need a bit more grunt beside POC who really fronted up in the 1st test as all Irish supporters and anyone who really watches rugby knew he would.
As for your silly view on O'Gara he's been the best out half in Europe for a long time, barring Wilkinson when fit, everyone knows that.
From ptothej on Thu Jun 25 02:39PM
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no, every munster/irish fan THINKS that. ROG was excellent on the attack against the EmergingSA, but every time he was 1 on 1 with any attackin player, he is totally incapable of making a tackle stick. test matches are won by inches, as Phillips an Monye will remember forever. if the Lions are on the attack consistently he is a better player, but stephen jones defence and potent attack make him a far better RUGBY player, as any 'real' rugby fan will tell you.
plus, i think felipe contepomi, juan-martin hernandez, lionel beauxis and stephen jones himself would all be above ROG interms of rugbying ability.
From moggie2727 on Thu Jun 25 03:01PM
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When I said europe I was thinking more the home nations, however, hernandez i'll give you but the others are not better than ROG in terms of rugbying ability.
As for rugby being won by inches, in tight games O'Gara's kicking from hand and at goal have been the difference many times for Munster and Ireland, including a recent drop goal to win the grand slam on welsh soil if I remember correctly.
Don't get me wrong, I hope Jones plays out of his skin on Saturday because beating the Boks is more important than who's on the team.
From ptothej on Thu Jun 25 03:21PM
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Were all one big team on tour come on th lions....
From damiendamo on Thu Jun 25 03:44PM
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ill agree with you on that one then pthohej then.
ill say this, if Jones doesnt play at least quite well on saturday, ill be one of the first ones calling for a change, and if ROG does play in the 3rd, the backrows primary job will to keep him safe and give him an armchair ride, even if it sacrifices some attack.
oh, just to stir things a bit more, i think jonny sexton will usurp ROG in the ireland team by next year haha :P
From moggie2727 on Thu Jun 25 05:02PM
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I think the Springboks took their foot off the pedal. This time they'll win by at least 15 points.
From vimalinm on Thu Jun 25 10:28PM
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