Auckland: New Zealand’s selectorial judgement has been openly questioned by the British & Irish Lions head coach, Warren Gatland, before the first Test at Eden Park on Saturday.
The Lions management have been particularly baffled by the decision to drop the prolific try-scoring winger Julian Savea and also regard the All Blacks’ bench as weaker than normal.
Not many visiting teams limber up for a Test in New Zealand by suggesting the All Blacks’ coaching staff have miscalculated but Gatland thinks his opposite number, Steve Hansen, may have done so when he announced a match-day squad of 23 with Savea omitted in favour of the talented but relatively inexperienced 20-year-old Rieko Ioane. Hansen’s choice of Ryan Crotty at outside-centre ahead of Anton Lienert-Brown has also raised eyebrows, with the Lions further encouraged by the absence from the 23 of Waisake Naholo, Jordie Barrett and the injured Dane Coles.
“I’m not sure looking at their bench that it is as strong as it has been in the past,” Gatland said, after naming Maro Itoje, the tour skipper Sam Warburton, the experienced Irish fly-half Johnny Sexton and Wales’s top goalkicker Leigh Halfpenny among his own replacements.
“We were surprised by Crotty being selected at 13 and Savea, who has been a constant for them, being replaced. I know how good Ioane is but this is a big game for everyone.”
With 46 tries in 53 Tests and a well-earned reputation as a formidable finisher, Savea is certainly a conspicuous absentee from an All Blacks side that did not look obviously weak during the 78-0 demolition of Samoa last Friday.
Gatland, though, has also queried whether that game would prove of any value to New Zealand and wondered aloud if the All Blacks have enjoyed the same intense preparation as the Lions.
“They went and arranged the Samoa game because they feel potentially they’re going to be a little bit undone,” Gatland said.
“How that helps their preparation I’m not too sure as they’ve been together for the last couple of weeks.”
In contrast the Lions have been hardening themselves up against New Zealand’s leading non-Test sides.
“We’ve taken on an incredibly tough schedule, like nothing the Lions have ever faced,” Gatland said.
“Sometimes in the past, midweek teams have been a bit of a frolic but we’ve been tested all the way. In terms of the opposition, the preparation and the intensity of matches, it has been really beneficial.
“We think we are in a good place at the moment. We really think we have been improving week to week, we have stayed tight as a group and we haven’t let anything externally have an impact on us. We haven’t had any players moaning about anything — they’ve just got on with their jobs.”
A wet weather forecast for the Auckland region has been dismissed as irrelevant by Gatland, despite widespread predictions that a damp pitch and a slower game would suit the Lions.
“The weather conditions aren’t going to make any difference,” insisted the head coach, suggesting his forwards could be effective in all weathers.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be enough playing a set-piece orientated game to try and ground them into the ground. That’s why selection is the way it is.”
Gatland did concede, however, that the Welsh full-back Liam Williams would need to watch his discipline after being preferred to Halfpenny, who suffered a knock to the head against the Maori All Blacks and also has a tight groin.
“Every now and then you know there might be a brain explosion with Liam Williams as we saw with the yellow card against the Blues. He must be switched on mentally. Last year he caused the All Blacks problems with his running and attacking game and, when we sat down on Wednesday, we asked whether we needed to look at our back three. We need to have players who have some footwork and play some rugby.”
The management also feel Itoje will be best deployed off the bench for this game, with Alun Wyn Jones urged to justify his starting place.
Warburton has also been challenged to force his way into the starting lineup. “It’s a great position for us to be in because we feel we have a pretty strong starting 15 but also real impact off the bench,” Gatland said. The Lions are also intent on becoming the first Test side to beat New Zealand at Eden Park since 1994. “Those sort of records are there to be broken and at some stage it’s going to happen,” Gatland said, referencing Ireland’s historic win against the All Blacks in Chicago last year. “Some people wait 100-odd years to break a record before they are lucky enough to do it.”
