Wellington: This has already proved an eventful British & Irish Lions tour in all kinds of ways but the most gripping 80 minutes may still be to come. If Warren Gatland’s team-sheet for the second Test carries no guarantee of success there is at least a genuine can-do feel about it. Gatland has clearly promised himself that, whatever transpires, he will give this series a real go. And, glory be, the 2017 Lions are going for it on Saturday. By pairing Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell at 10 and 12 they have sent the plainest of messages to Steve Hansen and the All Blacks: you ain’t seen nothing yet. Gatland and his coaches have long known that what might have worked in the first Test of a major series is not necessarily the best answer the following weekend.
Hansen will look at this selection and conclude the Lions are not quite done yet. Tactically, at any rate, they will look to pose an alternative set of questions: Sexton’s more varied passing and running game, dual playmaking threats and a more subtle and effective kicking strategy. While Ben Te’o is slightly unlucky, having done well opposite Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand pretty much know what he brings.
There is rather less certainty with Sexton and Farrell. With a 1-0 series deficit to overhaul, the Lions have opted for something deliberately different. For all the qualities of Sam Warburton, back as captain, and the brilliant octopus-limbed Maro Itoje, it is the rejigged 10-12 axis that will definitely raise the most All Black eyebrows. There is another international team out there — white jerseys, red rose, currently on their sunloungers — for whom Farrell has been operating at 12 with conspicuous success.
England under Eddie Jones have always seen Te’o as an impact sub, with Farrell and George Ford navigating the team around in unison in the early stages. Farrell will be the first to tell you he is not a specialist 12 but, equally, he and Sexton are peas from the same hyper-competitive pod. Nor will the Englishman shirk from the onrushing Sonny Bill, let alone stand aside and leave Sexton to do all the heavy defensive lifting. Gatland has required some persuasion to start the pair of them together but the more he thought about it the more attractive a mid-series curveball became. He can certainly rely on Sexton if someone is needed to stand in the dressing room and address the rest of the squad on the subject of keeping the faith.
The most famous example came in the 2011 European final in Cardiff when Leinster were 22-6 down against Northampton at half-time. It was Sexton who gave the half-time address, invoking the spirit of Liverpool’s 2005 comeback in the European Cup football final against Milan in Istanbul.
The Irish province duly roared back to win 33-22, as Sexton supplied a man-of-the-match haul of 28 points including two tries. With Sexton as their guiding light, Leinster won Europe’s grandest prize three times in four years. It is stretching credulity to imagine the All Blacks crumbling as spectacularly as the Saints did that day but the home side will respect Sexton’s ability as a game-shaper of proven quality.
The first Test, behind a pack with its hands extremely full, was not necessarily Farrell’s type of game; New Zealand launched most of their attacks through Aaron Smith, which meant a lot of their efforts were concentrated closer in. History also shows a successful Lions tour has to have a dominant figure at No. 10; the brilliance of the great Barry John on the triumphant 1971 tour has raised that particular bar sky high but every Lions first five-eighth, by definition, has to have a touch of class about him. If his inclusion helps Gatland’s side to be sharper, react quicker and generally enhance the snap and crackle of their routine approach work, Wellington’s “Cake Tin” stadium really will reverberate this weekend. Interestingly the weather forecast is not looking great, with more rain around, which will put an increased premium on kicking and, just as crucial, kick chasing.
Warburton and Itoje are not the worst players to have in and around the breakdown should the contest develop into a messy, stop-start affair. It is worth reiterating at this point that the second Test will be refereed by France’s Jerome Garces, who ran the line at Eden Park and took charge of the Lions’ most convincing win on this tour, the 34-6 win against the Chiefs.
How telling it was to hear the Hurricanes coach, Chris Boyd, grumbling suspiciously about Gallic officials in general this week: “It’s a different style. For a start they don’t commentate the game; they adjudicate on what they see.” Thank you, our cultural attaché. The Lions will be hoping a few more decisions are lost in translation. Amid all the recent off-field distractions of clownish cartoons, controversial replacements and dangerous tackles, Gatland also revealed an interesting discussion he had with one of the match officials after the first Test.
The official in question said the pace of Saturday’s game was a step up from anything he had encountered before, either in Bledisloe Cup games or in the Rugby Championship. That was also how it felt live at Eden Park but the Lions are now properly forewarned. An unexpected treat inside the Cake Tin would be the sweetest riposte of Gatland’s career.
