Lions Vs Free State Cheetahs - Post Match Analysis
After an excellent start that with quarter of the match gone saw the scoreboard running at a point a minute, the Lions were hit by a determined Free State Cheetahs fightback that came as the first genuine test the side has faced. The tourists came within a whisker of seeing their third game in South Africa get away from them, but for the first time this was as much due to a concerted opposition effort as anything else. Put simply, this was the 2009 Lions first real challenge.
This however was not the near perfect performance seen from the Lions on Wednesday night. The Lions showed a soft underbelly at times, particularly at rucks where they turned over far too much ball. Additionally, while the handling errors of the tour opener where largely gone, the precision and accuracy of the Golden Lions game was absent also. It was a 'fair to middling' performance from the British & Irish Lions, but one that above all is important for the result. The Lions have learnt an important lesson in how to win ugly, and although it was only by the skin of their teeth it'll serve them in good stead later in the tour.
Ian McGeechan talked about the first three tour matches being 'Phase 1' of the Lions campaign. It was his chance to give all his players a starting run and to allow nerves and over-eagerness to be worked out of the system. It's been largely done (Flutey and late arrival D'Arcy are the only players yet to start) and while two of the results have been close, the Lions are set to begin their test preparation with a winning momentum.
Early on the game was looking good from a Lions point of view. This was clearly a team with a little more stomach than the Golden Lions four days earlier, but when powerful work at the breakdown lead to a loose ball, Stephen Ferris pounced. He was on the ball in an instant, and then came out of the blocks like Usain Bolt. His change of pace for such a big man was quite staggering and he left the pursuing Cheetahs grasping at thin air before cantering in under the posts.
Stephen Ferris is quite clearly a back-row weapon and along with a 2nd winger to partner Tommy Bowe, the back-row headache is considerable for the Lions management. There are a number of good players, all putting up their hands, and finding the right mix of pace, power, precision, link-play and 'dark arts' will be key come the first test.
He was not the only impressive flanker on the pitch as Heinrich Brussow was quite clearly out to make a statement both to the tourists regarding the state of South African Rugby and to Peter De Villiers about his exclusion from the Springboks setup. The Cheetah was in fine form and at times seemed to be taking on the Lions singlehandedly. He seemed to pop up everywhere, with ball in hand, at the breakdown - where he was particularly abrasive - and as the top tackler by a mile. He made 20 and missed just one.
If Ferris was having a blinder for the Lions, his back-row colleagues were not having a game to compare. Andy Powell played with real intensity, but at times his game looks limited and one-dimensional. He's willing to hit a ball at pace (a quality sometimes lacking in the NH) but he is far too keen to put his head down and run into people than look up and consider his options.
South Africa are the kings of confrontational rugby, and while it's essential the Lions meet this challenge head on at the breakdown, Powell needs to look to unload when running with ball in hand. This was particularly telling when, deep in the opposition 22, the Lions 8 choose to take contact and was subsequently stripped of the ball. It was a squandered scoring opportunity that summed up his match.
Likewise, Joe Worsley had a game that while not a complete disaster, wasn't the stunning performance he would have hoped for. Played somewhat out of position at 7 rather than 6, the Wasp looked pretty dissapointed when he was subbed for Nathan Hines on 68 mins, but in all honesty he didn't have a bad game. Having rewatched the tape, he only conceeded 2 penalties, which while not ideal, isn't disastrous. He was his usual destructive self in the tackle making the Lions most of 11, and worked hard at the breakdown. His biggest issue was turning over ball, but this was in part due to a lack of quality 'first response' support and the omnipresent Brussow.
As a unit however, the back-row did not operate effectively. I'm devoting a lot of time to analysing it because, quite simply, it will be where the tour is won and lost. The Lions still need to add more ferocity to their breakdown play.
It was a fiery game at times, with one fairly major fracas which unsurprisingly sparked in the front row. There were calls of '99' from fans and commentators, but the battle never really got going. It was however the most volatile match so far from what has for the most part been an extremely well disciplined Lions side. Given the intensity and pressure heaped on the Lions, they're reaction so far has been superb. Paul O'Connell in particular looks like a man who intends to do his talking with his rugby rather than letting any members of his side head to the bin for allowing a hot-head to get the better of them.
The front row continued the impressive displays that have preceded them. If we were marking the Lions team unit by unit on the tour so far, the front row would be winning. Sheridan and Murray had good if not superlative games and while Gethin Jenkins seems pretty much nailed on, the second prop is a hotly debated affair. Ross Ford had a reasonable game also, but his throwing was wayward at times and although he wasn't absent in the loose, he didn't offer as much overall as Lee Mears.
Matthew Rees, who joined the fray late in the 2nd half didn't have a huge impact and notably missed the opportunity to clean up from a lineout when a ball that fell pretty much directly too him went begging.
The lineout was a decent area of the game for the Lions also with O'Connell having a particularly disruptive effect on the Cheetahs throw. The big irishman lead well, but at the lineout he needs to find the balance between competing and knocking on. Once too often, the captain gifted the Cheetahs ball when the competition in the air went the wrong way.
Behind the scrum the tone was much the same. There was much to be positive about, but this was not a vintage performance. At half-back, Ellis and Hook both had good games, though perhaps unsurprisingly, they didn't look like a finely tuned unit just yet.
James Hook had a faultless performance with the boot, slotting all 6 of his efforts from a variety of angles and, late in the game, under some considerable pressure and produced a lovely chip to put Earls away for the first try. Given a better platform and some quicker ball, I think a very accomplished performance is lurking.
Ellis got the disruptive side of his game spot on for 90% of the time. Once or twice he over stepped the line, but in large part he was a nuisance to the opposition. He's a tactically astute player, who rarely makes the wrong call and his service was pretty quick given the poor presentation that he regularly had to deal with. Both the half-backs look like possible test bench selections.
As with the rest of the team, the centres wasn't a hot-bed of fireworks and Luke Fitzgerald definitely looks more comfortable on the wing, but he and Earls were solid, and they both cut good lines at times. The midfield was however a touch lightweight and the Lions missed the sort of direct running that Jamie Roberts had so far brought to the table.
At the back, bar a rare dropped ball late on, Lee Byrne had another commanding performance. I was beginning to think he might actually be a robot due to his complete lack of nerves, but while his spilled catch did put the Lions under pressure it also confirmed that he is probably actually flesh and blood.
While Halfpenny had a frustrating and somewhat chance-free debut, Shane Williams was the Lions own nemesis-in-chief at times. The Welshman really needs to relax and start playing a team game. Early in the first half he set off on a huge lateral run before being scragged by a hooker of all people and bundled into touch. It was completely unnecessary and showed the worst side of the player. Late on, when again trying to force the magic, he plopped a pass into the hands of Corne Uys to gift-wrap a try and relieve the Cheetahs from what could have translated into match winning pressure from the Lions. So far, this is not the tour many thought he would be having a year ago.
Overall, the game was something of a three-parter from the Lions point of view. Initially, the team showed the class and ability to get 20 points up within 20 minutes against a cohesive provincial outfit. Then, in part two, the Lions showed a fragility at the breakdown, a few defensive chinks, and a general lack of creativity and killer instinct to let the Cheetahs back into the game. Finally, in the closing act, the Lions managed to hang on - thanks in part to a wide Strydom drop goal attempt - to snatch the win.
It was a game in which to some extent the Lions escaped. The rot which began with Stephen Ferris' sin-binning was a real worry for a side that will require a ruthless edge later in the tour. The Lions must learn how to deliver the killer blow when they've got a team on the rack, but although the manner wasn't pretty the resolve they showed in holding on for the win will be of great solace to Ian McGeechan and co. Good teams know how to win when not playing well, and this game continues the momentum and once again instills the winning mentality.
"Winning is a habit" or so the famous saying goes, and above all, this is the enduring memory of a rollercoaster match.
Tony Hart - Sunday 8th June 01:00AM
© 2009 Pride Of Lions Contact Us