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Warren Gatland Discusses the 1st Test
19/06/09 18:14
"A Lions Test in South Africa definitely rates up there as one of the biggest occasions in my coaching career. When you see so many supporters out here you realise it is a huge occasion," said Gatland.
"But we are here as a group, players, management and medical team, to win a series. I've said all along I've been incredibly privileged to be a part of this tour.
"When we first joined up it was the first time I'd actually got a buzz that reminded me of how I felt as a player with the All Blacks.There is so much about the history and traditions of the Lions.
"There's a lot of pressure on us, a lot of people wanting us to do well. We've got the best players to chose from, players that are incredibly motivated to perform well when they put on their jersey.
"Paul O'Connell summed it up on day one - he's a proud Munsterman, a proud Irishman and at the pinnacle of his career, yet he is putting a Lions jersey on tomorrow and that is the pinnacle for him."
Here are Gatland's thoughts on the game.
THE SPRINGBOKS AS FAVOURITES
The Springboks are the best team in the world at the moment. They are the world champions, they were undefeated in their Autumn Series and they are a very settled side. They have a lot of experience, a team with a huge number of caps. From that point of view you've got to talk yourself up a bit and go into the game with a huge amount of confidence.
MOBILITY THE KEY FOR THE LIONS
If we get involved in a set piece battle, a real physical one-on-one confrontation, I think that is something the South African's would enjoy. They are very good at that. So we've gone for mobility. We've got to move their pack around, try and play through lots of phases and ask some questions of their tight five. That's very much the plan we are going into the game with.
IMPORTANCE OF THE REFEREE
We are just looking for clarity and consistency from the referees in their interpretation of the breakdown. In each game we've found there has been a difference in interpretation and during the games we've had to adapt depending on the ways the referee has controlled that particular area.
I know that during the ELVs in Super 14 there was less respect for the breakdown because the sanction was only a free kick. Now it's a full on penalty which could result in three points. We are just hoping that the ref is going to be really strong in that area and to get a bit of space and let both teams play some pretty positive rugby.
We me Bryce Lawrence on Thursday night and I think he wants both teams to be very positive at the breakdown - he wants a contest there. If that doesn't happen then he will have to take things into his own hands. He has put the pressure back on us to try and play as positively as we can and we are more than happy with that interpretation.
ARE THE SPRINGBOKS UNDERCOOKED?
There is always that unknown quantity in terms of the first game of any series. We can take a lot of confidence out of France's performance last week against the All Blacks. Traditionally it's normally the first Test in which you do get an opportunity to catch the home team a little underdone. I know they are talking about being prepared, being ready for it and not being underdone. But we've got six games under our belt now and a lot of training sessions. So we've got to go into this first Test with some confidence and self-belief. We're expecting them to really come out and be very physical from the start. I think the South Africans' are very proud of their rugby heritage and tradition and they will be reminded of what happened in 1997. They definitely won't want a repeat of that.
THE OPENING EXCHANGES
It's a little bit of wait and see, but we've really got to go out there and impose our game on them as much as possible. Our scrums been very good and dominant in the games that we have played and we've got to use that. We've got a line-out that can deliver us good ball and, in terms of the mobility of the forward pack, we think we can get around the park. We've got some players in our backline that can get us across the advantage line. There's a nice mix and there are a lot of players who should go into the game with a lot of confidence.
CONFIDENCE IN THE LIONS CAMP
It is our job as coaches to give the players that confidence through the way we prepare, train and perform. We're six wins from six games at the moment and now we are really looking forward to the first Test in front of a big crowd. Seeing all the supporters arriving has been quite overwhelming really. Ian McGeechan said to me yesterday that now he knows what it's like for me living in Wales. It gives the guys a lot of belief and confidence knowing that there is a huge amount of support for us.
THE THREAT OF HEINRICH BRUSSOW
Brussow played really well against us for the Cheetahs. He is a player we're going to have to get off the ball and clear away from the breakdown. That is his strength. He's not a real ball carrying threat. He's not a big physical defender, but he tackles around the legs and gets on the ball really well. We've worked hard this week to try to eliminate that threat because if we can do a good job in that area its going to get us some quality ball, some ball on the front foot.
SPRINGBOK WEAKNESSES
I don't think there are any weaknesses in the South African team. They've got some fantastic players. Ruan Pienaar is a world class player, one the best No10s in the world, but he hasn't played a lot of rugby. If Adi Jacobs has a slight weakness it is his defence. But if you look at his try scoring record, and the number of times he gets across that white line, he's a fantastic attacking player. He is very quick and has two of the best wingers in world rugby outside him. Frans Steyn is a big kicking threat and we've got to be aware of his threat in terms of drop goals. There's not a huge amount of weaknesses in their backline - just a huge amount of speed, a lot of experience and a lot of attacking opportunities.
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Geech: "Roberts & Powell Fit"
11/06/09 10:32
Roberts took a number of knocks during the game and was show in some pain and at the end of the game was shown being strapped into an ominous looking black shoulder-sling/body armour combo. Lions fans everywhere were worried. Geech however, assures us, that everything is fine.
“There is no problem with Jamie Roberts’ shoulder. He took a heavy bang in the first-half, but it was only bruising and Dr James Robson is happy with the way it looks. We wanted to give Riki Flutey some game time, so it fitted in nicely.”
Rumours, started largely by the online media also seemed to suggest that Andy Powell may be suffering with a fractured hand. The head coach also refuted these claims: “Andy Powell has been told that, although it might be painful, there are no structural changes to his hand. He is fit to play and doesn’t have two fractures.”
Finally, in another piece of good news for the Lions after a week that included the loss of Ferris and Halfpenny, Martyn Williams has recovered from a shoulder injury and is fit ahead of the next game versus Western Province.
Jenks To Coach Kickers
08/06/09 10:46
Davies said, "We found out that Neil is going to be in South Africa during the latter stages of the tour. Therefore, the coaching staff thought it would be a good idea to ask him to become involved with the squad as kicking coach when he was here. He is Wales' kicking coach and the former world record points holder."
McGeechan added, "We did not appoint a kicking coach initially as Rob Howley and Shaun Edwards have experience in this area and have adequately taken responsibility for looking after the kickers. However, when someone of Neil's ability is available and on hand it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
"If anyone knows about what is required in terms of general kicking and goal kicking in South Africa it is Neil. It was his all round kicking game that helped the Lions to victory in the 1997 Test series out here against the then World Champions."
Neil Jenkins said, "It is a great honour to be part of a British and Irish Lions tour and I am delighted and grateful to have been offered this fantastic opportunity. I am extremely lucky in that I have just completed a great tour of Canada and the USA with Wales so I am now free to devote all my attention to the Lions.
"I have clear ideas of what I would like to contribute and I know so many of the players, coaches and back up team that I will be able to get out onto the training pitch and get started as soon as I arrive.
"South Africa is a great rugby nation so the challenges ahead are huge but I am determined to give my all to the Lions cause."
No Grenades Please Warren!
27/05/09 10:13
"Jose Mourinho used to do it a lot with Chelsea, taking the pressure off his players. You need a big ego to do that which he seems to have from his recent success as a coach. Perhaps he needs to get his feet back on the ground now."
Gatland seems to have taken on board the possible harm this sort of comment can do in terms of motivation the opposition and during a press conference the Hamilton man expressed an intention to do the talking on the field.
"I want to keep my mouth shut. I've had a couple of lessons... I'm hopefully going to be very, very boring"
He added, "But I think it's important for this tour that I keep my mouth shut and keep the grenades out of my pocket and not throw any. You've got to be very careful what you say sometimes because you can upset people, but you don't want to also motivate them too much."
Positivity & Confidence Ahead of Lions Debut
26/05/09 18:36
The tourists are based at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg and the first team is due to be announced this Thursday lunchtime. Forwards coach Warren Gatland has highlighted the importance of the breakdown area and called for intensity and dynamism from the squad.
"If we're not dynamic at the breakdown, we're going to come up short. That is one of the things we have been working on - it's a hugely important facet of the game" he said.
"We've taken a few clips of the Super 14 and shown the players the dynamism at the breakdown - and we've got to make sure we match that and be prepared to be very physical. Every tackle, every hit has to be 100%, and if you are not prepared to do that, you are going to come up short."
Ever since the squad was announced on April 21, the power and physicality of the Lions back-row has been a talking point. McGeechan and the management team have clearly chosen an extremely robust pack, particularly in the back-row - a clear statement that the Lions will not be bullied at the breakdown.
Following the explosive performance of Pierre Spies at the weekend, and the general calibre of South African back-rowers, the Lions will have to be at their best to assert their dominance. From a spectators point of view, the decision to front up to South African teams in this area promises some serious fireworks.
Despite the enormous challenges, Warren Gatland is still his indomitably determined self: "We're a lot further forward on that count after ten days than we thought we'd be. The calibre and quality of the players has meant they are able to fit in and pick it all up really quickly." We're all excited just to get the first game done now."
Likewise the players have been fairly effusive in their praise for the environment the management has created, particularly those with past Lions experience to compare to. Speaking in his BBC column, third time tourist Martyn Williams eluded to the head-coaches' talismanic Lions reputation.
"No-one understands the Lions better, and if last week at Pennyhill Park was anything to go by, Geech has got the balance spot on. It was an awesome week and by Wednesday everyone was really comfortable in each other's company."
McGeechan clearly brings a more balanced approach to the Lions concept. One of the most decorated Lions names ever, "Geech" is simply synonymous with the Lions. While the dismal 2005 tour attempted to unlock the Lions formula with cold hard professionalis, the 2009 Lions is already something of a subtler brew.
Taking on the reigning World Champs certainly requires training and rugby know-how, but McGeechan and co. clearly believe in the importance of the 'other' stuff also. Bonding is crucial and the coaches seem to think that the physical effects of a pint together are far outweighed by the power it has to knit a team of disparate stars into a single-minded collective.
Paul O'Connell has also spoken of the pride at stake. Having lost the last two test series, the Lions are determined to record a series win in South Africa.
"The players must now live up to the tradition of what the Lions is all about," said the tour captain. "Maybe in 2005 we didn't do the Lions jersey proud - but this tour gives us a chance to restore that pride. All the talent is there for us to be competitive, we have a great coaching team, but now it's up to us, the players, to perform as a team".
The task ahead of them seems nearly impossible when viewed in a cold clinical light, but that's leaving aside the steely resolve and never-say-die attitude that is so ingrained in the Lions psyche and obviously coarsing through POC's veins.
The Lions have had their fair share of injury issues in the lead up to the tour, but so to have the Boks, and to some extent, it could be argued that on this front, the scores are even. However the management have confirmed that the South African based squad trained injury free today*, and Brian O'Driscoll has shaken off a shoulder injury that he suffered in last weekend's Heineken Cup final. Leigh Halfpenny remains at home while he receives intensive treatment for a thigh injury, but is expected to join the tour in due course.
The stage is certainly set and the pride sound hungry!
*Ross Ford replaced Jerry Flannery on Friday. My apologies for not adding this as a separate news item, I was out of the office all day and it slipped my mind.
Montgomery To Coach Kickers
11/05/09 10:57
During his glittering international career Montgomery was capped 102 times, scored 893 test points and during the 2007 World Cup he converted 31 of his 33 strikes at goal for a stunning 94% success rate. Though something of a confidence player, both with the boot and in open play, when in the groove, Montgomery is unquestionably one of the great kickers to have played the game.
Young Optimistic for Shanklin
07/05/09 09:29
“We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the injury is nowhere near as bad as it looks. We’re quite confident that it won’t be a problem and he’ll be on that plane. He has a bit of time. Hopefully a long-term injury does not mar an otherwise outstanding performance by Tom as he was our man-of-the-match by a country mile.”
McGeechan Ponders O'Leary Replacement
27/04/09 12:28
The field is fairly open for the replacement scrum-half berth with players from all four home nations in the fray. Mike Blair, Dwayne Peel and Danny care lead the way, but none of the possible replacements offer the physical presence that the Lions management had previously been looking for.
Chris Cusiter of Scotland and Perpignan and Peter Stringer of Ireland and Munster are also outside bets. Perpignan are currently topping the French Top 14, and with the possibility of Cusiter’s involvement in the final on 6th June, there is the possibility of complications between club and tour. The Lions play their first match against the Highveld XV on 30th May in Rustenberg.
De Villiers Surprised at Lions Selections
23/04/09 22:51
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live De Villiers said “The one thing that surprised me was that the leaders of three home nations weren't included in the squad. The guys that play under those guys respect them."
Asked about the selection of Paul O’Connell as Lions skipper ahead of Brian O’Driscoll, the Boks coach suggested he wouldn’t have made the same decision. "Brian O'Driscoll was the captain of the last Lions team, even though he got injured, and he was the captain of the most successful Six Nations team this year. That's a second big surprise."
Given the lack of surprise in the home nations regarding the makeup of the tour squad and the obvious two horse race that we’ve seen unfolding for the skipper berth, his surprise is somewhat... surprising. Watch out for a follow up article on the Springbok reaction to the tour announcement.
Announcement News Roundup
22/04/09 09:38
The British & Irish Lions touring party for 2009 was announced yesterday afternoon. The management have selected 37 players, 20 forwards and 17 backs in a squad loaded with bulk and power.
It was mostly as expected with a few surprise selections in the shape of Keith Earls and Ugo Monye and a couple of omissions, most notably Welsh captain Ryan Jones and Leicester and England forward Tom Croft who was widely expected to make the trip on the back of exceptional recent form. A full analysis of the touring party will be available later, but for now, a round-up of some of the news items surrounding the selection.
- Leicester Scrum-Half Harry Ellis, the only player from the English club to make the trip, has backed his team mate Tom Croft to make a quick recovery from the snub. Speaking to press Ellis said: “He’s young and I’m sure he’ll be in contention for the next Lions tours. We’ve got some massive games coming up in the Guinness Premiership play-offs and the semi-final of the Heineken Cup against Cardiff. Tom will have a huge role to play in these games and I know he will give 110% in each of them.”
- South African head coach Peter De Villiers has said he expected Brian O’Driscoll to emerge above Paul O’Connell for the captains armband. “I am surprised that Paul O’Connell got the captaincy ahead of Brian O’Driscoll. O’Driscoll was the most successful captain in the Six Nations and captained the Lions four years ago”.
Going further, the Boks coach added, “Having said that, O’Connell is the captain of Munster and has also captained Ireland at Test level and we will not underestimate his leadership capabilities.”
- Meanwhile, Lions assistant coach Warren Gatland, who heads-up the Welsh coaching team was typically abrupt when asked about the omission of Ryan Jones. “The squad has been picked on form and he is not playing well enough at the moment”.
- Leigh Halfpenny, surprise inclusion into the Lions test squad at just 20 years of age, the tour’s youngest player, has already made his ambition of a test place clear saying “On tour, the one thing you’ll want is to get the Test jersey on.”
- Jim Telfer, ex-Lions coach and veteran of two tours as a player, has condemned the inclusion of the only two Scots in the tour party as a damning inditement of Scottish rugby’s present state.
It was mostly as expected with a few surprise selections in the shape of Keith Earls and Ugo Monye and a couple of omissions, most notably Welsh captain Ryan Jones and Leicester and England forward Tom Croft who was widely expected to make the trip on the back of exceptional recent form. A full analysis of the touring party will be available later, but for now, a round-up of some of the news items surrounding the selection.
- Leicester Scrum-Half Harry Ellis, the only player from the English club to make the trip, has backed his team mate Tom Croft to make a quick recovery from the snub. Speaking to press Ellis said: “He’s young and I’m sure he’ll be in contention for the next Lions tours. We’ve got some massive games coming up in the Guinness Premiership play-offs and the semi-final of the Heineken Cup against Cardiff. Tom will have a huge role to play in these games and I know he will give 110% in each of them.”
- South African head coach Peter De Villiers has said he expected Brian O’Driscoll to emerge above Paul O’Connell for the captains armband. “I am surprised that Paul O’Connell got the captaincy ahead of Brian O’Driscoll. O’Driscoll was the most successful captain in the Six Nations and captained the Lions four years ago”.
Going further, the Boks coach added, “Having said that, O’Connell is the captain of Munster and has also captained Ireland at Test level and we will not underestimate his leadership capabilities.”
- Meanwhile, Lions assistant coach Warren Gatland, who heads-up the Welsh coaching team was typically abrupt when asked about the omission of Ryan Jones. “The squad has been picked on form and he is not playing well enough at the moment”.
- Leigh Halfpenny, surprise inclusion into the Lions test squad at just 20 years of age, the tour’s youngest player, has already made his ambition of a test place clear saying “On tour, the one thing you’ll want is to get the Test jersey on.”
- Jim Telfer, ex-Lions coach and veteran of two tours as a player, has condemned the inclusion of the only two Scots in the tour party as a damning inditement of Scottish rugby’s present state.
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