Lions Vs Royal XV - Post Match Analysis
The Lions got their tour off to a start today but unfortunately it was with more of a backfire than a bang. The game finally ended with a Lions win, but it wasn't until the 75th minute that the Lions finally took a real lead.
The game was simply filled with errors and while nerves are inevitable in an opening Lions match, the team never really fully settled. In the first minute, Mike Blair was charged down while attempting to clear the lines with a box kick and it was only the first of many mistakes from a scrum-half who looked extremely nervous.
The game was simply filled with errors and while nerves are inevitable in an opening Lions match, the team never really fully settled. In the first minute, Mike Blair was charged down while attempting to clear the lines with a box kick and it was only the first of many mistakes from a scrum-half who looked extremely nervous.
Blair's nerves were however small-fry compared to the woes of Keith Earls. The Munsterman was palpably anxious and some of his errors were pretty glaring. A dropped pass when a straight-forward run in looked on, a knock on after a great counter-attacking move, and a dropped catch under zero pressure won't make for happy viewing. I'm firmly of the belief that Earls is a quality player who will do good things on this tour. He's got raw pace and the sort of incision that an English supporter (me) can only dream of but sadly this game was one to forget.
After an initially decent spell in which Jamie Roberts ran hard and the Lions played in the right area of the pitch, they endured a simply awful 30 minutes that was only broken three minutes before the half when Tommy Bowe went over off a perfectly weighted inside ball courtesy of Ronan O'Gara. Before this try, the Lions conceded 15 unanswered points in what was quite frankly a sickening half for any Lions supporter.
The Royal XV looked surprisingly robust and were clearly up for a game where there was always the chance of claiming a Lions scalp. The half-back axis of Sarel Pretorius and Naas Olivier was particularly effective and Pretorius had Mike Blair's number for the majority of the game. Olivier harassed Blair all-day and the Scot never looked like producing his brilliant best. Riaan Viljoen replaced Olivier on 58mins and the substitute played equally well. The Royal XV playmakers were a handful all day.
Up front was a particular problem for the Lions as they failed to show the explosive intensity at the breakdown which will be absolutely essential if the Lions want to hold a candle to the mighty Boks. The backrow were essentially missing for most of the game and David Wallace, replacement at late notice for Andy Powell, looked like a man who wasn't planning on playing at number 8. The communication between Blair and Wallace was pretty poor.
Having watched the Blue Bulls destroy a very good Chiefs team this afternoon in the S14 final, the quality of rugby in South Africa currently is plainly stratospheric. I've pretty much never seen such an impressive club performance, and while I could be getting overblown, I honestly believe that that Bulls side could beat pretty much any side in the world, and yes, that includes the All Blacks. They were that good. Patient and powerful in defense and epic in attack. The Lions don't face them, but they will face many of their players come the tests and the level of intensity at the breakdown has to be world's better.
One of the big differences between Northern Hemisphere rugby and the superiority of the Southern Hemisphere in recent times has been the intensity and ferocity of the breakdown. NH teams have simply had trouble winning and holding on to their own ball against SH dominance in this area. Going into the tour, I had, and remain to have high hopes that this group of forwards can compete in this area. On today's evidence however, the Lions need to get their house in order. The Lions failed to protect the fringes at the breakdown and there was simply too little competition on opposition ball and too many turn-overs when the Lions had posession.
Amongst the worry and deflation of this first match there were genuine positives. In the first half Jamie Roberts played very well and was the leading light for the Lions. They also showed real ambition and although the understanding wasn't all there, there was a willingness to try and play some rugby. A great counter attack from the mercurial Williams included some excellent handling and nearly ended in a genuine try scoring possibility, but as with so many moments for the Lions this afternoon, the killer pass went loose.
The second half, on reflection, was a huge improvement. The finesse was still wanting, but the Lions played in the right areas of the pitch, put a few phases together and made much better decisions. Lee Byrne began to stamp his mark on the game with a hugely confident performance and a superb solo try that was more football than rugby begun to turn the tide. Geech chose to make a number of replacements on 66 minutes and the players taking the field played with the focus and intensity that every coach hopes for from their bench. Riki Flutey showed flashes of real sparkle, while A.W. Jones and Phillips added a much needed steely edge.
In a game that was looking far closer than was considered comfortable, the subs had considerable impact.
The lineout was pretty solid, as was the scrum and the Lions were undoubtedly dominant at the set piece. At fly-half, O'Gara had a solid game, passed well and kicked excellently from hand and tee. The irishman kept the Lions in it with a perfect 7 from 7 with the boot and his assurance in midfield was vital come the final whistle.
While the Royal XV presented a much sterner test than was expected, the Lions were their own worst enemies for most of the game. The Royals fed on the Lions frequent mistakes and their handling errors, while understandable for a newly-gelled side simply let the home side into the game time and time again. McGeechan's side travels to Ellis Park on Wednesday night to face the Golden Lions and the challenge will be markedly tougher. The Super 14 franchise might have finished 12th in the final reckoning this season, but the Super 14 simply doesn't have any poor teams and the Lions won't win if they make as many unforced errors as they did today.
It was a rocky win and heart-attack stuff for a supporter, but the 2009 Lions are underway and underway with a win. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't even a decent performance, but a win is a win and it's a platform for improvement.
Let's hope for a massive improvement on Wednesday night, the Lions will need it!
After an initially decent spell in which Jamie Roberts ran hard and the Lions played in the right area of the pitch, they endured a simply awful 30 minutes that was only broken three minutes before the half when Tommy Bowe went over off a perfectly weighted inside ball courtesy of Ronan O'Gara. Before this try, the Lions conceded 15 unanswered points in what was quite frankly a sickening half for any Lions supporter.
The Royal XV looked surprisingly robust and were clearly up for a game where there was always the chance of claiming a Lions scalp. The half-back axis of Sarel Pretorius and Naas Olivier was particularly effective and Pretorius had Mike Blair's number for the majority of the game. Olivier harassed Blair all-day and the Scot never looked like producing his brilliant best. Riaan Viljoen replaced Olivier on 58mins and the substitute played equally well. The Royal XV playmakers were a handful all day.
Up front was a particular problem for the Lions as they failed to show the explosive intensity at the breakdown which will be absolutely essential if the Lions want to hold a candle to the mighty Boks. The backrow were essentially missing for most of the game and David Wallace, replacement at late notice for Andy Powell, looked like a man who wasn't planning on playing at number 8. The communication between Blair and Wallace was pretty poor.
Having watched the Blue Bulls destroy a very good Chiefs team this afternoon in the S14 final, the quality of rugby in South Africa currently is plainly stratospheric. I've pretty much never seen such an impressive club performance, and while I could be getting overblown, I honestly believe that that Bulls side could beat pretty much any side in the world, and yes, that includes the All Blacks. They were that good. Patient and powerful in defense and epic in attack. The Lions don't face them, but they will face many of their players come the tests and the level of intensity at the breakdown has to be world's better.
One of the big differences between Northern Hemisphere rugby and the superiority of the Southern Hemisphere in recent times has been the intensity and ferocity of the breakdown. NH teams have simply had trouble winning and holding on to their own ball against SH dominance in this area. Going into the tour, I had, and remain to have high hopes that this group of forwards can compete in this area. On today's evidence however, the Lions need to get their house in order. The Lions failed to protect the fringes at the breakdown and there was simply too little competition on opposition ball and too many turn-overs when the Lions had posession.
Amongst the worry and deflation of this first match there were genuine positives. In the first half Jamie Roberts played very well and was the leading light for the Lions. They also showed real ambition and although the understanding wasn't all there, there was a willingness to try and play some rugby. A great counter attack from the mercurial Williams included some excellent handling and nearly ended in a genuine try scoring possibility, but as with so many moments for the Lions this afternoon, the killer pass went loose.
In a game that was looking far closer than was considered comfortable, the subs had considerable impact.
The lineout was pretty solid, as was the scrum and the Lions were undoubtedly dominant at the set piece. At fly-half, O'Gara had a solid game, passed well and kicked excellently from hand and tee. The irishman kept the Lions in it with a perfect 7 from 7 with the boot and his assurance in midfield was vital come the final whistle.
While the Royal XV presented a much sterner test than was expected, the Lions were their own worst enemies for most of the game. The Royals fed on the Lions frequent mistakes and their handling errors, while understandable for a newly-gelled side simply let the home side into the game time and time again. McGeechan's side travels to Ellis Park on Wednesday night to face the Golden Lions and the challenge will be markedly tougher. The Super 14 franchise might have finished 12th in the final reckoning this season, but the Super 14 simply doesn't have any poor teams and the Lions won't win if they make as many unforced errors as they did today.
It was a rocky win and heart-attack stuff for a supporter, but the 2009 Lions are underway and underway with a win. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't even a decent performance, but a win is a win and it's a platform for improvement.
Let's hope for a massive improvement on Wednesday night, the Lions will need it!
Tony Hart - Saturday 30th May 11.30PM
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