British and Irish Lions Tour South Africa 2009

Performance so far and Favourites for the Lions Test Team

Jun 7, 2009

With three games gone, the British Lions have been spectacularly good and very, very bad. They have struggled to beat two of the weakest teams they will meet..

Three games into the ten match tour and with less than two weeks to the first test against the Springboks, the Lions have been both sublime and ridiculous. Yesterday’s game against the Cheetahs was a case in point, twenty points up in twenty minutes and cruising, but struggling to hang on at the death.

The Lions have flattered to deceive so far. The first match against the weakest opposition on their schedule was a disaster which they were lucky to win. The second was a sublime attacking performance which destroyed the Super 14 Lions and then, after a strong twenty minutes against the bottom Super 14 team missing its two stars, they imploded and were lucky to squeeze out a win.

British and Irish Lions, Problems at the Breakdown

The main problem for the Lions seems to be the breakdown. Both the Royal XV and the Cheetahs put them under enormous pressure in this phase of the game and disrupted their flow. Against the Golden Lions, the ball was moved quickly away, switching the point of attack and the British Lions looked a very good side.

The other area in which the Lions are struggling is the defence of the rolling maul. The second try scored by the scratch Royal XV was abysmal. To some extent it can be put down to players getting to know each other and the fact that the maul was taken out of the game for a year, but the defensive errors were basic and should not be made by players of this calibre.

Lions Captain Paul O’Connell Needs to be More Vocal

Paul O’Connell needs start showing the leadership skills which got him selected as captain. His general form is excellent, but as captain, he needs to be able to change a game. When the Lions lost their way against the Cheetahs, O’Connell didn’t grab it by the scruff of the neck and get his team back to their patterns of the first 20 minutes.

It was also noticeable in the Royals game, when Keith Earls, a young, inexperienced player had a nightmare start, that O’Connell didn’t have a quiet word with him to settle him down. This is the sort of thing that a natural leader does as second nature.

Which Lions are Favourites for the Tests

All is not lost, however, the Lions showed in the Golden Lions game and for the first twenty minutes of the Cheetahs match that when they play an expansive game, keeping the ball away from the bruising South African forwards, that they can be a force to be reckoned with.

The team which routed the Golden Lions contained what is likely to be the core of that team, particularly in the backs, with only Lee Byrne and possibly a wing joining them.

Whereas Bowe has locked down one wing, the other spot is still open. Shane Williams, first name on the team sheet 12 months ago, has not had a good tour. Ugo Monye took his two tries well, but is raw defensively and Welsh youngster Lee Halfpenny has only had one game due to injury. One option might be to play Kearney, who shone at full back as the other wing.

In the front row, Gethin Jenkins was immense against the Golden Lions and must surely start. He is likely to be partnered by Euan Murray and so far, Lee Mears is the only hooker who has been accurate in the lineout.

Captain Paul O’Connell has played well and Welshman Alun-Wyn Jones may have done enough to join him, although O’Connell’s Irish partner O’Callaghan and Nathan Hines are still in the frame for this spot.

The back row positions are still up for grabs, with the makeup of this key area down to the style of play the Lions want to play. Croft and Ferris have both demonstrated great pace with long range tries. Martyn Williams’ nous and speed to the ball could help the Lions win turnovers before the bigger Springbok pack get to the breakdown and his linking with the backs could help an expansive game plan. Worsely and Andy Powell will only be selected if the plan is to compete in a physical battle, whilst Heaslip played well against the Golden Lions.

Lions Team Based on Performance so far:

McGeechan has, as he promised, given a start to all the players originally selected for the tour and can now begin to fine tune his test combinations. Wednesday’s game against the Sharks is likely to be the toughest provincial game on tour and McGeechan’s selection will give a strong indication of the team to face the Springboks on the 20th June.

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