Well, it’s all Lions from now until the middle of August, apart from a brief appearance from our fabulous Women in Ottawa on August 1st in the runup to the Womens’ World Cup. France departed New Zealand, having achieved their objective of learning about what kind of depth they possessed, much to the All Blacks chagrin at times and despite the Men in Black whitewashing the Series 3-0. Scotland, as predicted, made short work of Samoa to atone for their Fijian banana skin, and a very experimental Springbok side did the same to a spirited and brave Georgian outfit.
Meanwhile, Canada, although looking significantly better than in their first Test against Belgium the week before, still somehow let the game against Spain slip away from them by a mere point. In a match severely affected by Washington’s inclement weather a young England side left the USA clutching at straws and raised further questions about where rugby in North America is really headed and the quality of the MLR as a competition.
As for the Lions Tour to Australia, it was an interesting week and one that actually raised more questions than answers. The first Test was a game of two halves, which made it very hard to figure out where the two sides really are in terms of how this series will pan out. The Lions put in an utterly dominant performance in the first half, only to ultimately let a Wallaby side, clearly motivated by their bench replacements, right back into the game. We can only surmise that the Lions felt confident that Australia simply wouldn’t be able to chase the game in the second half, to the point where they could win it, and that certainly seemed to be the case. However we’d argue that this week’s second and potential series deciding match will be a very different animal and the Wallabies themselves will be both fearless and ruthless – in short a much more challenging prospect now those initial cobwebs have been blown off.
We’ll be the first to admit that Tuesday’s midweek game this week leading up to the second Test on Saturday caught us completely by surprise. After watching the utterly one sided and rather pointless 48-0 romp by the Lions over an invitiational Aus/NZ XV we thought much the same fare would be in store with this week’s fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika (FNP) XV. This was not the case at all and, despite being cobbled together at short notice with little or no preparation, FNP Captain Kurtley Beale and his charges gave the Lions a serious fright and provided us with what in our opinion has been the best game outside the of the actual Tests.
As a result, both Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt head into this do or die second Test for the Wallabies with plenty to ponder in terms of selection decisions. Meanwhile, the ramifications of Saturday’s proceedings on the future of Australian rugby loom large and can not be glossed over.
Although there’s only one game to watch this weekend, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher. So, without any further ado, we look back on a tumultous week and ahead to probably the biggest game in Australia since the sport became professional.
Joe Schmidt and the Wallabies face the biggest game in Australian rugby history since the game went professional
The first Test between the Wallabies and the Lions could be described as an entertaining affair. Did we enjoy it? Certainly. Did it teach us much about what the Wallabies need to do for the Second Test? We think so. As for the Lions well, we’ll talk about that in the next section.
The first Test was very much a game of two halves. Let’s be brutally honest. The Wallabies were obliterated in the first half, and the Lions were outstanding. However, the second half was a very different story. It did leave us with two outstanding questions. The first question centered around us trying to determine was the Wallaby bench so good that it essentially turned the game on its head? Secondly, if so, should those who came off the bench be the starters for the second Test? However, what we couldn’t really work out was if the Lions had switched off by the second half and essentially considered the job done, therefore papering over the fact that their own bench added little if anything to proceedings and appeared to let the Wallabies get right back into the game.
This Saturday’s game will require Australia and Joe Schmidt to answer those questions in no uncertain terms, in what is arguably the biggest game in Australian rugby history since they last won the World Cup in 1999. Why is it so significant, you ask? Since that heady day at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff as it was then called, rugby and the Wallabies have been in a slow but steady decline in Australia. Agreed, there have been some memorable moments, and their track record at the World Cup despite a conspicous lack of silverware has still been commendable, having featured in two Finals since 1999 and three Semis. However, since 2015, things have started to slide badly with the icing on the cake being Australia’s Pool stage exit at the last World Cup. The takeup of the sport in schools trails behind other sports, viewership and sponsorship revenues are down, attendance at Super Rugby matches is often poor with banks and banks of empty seats and Australian sides haven’t lifted any Super Rugby silverware now for 11 years and 10 since they last won the Rugby Championship.
As a desperate attempt to showcase the potential of Australian Rugby at Test Level and ahead of hosting the World Cup in just over two years time, this Lions Tour and the Wallabies’ ability to be competitive in it is critical to the sport’s future in the country. If it’s a whitewash by the Lions, not only will the unsavoury argument that Australia no longer be included as a Lions destination raise it’s ugly head once more, there is also the more concerning possibility that interest in rugby union in Australia will continue a seemingly inevitable slide into obscurity. A potential humiliation at their own World Cup and another Pool exit could well end up being the death knell for the sport in Australia. Given the Wallabies’ rich history in the sport, this would be an International sporting tragedy.
Even though the vast majority of us are Lions supporters here at the Lineout, we will be crossing every collective finger and toe for Australia on Saturday to tie the Series and put in a performance for the ages. While it may be a stretch for the Wallabies to win the next two back to back Tests, imagine what it would do for the sport in Australia if they did, and only two years out from the World Cup. If they can measure up in the Second Test and clinch a win against the assembled might of some of the best players in the Northern Hemisphere, it would be a milestone from which a much needed reset could really begin. Remain competitve in a Series deciding Third Test and the Tour will be regarded as successful. More importantly, it will show the Australian sporting public that the Wallabies are a force to be reckoned with and that come the World Cup, their chances are as good as anyone’s. In short, it’s the shot in the arm Australian rugby so desperately needs right now.
On that note, you can not fault any of the players chosen to wear the green and gold last Saturday. Although they were completely monstered by the Lions forward pack and tactical nous last Saturday, in the second half they were not only courageous but they actually started to click as a team and if the game had been based solely on the second half scoreline they would have won, having outscored the Lions 14-10 in the second half.
The impact of the Wallabies bench in the second half was significant and surely gives Coach Joe Schmidt some certainty in who his nailed on starters for the second Test should be. For us, the first place to start is at scrum half. Last week’s starter, the Waratahs Jake Gordon is simply too slow, and the Reds live wire Tate McDermott should get the nod for the starting berth. We’ve never really been big fans of Gordon and when you have a Lions pack who are suffocating you at the breakdown and in the rucks, then McDermott’s much quicker service and eye for an opportunity along with his sniping breaks are so much more valuable than Gordon’s more pedestrian pace. Gordon may have a handy box kick, but given the Lions’ dominance with ball in hand, Australia need to keep possession and momentum going in their favor. McDermott, in our opinion, is the man to ensure that. If Australia have got some dominance on the scoreboard by the final quarter then by all means bring on Gordon to simply slow the game down and make a tired Lions side do all the running – but don’t start the game with that strategy!
The big talking point this week and in terms of selection calls will be the likely appearance of giant second rower Will Skelton and back row menace Rob Valentini. Big “Bobby V” is arguably Australia’s most effective and potent weapon and the Wallabies sorely missed his presence last week, while Skelton’s towering figure will trouble the Lions at lineout time and he will excel at getting under Maro Itoje’s skin. In addition, expect to see Prop Angus Bell get a starting berth as he caused havoc with the Lions scrum when he came off the bench in addition to his combative work at the breakdowns and in the loose. Australia’s lineout accuracy improved dramatically once Billy Pollard came on for Matt Faessler. Meanwhile, strong performances from back rower Carlo Tizzano, which saw him score a solid try, should ensure him at least a place on the bench again for the second Test.
If Australia play like they did in the second half, there is no reason for them to think that they can’t take this all the way to a Third Test decider in Sydney in ten days’ time. They have a solid but mobile and inventive back row, the makings of a good scrum and decent set piece play. Their centres are quick and powerful even if the much hyped Joseph Sua’ali’i had a disappointingly quiet game. Tom Wright is world class at the back, and they have some classically fast and slippery wingers in Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, and the “Hogwarts Special” Harry Potter.
It’s showtime at a critical juncture in Australian rugby history and here at the Lineout we’ll be hoping the Wallabies can pass the Test.
Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 26th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)
The Lions Monster Mash of Tadgh Beirne and Tom Curry stole the show in the opening Test of the Series, but the ineffectiveness of the Lions Bench in the second half will concern Coach Andy Farrell despite the win
Ireland’s Tadgh Beirne and England’s Tom Curry are big game men, plain and simple! There were question marks surrounding their selection as starters for the first Test, but to be honest here at the Lineout, we never doubted their credentials for a second. Beirne, in particular, can always be relied on to produce big moments when they are needed most, and he certainly did not disappoint in the first Test and was fittingly awarded Man of the Match for his towering performance. Neither he nor Curry looked on song as the midweek and club matches started to take their toll, causing some to doubt their suitability as starters for the first Test. We think it’s safe to say such concerns were thrown in the dustbin where they belong after the first quarter of the First Test. The pair were everywhere on the pitch, both in defence and on attack, with Beirne never letting up in intensity for the full eighty minutes, Curry was replaced by Ben Earl for the final quarter but that still doesn’t detract from the massive 60 minute shift the England back rower put in during his time on the field. They simply didn’t allow Australia to play or develop any kind of rhythm.
As for the rest of the team, it was a strong performance in the first half, but the intensity as a whole started to drop off in the second and there almost seemed to be a sense of complacency setting in amongst some of the team, that the job was done and now it was just a holding pattern till the final whistle. As the Wallabies emptied their bench, they increasingly became the team looking like they had more initiative and energy. Admittedly, the fact they had a 19-point deficit to make up against a team that was denying them any kind of platform to work from was certainly grounds for motivation. Nevertheless, Andy Farrell and his charges will not be happy that in the second half, the Wallabies were clearly the better team.
The Lions’ bench failed to make an impact where needed with the possible exception of England’s Will Stuart, who was exceptionally busy in his twenty minute stint. However, Ireland’s Andrew Porter was a shadow of England’s rampaging “baby rhino” Ellis Genge, who started in the front row. Meanwhile, although troublesome in the loose Dan Sheehan’s replacement at Hooker, Ireland’s Ronan Kelleher failed to make his lineout work stick, and Australia were having a field day with stealing ball off his lineout throws. England’s Ollie Chessum did manage to put in a workmanlike performance which he always does when he came on for Joe McCarthy in the second row, along with moments of brilliance from Ireland’s Bundee Aki in the centers when he repalced the outstanding Sione Tuipolutu. England’s Ben Earl surprisingly failed to impress in his 20-minute interval off the bench, as did England’s Marcus Smith at fly half when he replaced the superb Scottish playmaker Finn Russell.
In short, Andy Farrell will be relieved to get those First Test nerves out of the way and a win secured in the bag. As a result, the pressure is now ALL on Australia this weekend. However, who he chooses to start this weekend is a real conundrum, especially now that the Wallabies have some of their bigger guns like Rob Valentini and Will Skelton looking to settle some scores. In particular, he’ll be scratching his head around how best to shore up scrum stability with arguably the only dead certainty being Ireland’s Dan Sheehan at Hooker. In the second row does he elect to shift Tadgh Beirne who, after his heroics last weekend, is surely a shoe in for a starting position change from the back row to complement Maro Itoje as a second row lineout target jumper. Tom Curry must also be a dead ringer for the back row, but who he lines up alongside is questionable. Did Ireland’s Jack Conan do enough to leave England’s Ben Earl out in the cold for the second Test, and was the bench unimpressive enough to justify the only Welsh representative left in the squad, back rower Jac Morgan, a shot at glory off the bench? We’d argue the Welshman should get a shot as when he is on song, he can produce the kind of heroics that Tadgh Beirne would be proud of.
Are the Lions comfortable enough to risk a potential loss in the second Test and therefore roll the dice on the fly half berth and give England’s Finn Smith a starting shot so that Scotland’s Finn Russell is rested and fit for a potential decider? Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn looked shaky at times at fullback against the First Nations/Pasifika XV but England’s Marcus Smith has looked decidedly unsure of himself in most of his appearances in the 15 jersey and did not convince in the 10 jersey either. If anything fullback seems to be the inconsistent link for the Lions at the moment, with the currrent selection of England’s Smith, Ireland’s Keenan and Scotland’s Kinghorn failing to replicate their club form, with Smith arguably out of position to begin with in the first place. Out wide, the Lions have also not quite looked the part and faded dramatically in the second half with neither England’s Tommy Freeman or Ireland’s James Lowe firing a shot.
On paper, this is the Lions game to lose and with it the chance to seal the Series after only two games. The pressure may all be too much for the Wallabies but we have a hunch that their Coach Joe Schmidt will have found a way to settle the nerves of his charges, and get them to focus on the high stakes mission in front of them. The Lions are likely to face a very different Wallaby this weekend, and one whose kick will have much more of the marsupial’s bigger cousin, the Kangaroo’s weight added to it. It will either be one of the biggest disappointments as a Lions Test spectacle ever recorded or a Test match that we’ll all still be talking about in wistful tones twenty years from now. We’re banking on the latter scenario as we’re sure you all are!
Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 26th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)
Despite the criticisms leveled against him, we have a hunch that French Coach Fabien Galthie got EXACTLY what he wanted out of this Tour!
There was plenty of the now infamous whinging and whining about the selection of an understrength French side to tour New Zealand, by three of the country’s leading pundits, Justin Marshall, Mills Muliaina and Jeff Wilson. However, despite France losing the Series 3-0 it wasn’t exactly a whitewash and in the first and third Tests there is no denying that France acquitted themselves well, in addition to showcasing some of the extraordinary talent they have which is rapidly rising to prominence just in time for the World Cup.
Despite the New Zealand media’s ranting and raving, we also think that the All Black Coaching Staff were thrilled to have the opportunity to have an in depth exposure to France’s rapidly rising body of new talent ahead of the World Cup. It also allowed them to experiment with their own structures and processes, as well as give some of the younger members of their own squad some much needed big match experience. The rugby was highly entertaining, especially in the first and third Tests, and quite frankly, we thoroughly enjoyed it as a Series. In short, job well done by both sides with plenty of lessons learned and a happy public who got treated to some outstanding rugby at times. Mission accomplished for both countries, nothing more needs to be said.
As this is the last time we’ll see France in action before the November Test window, unlike the All Blacks who will be back in action in three weeks time for the Rugby Championship, we’ll focus on France for now. Like we said above we thoroughly enjoyed the three Test matches, and despite their lack of experience France gave New Zealand a genuine workout while unearthing some talent that we have a hunch will be in the starting lineups of some of France’s World Cup fixtures in the next edition in Australia in two years time.
Expect to see the forward quintet of Joshua Brennan, Hugo Aradou, Alexandre Fischer, Mikael Guillard, and Killian Tixeront all feature as starters in at least the Pool stages of France’s World Cup campaign. Guillard, in particular, was magnificent and expect to see him become an increasingly regular fixture in France’s starting XV. The back rower seemed impervious to fatigue, despite France’s long domestic season, and was a constant menace for the All Black defences to deal with, while at the same time being equally effective in disrupting New Zealand’s work at the breakdown and in the loose. France brought some very big men to the Land of the Long White Cloud, and the All Blacks felt the full force of their impact on numerous occassions over the three Tests.
In the backs France were mesmerizing at times. Nolan le Garrec, we felt really came of age this Tour in the Scrum Half berth and France are now blessed with at least three World Class scrum halves as the buildup to the World Cup gathers momentum. We’ve always thought Fly Half Antoine Hastoy is seriously underrated, and this Tour, he reinforced our faith in his potential to carry the ten jersey reliably when needed. How good, though, were Gabin Villiere and Theo Attissogbe? Attissogbe played both wing and fullback while Villiere, despite his dimunitive size, has always impressed us with his turn of pace, creativity, and ability to bring down men three times his size. In the first Test alone, he put in 8 tackles and affected 2 turnovers. In short, the man is a machine. Nicolas Depoortere and the old warhorse Gael Fickou were outstanding in the center channels, and Leo Barre was superb in the final Test and brought some genuine physicality and pace to the fullback position.
Like we say, despite some of the negativity in the press, we think both Coaches will be very happy with the results of this Tour and regard it as an invaluable learning experience irrespective of the results on the scoreboard. However, we have a hunch that on his return to France, Fabien Galthie was rubbing his hands with glee at the potential for his recent investments to turn in a handsome dividend in two years time in Australia at the next World Cup!
Canada’s Report Card: Much Better!
While Canada came agonisingly short of getting their first win since 6 consecutive losses, this was a much better performance than we’re used to seeing from a team that looked in danger of reaching a point of no return. Australian Coach Stephen Meehan’s second outing in charge of Canada was a marked improvement over that embarrassing home loss to Belgium a week earlier. There are still plenty of work ons needed and Canada’s upcoming opposition in the Pacific Nations Cup at the end of next month will be a step up in intensity from these two encounters as they face the USA and Japan.
Defensively, Canada still looked alarmingly porous at times, which will be a real problem against a side like Japan. However, for the most part, their set piece work was a genuine step up from the game against Belgium. They looked fitter, better organised, and definitely up for the task at hand. As always, Captain and veteran back rower Lucas Rumball was absolutely heroic at times and a genuine source of inspiration to his colleagues. However, the standout performer by a country mile was the astonishing number 8 Matthew Oworu. Scoring both of Canada’s tries and almost getting a hat trick, he was simply magnificent, thundering into rucks, making line breaks and causing absolute mayhem for Spain to deal with. Although we’ve been quite disparaging at times of the MLR, Oworu’s time this year at the Chicago Hounds alongside Lucas Rumball has clearly paid off. He caught our eye last year as one to watch, and even despite the run of losses by Canada, he has consistently stood out every game we’ve seen him play. In short, he is Canada’s most exciting prospect in years.
Canada will not be happy that they let Spain back in the game when it started to look like they were getting the visitors well and truly on the ropes, with thirty minutes to go and comfortably ahead at 20-11 on the scoreboard. However, the last quarter of any Test has been Canada’s Achilles Heel now for well over ten years, and sadly, Saturday was no different in Edmonton. Some questionable decision-making, especially by not taking points on offer and instead opting to kick to touch, showed a certain naivety by Canada and a lack of big game temperment. In addition, as it invariably does, the discipline started to slide, and ultimately, Spain took advantage even though they were forced to play a man short for the final eight minutes. That Canada could not seal the deal with a one man advantage will have Coach Stephen Meehan likely reaching for a stiff drink , but it seems symptomatic of where Canada find themselves these days.
The opening game of Canada’s Pacific Nations Campaign in Calgary on August 22nd against the USA will be the real litmus Test of what Canada have learned out of these two recently concluded Tests, and where they are headed. After what we saw this Saturday, we are reaching for our “cautiously optimistic” hat. A lot of what we saw we liked this time around. The big question is, can it be turned into consistency that can last a full eighty minutes? Can Canada take a solid 60 minutes and turn it into a composed and structured performance right up to the final whistle? The potential is there, and with players like Oworu only 24, there could be some genuine light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. It’s early days yet, but clearly, anything is better than Meehan’s predecessor Kingsley Jones, so for us, the jury is still out. We’re quietly hopeful that we can we revisit this discussion on a positive note come the Pacific Nations Cup.
Until then, our congratulations to Canada for giving it a genuine go against Spain. Learn your lessons for the bigger challenges that lie just around the corner, and let’s get ourselves back in the Top 20 again! Good luck, gentlemen – we’ll be raising our expectant glasses in your honor, so do us proud!
Well, that’s it for this week, folks, and bring on that 2nd Test in Melbourne!!!!
The Lineout 