Three reasons why the Lions will give the Wallabies a beating

For many, the advent of professionalism in rugby during the mid-90's signalled the
beginning of the end for the British and Irish Lions. A touring party comprised of individuals from the four home nations travelling to the Southern Hemisphere every four years for a collection of bruising rugby encounters and similarly bruising social endeavours lended itself perfectly to rugby in the amateur age. Many did not see a place for such an organisation in the professional game. However, 16 years on from the first professional tour, the Lions couldn't be any further from dying a death. For me, a lover of virtually all sport, there is nothing more special in world sport than a Lions tour and I am as excited about this one as any other. Despite selection furore surrounding Robbie Deans' Australian squad, particularly regarding the mercurial Quade Cooper, as well as injury problems (the inspirational David Pocock being the most notable absentee) and chequered recent form, there is no doubting that when it comes to Brisbane and the first Test match, the Aussies will be anything but a pushover. Thankfully, the 2013 British and Irish Lions have the potential, in my eyes, to become the greatest touring side of all time.


Although that may sound like a audacious claim, I do not make it lightly or without justification. No Lions squad in history has won every single match on a tour- the much venerated class of '74 came the closest, their win record blemished only by a controversial draw right at the death in the final test against South Africa. If Sam Warburton's Lions can make it through to Sydney on 6th July having won every game, which I believe they can, they are capable of writing their name firmly into the history books. In case you don't believe me, I will give you three reasons why taking the 7/2 on offer for a 3-0 series whitewash is a gamble that may well pay off.

1) Strength in Depth:

The Lions don't have a brilliant team- they have two. The strength in depth the current squad possesses is frightening and nowhere is this more evident than in the pivotal positions within both the forward pack and the back line. The back row and the centre partnerships in the Lions' second-team could arguably win them a test against Australia, such is the strength of the squad in these crucial positions.

The back row could quite conceivably be made up of any combination of the seven that have made the tour; Chris Robshaw's omission may have been lamented by many English fans, but one look at the talent that Gatland could deploy at either 6 or 7 and no one can have any justified complaints. One striking example of the strength in depth in this crucial area is that the bookies and many journalists' favoured back row contains none of my own preferences. If I was picking the Test team tomorrow, none of the Welsh foursome would make my first choice back row- Lydiate, Tipuric and Faletau, despite their undoubted class, would all be taking their place on the bench. As would the man who paradoxically sat out most of the Six Nations, only to be awarded one of rugby's greatest honours when Warren Gatland named him as Tour Captain a mere two months later. As unlikely as it may be, I would personally leave Sam Warburton out and start the first test with Sean O'Brien and Tom Croft, on their day two of the most awe-inspiring flankers in world rugby. O'Brien's Ireland teammate Jamie Heaslip has already convinced me in the early stages of the Tour that he should narrowly edge out Faletau at the back of the scrum.

In Croft, Gatland has one of the greatest athletes in world rugby, an absolute beast of a man possessing a frightening combination of strength, skill and speed. The fact that Croft was supposedly the third quickest player on the 2009 tour tells you all you need to know. Since then, he has added a significant amount of muscle to his already bulky 6'6" frame and lost none of his pace. Add to that his power in the line out and you have a combination of attributes that very few players, if any, in world rugby possess.

If my back row selection would be contested by every Welshman in the land, few would argue with a glorious reunion in the centre of two of the stars of the 2009 tour, Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts. Going into this tour, there was a lot of talk of two players who have undoubtedly excelled for their national sides over the past 12 months, Jonathan Davies and Manu Tuilagi, potentially usurping their more experienced counterparts at 12 and 13. Although their is no doubting either Tuilagi's or Davies' ability, the first two games against the Barbarians and Western Force underlined why the Irish magician and Welsh battering ram should resume the partnership that caused so much destruction in South Africa four years ago. However, to have Davies and Tuilagi in reserve highlights the strength in depth the Lions have in key positions- both of them would walk into an Australian starting XV. What is more, to have Tuilagi restlessly prowling the sidelines waiting for his chance will strike fear into the hearts of Australians. Should the Lions need some inspiration at any point in the 3 Tests, as they undoubtedly will, there can be no better 'impact sub' than Tuilagi.




2) The Wildcard:

Everyone will tell you that a Lions tour needs at least one wildcard selection, or one player whose performances in the provincial games make it impossible for the coach to prefer those perhaps more established in their position for the Test series. John Bentley, Will Greenwood and Jason Robinson are three flair players who stand out as classic wildcard selections. Greenwood had never even represented his country when Ian McGeechan took him on tour in 1997. Although personally I was desperate to see the Premiership's Player and Young Player of the Year Christian Wade (the first person to ever win both awards in the same season, incidentally) travel Down Under, it would seem that a less obvious 'flair player' could stamp his authority on the Tour to such an extent that he plays his way into the Test team. Mako Vunipola does not resemble any of the aforementioned wildcards in his appearance and he could not provide more of a physical contrast to Wade- however, his ball-carrying ability can be as destructive even if it may be infinitely more direct. Vunipola has been questioned before for his scrummaging ability at international level, but this has not been in evidence during his appearances on the first few games of this tour. Adam Jones could prove the perfect partner for Vunipola in the scrum, quietly going about his own destructive business while the Saracens' wrecking ball wreaks havoc in the loose. With Vunipola assisting Croft, Heaslip and O'Brien in punching holes through the Australian defence, Sexton, Roberts and O'Driscoll should be given the perfect platform to capitalise time and time again.




3) The Goalkicker:

Those who watched the last victorious Lions team, way back in 1997, will know that for all the great rugby players on that tour, the difference between glorious success and sickening defeat was one quiet, ginger-haired Welshman. While South Africa missed countless goal-kicking opportunities and failed to convert pressure into points, Neil Jenkins was close to faultless for the Lions with the boot. When you look at the winning margins on that South Africa tour and you then look at the points Jenkins scored, his impact cannot be underestimated. Similarly, on the Lions last tour to South Africa, the boot was just as pivotal in the series outcome, with Morne Steyn nailing a penalty from beyond the half-way line following a Ronan O'Gara mishap. In the second game of this Tour against Western Force, Leigh Halfpenny proved to everyone that the Lions have a Welsh fullback who can be every bit as nerveless and influential as Jenkins in '97. The fact that it was against Western Force, without the pressure of a Test environment, doesn't alter the fact that Halfpenny slotted 11 out of 11 place kicks, many of them from difficult angles on the touchline. As much as the Lions might possess the skill and strength to put the Australians to bed in the loose, I wouldn't bet against Halfpenny needing to make one crucial kick to win the series. From the looks of things, he won't let us down.
 




As you can probably tell, I am fairly confident that this year's Lions squad possesses enough talent to beat an Australian team that is far from at the height of their powers. Combine the above with the likes of Sexton and North at the top of their game and it's a pretty potent cocktail of rugby dynamism that Lions fans will be desperately hoping will pave the way for the first tour success since the turn of the millennium. Aussies beware- you may be in for a beating in your own back yard. A beating that you won't be able to avenge for another 12 years.

My Lions XV: Vunipola, Youngs T, Jones, Evans, O'Connell, Croft, O'Brien, Heaslip, Phillips, Sexton, North, Roberts, O'Driscoll, Bowe (if not fit, Cuthbert), Halfpenny
 


Blog via Dom Dalton:  http://lions13.blogspot.co.uk/ 

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