1
Lions must start winning - Hansen piles pressure on Gatland's men
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen believes doubt could start creeping into the British and Irish Lions’ mindset if their results do not improve.
ADVERTISEMENT
Warren Gatland’s side were unconvincing 13-7 winners over New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, before falling to a 22-16 loss against Super Rugby strugglers the Blues.
Next up is Saturday’s clash with the Crusaders, who top the Super Rugby standings having won all 14 of their matches, and Hansen appeared to question the tourists’ self-belief.
“Confidence is a big thing in sport. If you have got plenty of it, you can do anything,” said the All Blacks coach.
“There is a fair bit on the line. At some point you have got to start winning or people are going to be saying, ‘This isn’t working’. That is the thing you have got to keep an eye on.”
While Gatland has been keen to cite the positives of the tour so far, having been able to give many of his 41-man squad some valuable game time, Hansen is not anticipating anything groundbreaking against the Crusaders this weekend.
Razor has named a strong side for the historic clash vs @lionsofficial Read more here https://t.co/b5l6OsGkpe #CRUvBIL #wewill #crusadeon pic.twitter.com/hduNqmiEN5
— Crusaders (@crusadersrugby) June 8, 2017
He added: “I wouldn’t say I’m expecting that X-factor from what I’ve seen so far on the tour, although if you look back at what those players are doing for their home countries, there is plenty of it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You would expect an international team to beat a franchise team. And I’ve always said this is the best Lions side to come here.
“But the Crusaders are on a roll, full of confidence at the moment and full of All Blacks. The Lions probably don’t have much confidence, because they still haven’t got it together.
“Against the Blues there were guys out there still trying to find out who their mate is.”
The first of the three Tests takes place in Auckland on June 24.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
114 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
114 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
114 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to comments