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The 'exceptional' reason why Lions believe they are ready to win

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

New Lions starting hooker Ken Owens believes there is one impressive reason why Warren Gatland’s tourists are poised to clinch their Test series versus the Springboks this Saturday – the attitude of the non-matchday 23 in training this week in ensuring those chosen to play are fully ready to perform at their best.

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Past Lions tours have traditionally seen interest wane amongst those surplus players who are not involved in the Test team selection and there have been multiple stories of nights out and activities away from the camp during the final week on past tours.

However, with the pandemic restrictions confining all the Lions to the hotel base outside Cape Town, there has apparently been no wavering in attitude by the 17 players Warren Gatland has had with him this week in training for a match they will play no part in.

Video Spacer

What Warren Gatland wanted to speak to the referees about before this Saturday’s third Lions Test

Video Spacer

What Warren Gatland wanted to speak to the referees about before this Saturday’s third Lions Test

Having featured twice off the bench behind Jamie George in the drawn 2017 series with New Zealand and playing twice more off the bench in recent weeks versus South Africa behind Luke Cowan-Dickie, veteran 34-year-old hooker Owens is now set for his first Lions Test start and he was wholesome in his praise on Thursday for the work ethic being produced by those players who won’t be togging out for Saturday’s series decider.

“We have got to create our own momentum from the start and the way we have trained this week has been really good,” he reported. “The non-23 have been exceptional the way they have prepared the boys who are starting and the boys coming off the bench. It has been a phenomenal squad effort so for us, it’s about starting the game the way we want to start it and control the early exchanges.”

Owens, who has started in 49 of his 82 Welsh caps, doesn’t believe there is much difference between his Lions role this weekend and what he was tasked with the past two weekends when coming off the bench in the series which is currently all square at one win each. “For me, it’s a slightly different role but I have been used to doing it at international level with Wales, starting games, so it is one I am looking forward to. It’s about being accurate, bringing that energy early on and making sure that our set-piece is in a good place to give us the opportunity there for us to do what we want to do.”

The Wales hooker is one of six changes to the Lions starting XV following their 27-9 second Test loss to the Springboks. He is joined in the front row by his Scarlets clubmate Wyn Jones and he insisted the mood was one of optimism despite the manner of last Saturday’s bruising defeat.

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“We know there are fix-ups there and we know that Wyn and myself are coming in to freshen things up. It’s a huge challenge for us but we are pretty confident in each other’s abilities and the combination, myself, Wyn and Tadhg (Furlong) – have scrummaged together before and we are just looking forward to that challenge South Africa is going to bring.

We were hugely disappointed and frustrated with the result last Saturday. Plenty to work on but we are in a good place. Trained really well this week, plenty of intensity and we’re looking forward to the series decider… The confidence is still there. We know and trust our processes in what we are trying to achieve. We are here for a huge decider and are in a really good place. It all bodes well for a great finale.”

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

18 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

18 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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