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The two Springboks threats Gatland believes are big Lions work-ons

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by PA)

Warren Gatland has identified his two biggest opposition work-ons next week as the Lions prepare to shut down the world champion Springboks when they clash in the opening Test of the three-game series, adding how pleased he has been with his team’s defence so far on tour in not conceding a single try to either a maul or a pick-and-go drive five yards out from their line. 

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The Lions wrapped up their preparation match schedule in Cape Town on Saturday with a comfortable 49-3 win over the Stormers, the victory being their fourth in their five matches on South African soil ahead of the eagerly awaited Test series. 

Their sole defeat came in last Wednesday’s 17-13 loss to a star-studded South Africa A team who on Saturday, fielding an XV showing twelve changes, went on to lose 17-14 to the Bulls, the franchise whose July 10 match with the Lions was cancelled due to a virus outbreak. 

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The two South Africa A games, coupled with the July 2 Test win over Georgia, marked the end of the Springboks’ three-match preparation to face the Lions following 20 months without playing since their November 2019 World Cup final win over England.

That activity left Gatland with enough of an insight as to what the Lions will face from the Springboks in the next three Saturdays and he outlined what aspects of South African play will most keep his squad busy in the coming days on the training ground. 

“We are expecting a lot of runners off nine so we have got to match the Springboks with that physicality coming off nine and getting some go-forward. That is one area we are going to work on, and just how much they are prepared to kick the ball, whether that is Faf (de Klerk), or Morne Steyn or Handre Pollard or whoever at 10, we expect a lot of kicking in the game,” said Gatland about the Springboks.

“With a lot of teams you might be 20-odd kicks in a game but with the Springboks, it goes up to 40-odd. It’s an area we need to do a lot of work this week in terms of our aerial game and our kick chase and getting back and supporting players and being prepared to stay in that arm wrestle because we are expecting a lot of kicks.”

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The Lions head into the Test series having conceded just ten tries in their five preparation matches on South African soil, two in their win over versus Sigma Lions, six across their two matches against the Sharks, two versus South Africa A and none in their final outing against the Stormers.  

What enthused Gatland most about this defensive effort was that the tries they have conceded have not been in the areas of play which the South African teams are traditionally very potent at. “With our defence, we have kept improving. We haven’t conceded a pick-and-go try on this tour yet and that to me has been a pleasing thing.

“It’s one of the strengths of South African rugby. When they get five yards out from the line, whether that is with the maul or with their pick-and-go, they tend to convert on a number of occasions and we haven’t conceded a try in that area yet. But it is an area we will still keep working hard on in the week making sure we hopefully won’t concede there.”

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Jon 5 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 7 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.

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A
Adrian 9 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

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T
Trevor 12 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.

21 Go to comments
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