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'We've lots of options': Gatland drops 3rd Test Lions changes hint

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Lions boss Warren Gatland has hinted he might be prepared to look beyond Saturday’s second Test matchday 23 selection in the hope of coming up with a winning third Test mix to clinch the series versus the Springboks in Cape Town. The Lions were within 40 minutes of sealing the series with a game to spare when they led South Africa 9-6 at the interval in Saturday’s second game. However, history eluded them when they failed to score in the second half and they instead lost 27-9 after conceding 21 unanswered second-half points. 

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Gatland altered his matchday 23 for the second Test, bringing in Chris Harris to start and putting Taulupe Faletau on the bench even though they had not been involved in last weekend’s first Test win, and it’s now likely that some other players who have yet to feature in the Test series will potentially be drafted in for the Test series decider in an effort to freshen things up. 

This was what famously happened in 2013 in Australia after the Lions failed to clinch that series with a match to spare, Gatland dropping Brian O’Driscoll and a number of other players after the Wallabies struck back to level the series and take it to the deciding third match.

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He brought a total of seven fresh players into his matchday 23 for that series decider, starting Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, Taulupe Faletau and Alex Corbisiero and putting Richie Gray, Justin Tipuric and Manu Tuilagi on the bench for Sydney after they were all surplus to requirement the previous weekend in Melbourne.

Eight years later, Gatland finds himself occupying similar territory in South Africa after the Lions disappointingly were unable to build on their 22-17 first Test win, allowing a three-point interval lead to be squandered.

Asked would he go for broke and consider fielding some players in the third Test who have yet to feature in the series, Gatland said: “Selection really has been really tough and there is a lot of players in the squad where it was a toss of a coin in terms of who we selected and who we didn’t. That is a credit to the players in the whole squad who worked really hard.

“The non-23 did a great job in helping the players prepare and we will spend the next couple of days reviewing and looking at what we think is the best 23 to put out and whether that has some fresh faces that haven’t been involved in the first two games. We have got lots of options in terms of bringing guys in to give us some energy perhaps or some momentum as well.  

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“Do we need to make some changes? I was happy with that first-half performance and thought we were getting some reward out of that, and we just didn’t get any bounce of the ball in that second half to be able to create some momentum. 

“The game was very, very slow how often the clock was stopped and how slow it was. They [the Springboks] did a good job of managing that by slowing the game down which was frustrating for us because it was difficult to get that rhythm in the second half because of how much was stop-start.

“That second half we didn’t get anything really. We got no momentum, no real opportunity to play, nothing at all from any kick returns whether it was us or them. That was disappointing and we have probably given away some penalties. 

“In fairness to them, they scrummaged pretty well in the second half, drove a lot and got some reward from that. We were happy with the way the first half had gone and we felt going into half-time we had carried well, we had got some forward momentum and we just didn’t achieve that at all in the second half.  

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“We were pretty happy with that in the first half in terms of carrying and stuff. The ground conditions were difficult. There was a scrum penalty against Tadhg Furlong for going down but when you look at the replay it’s not that he has collapsed the scrum or lost his bind, his feet have just gone completely under him and you can see the sand and the grass go from that and sometimes that happens in a game and it is difficult. 

“And the way they defend and rush up is quite tough, there were a couple of opportunities where we probably should have put the ball through the hands and looked to exploit that.

“The players are very disappointed but next Saturday is a cup final and that is the way we have got to look at it and prepare. There are a few things we have got to tidy up in our game but it’s one-all and South Africa put a huge amount of emotion into that game so we have got that chance next week to win the series.”

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Jon 4 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 6 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.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 8 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

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 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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