Saracens Lions Down Under

Japie decided to take a break from counting votes for the End of Season Poll (coming soon – it takes ages in my archaic hand counting way) and take a look at how the Lions tour is going so far ahead of potentially the BIGGEST game of their lives so far, the first Test versus Australia on Saturday 22 June in Brisbane.

Sat 1 Jun 12:30 British & Irish Lions 59 - 8 Barbarians,  Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong 

 Mako Vunipola and Owen Farrell were in the starting line-up in sweatbox conditions.  Mako impressed, as ever, in the loose and held his own in the scrum against the Baa-Baas tighthead starter Martin Castrogiovanni.  After prompting his teammate and normally mild mannered superhero Schalk Brits to punch him in Hong Kong, our Owen lost points for apparently sarcastically clapping his departure to the sin bin.  Despite appearing to struggle with his distribution, his kicking off the tee was good, racking up 3 conversions and a penalty for fifteen points.  Matt Stevens came on the second half to resume his Lions career and looked like he fitted back into the side perfectly.

Wed 5 Jun 11:00 Western Force 17 - 69 British & Irish Lions, Patersons Stadium, Perth

 All three Saracens players started on the bench for what was always on paper a mismatch with the weakest Australian Super 15 side stripped of their Wallabies and many of their first XV.  Mako got on early, replacing the unfortunately injured Cian Healy, and nailed a fine performance capped by his first ever Lions try.  Owen replaced Sexton in the second half and also put in another good performance and his confidence –boosting first try as well.  With Leigh Halfpenny kicking a remarkable eleven from eleven kicks from absolutely everywhere he was asked to, no extra points for Owen.  Matt got off the bench in the second half too though in my view was a little inconspicuous as the Lions racked up a total of nine tries.

Sat 8 Jun 10:40 Queensland Reds 12 - 22 British & Irish Lions, Suncorp Stadium Report, Brisbane

Leaving the west coast behind, the Lions flew to the Gold Coast to the far east of Oz, pitching up at the Reds’ fantastic stadium (well it looked lovely on TV).  This was the first real match on tour, a scrap from start to finish and a relief to see the Lions come away with the win.  Owen played like the world-class player we know he is, definitely bouncing back from his off-par Baa-Baas game.  Lions head coach Warren Gatland commented, “I thought he was great.”  I did too.  He converted Ben Youngs’s try and successfully slotted five penalties.  But Mako again impressed:  starting at loosehead with Matt at tighthead, his power was evident in his bullocking loose work.  Matt wasn’t disappointing, but just looked to be shaded in performance by his prop team mate.

Tue 11 Jun 10:40 Combined NSW-QLD Country 0 - 64 British & Irish Lions, Hunter Stadium, Newcastle 

 The Hunter Stadium certainly impressed Will Greenwood in the pre-match build up, but this seemingly scratch side was no match for the Lions.  From my perspective watching this on Sky Sports, if this was boxing the referee would have stopped the fight early and called it for the Lions well before the full time whistle went.   Gatland rested Owen and Mako for this match and selected Matt to start from the bench again.  He rumbled on in the second half replacing Dan Cole and had a tidy run about though impressing in the scrum against the part-timers should have been taken as read.

Sat 15 Jun 10:40 NSW Waratahs 17 - 47 British & Irish Lions, Allianz Stadium, Sydney

This was the first of two matches in Sydney: the team will be back here to fight the third test in July, hopefully to wrap up a three-nil romp.  But for this match the ‘Tahs turned up for this in combative mood, though fortunately not quite as physical as when ex-Saracens Duncan McRae committed something akin to GBH on Ronan O’Gara in the last match twelve years ago.  However in a fantastic performance, just a week away from the first test, the Lions caused the Waratahs to wilt under a barrage of tackles, physicality and fast movement.  Mako started again at loosehead and put himself into firm contention for a remarkable starting spot in the Test side.  Matt was rested.  However Owen was a second half substitute, taking over the kicking duties from another inspired performance from Halfpenny when Gatland emptied the bench and knocked over two conversions.  And look, another Allianz-sponsored ground, though this was AzP on steroids.

Tue 18 Jun 10:40 Brumbies 14 - 12 British & Irish Lions, Canberra Stadium, Canberra

Brad Barritt, fresh from a holiday to the USA, started his first game of the tour having been drafted in as emergency cover after Jamie Roberts’s injury against the ‘Tahs.  Though proud to see Brad become our fourth Lion on this tour, I think his lack of sharpness showed in a relatively anonymous performance.  Mako was rested ahead of the first Test hopefully indicating a starting spot.  But Matt started.  However this wasn’t a vintage performance from him or any of those in red, even from the legendary Shane Williams whose surprise call up from semi-retirement in Japan was the big story in the build-up.  Owen came on to replace Hogg and immediately appeared to steady the sinking ship, though unfortunately his two penalties (including a corker from near the sidelines) could not become a three.  The defeat was a blow to hopes of an unbeaten tour, but perhaps could serve as an electric cattle-prod to those in the twenty-three for  Saturday that the Lions simply must step up, dominate the scrum, secure their line-out, tackle as if their lives depend on it and make the Brumbies the only defeat of the tour.

Here’s to the Lions showing their ROAR on Saturday.  Where will you be watching it?