EDDIE O’SULLIVAN believes the only way the Lions stand a chance at beating the All Blacks on Saturday evening in Wellington will be if head coach Warren Gatland devises a tactical plan to deconstruct their opponents.
The Lions were held to a 31-31 draw against the Hurricanes earlier this morning in their final warm-up game before the second Test at the weekend.
Speaking on The42′s Rugby Show afterwards former Ireland head coach O’Sullivan said he believes it will be a battle of competing tactical strategies between Gatland and New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen – not player selection – which will determine the Test’s outcome.
“I think these are the games that you have to play just to get out of the way between the First and Second Tests”, he said of the Lion’s draw earlier today.
“It’s all about the Test series and how the Lions can get themselves back into the Test series. It’s a big challenge as we all know.
“I think they will be disappointed that they had a winning position today and didn’t close it out. That will irk them because getting a win under your belt mid-week will give everyone a lift.
“They will have left the pitch today thinking they’ve left one behind them which would have helped the energy in the group.”
“The Lions had big moments but they were isolated big moments”, O’Sullivan said speaking about last Saturday’s opening Test defeat for the Lions.
“They can look at it and say ‘if we had scored there we could have changed the game’. It’s hard to see, if they don’t get those isolated moments again next weekend how they will create those opportunities.
“The All Blacks on the other hand had a very constructed, well thought through game plan. It broke down the Lions defence and they looked a team much more comfortable on the ball and much more likely to score as the game went on.
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“That’s a worry because I think the All Blacks will improve. What do the Lions do to create more of those opportunities? Unless they think outside the box they mightn’t come up with it.”
“If you want to beat teams like the All Blacks you have to deconstruct them systematically. You’ve got to break them off set pieces and break them of phase-play.
On player selection O’Sullivan believes there may only be a small number of changes to Gatland’s starting fifteen for the second test.
Complementing Gatland’s selection throughout the tour so far, he noted that the inclusion of Maro Itoje and Elliot Daly may be the only major changes made for Saturday, if any.
Photosport / Grant Down/INPHO
Photosport / Grant Down/INPHO / Grant Down/INPHO
“I think to be fair Gatland has got his selection policy right. I think he did use the Tour well and even before the first Test we were only talking about three or four positions [up for grabs], which is a good indicator that the Lions knew what they wanted and knew where they were.
“I think if you look at his first Test selection it was a very good selection. He got a lot of things right but it didn’t work out for him for different reasons – it wasn’t a bad selection.
“I think in his mind he is thinking ‘look I believed in this team last week, I believe we were close, what can I change that is going to change that dynamic?’
“He has to be asking who are the guys that didn’t deliver who he has to change. There’s probably a couple of positions that you could argue but nothing more.
“If you look at the team for the weekend, I don’t think there are any changes in the front row. There has been talk of Rory Best coming in as hooker. I am a big fan of Rory Best but I don’t see him changing his front row. Second row is debatable.
“If he puts Itoje into the second row does he drop Kruis or does he drop Alun Wyn-Jones? Wyn-Jones got a bit of flack but is a very good lineout technician. He runs the lineout brilliantly and has played well throughout the tour. If he drops Kruis he loses another guy who can do a very good job.”
O’Sullivan discussed the possibility that Peter O’Mahony could drop out of the side for the second Test despite captaining the Lions against the All Blacks in Auckland.
“Back-row he is talking about bringing Warburton back, but at whose expense? At this stage probably Peter O’Mahony’s.
Peter O'Mahony captained the Lions in their 30-15 defeat in Auckland. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“O’Mahony was hauled off early shores in the first Test and I thought he was playing well given the state of play. Given the fact that the All Blacks were dominating possession and territory I thought O’Mahony did a very good job.
“He is a very good lineout technician. If he drops O’Mahony he loses some prowess in the lineout, maybe not in the attacking lineout but in the defensive lineout where he can cause lots of problems as we know.
“So the back row is still debatable. Has Warburton done enough to justify himself or has Henderson done enough today to justify himself to leave O’Mahony out? They are massive calls and we are still only talking about two changes in the pack.
“Then you go into the backline: I think he got his midfield right, so the question is do you back that midfield or do you change the number 10. Do you drop Farrell and put in Sexton? That’s a big call to make. Has Sexton done enough to say he is the better option here?
“Then the back three: Liam Williams is outstanding. I think Daly is a guy they might look at. For all he did Rieko Ioane still skinned him for the try last week and Daly is one of the fastest guys in northern hemisphere rugby. He didn’t get a fingertip on Ioane.
“I just wonder does he look at someone like George North, a power-player. They are all tight calls but you are still talking maybe at a maximum four debatable changes. It’s still going to be the core of his team.
“So what he has to look at now is that if this is his best team, tactically what are they going to do to beat the All Blacks. That’s where the game is going to be won and lost next week, because that’s where it was won and lost last week.”
Eddie O'Sullivan: 'If you want to beat the All Blacks you have to deconstruct them systematically'
EDDIE O’SULLIVAN believes the only way the Lions stand a chance at beating the All Blacks on Saturday evening in Wellington will be if head coach Warren Gatland devises a tactical plan to deconstruct their opponents.
The Lions were held to a 31-31 draw against the Hurricanes earlier this morning in their final warm-up game before the second Test at the weekend.
Speaking on The42′s Rugby Show afterwards former Ireland head coach O’Sullivan said he believes it will be a battle of competing tactical strategies between Gatland and New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen – not player selection – which will determine the Test’s outcome.
“I think these are the games that you have to play just to get out of the way between the First and Second Tests”, he said of the Lion’s draw earlier today.
“It’s all about the Test series and how the Lions can get themselves back into the Test series. It’s a big challenge as we all know.
“I think they will be disappointed that they had a winning position today and didn’t close it out. That will irk them because getting a win under your belt mid-week will give everyone a lift.
“They will have left the pitch today thinking they’ve left one behind them which would have helped the energy in the group.”
“The Lions had big moments but they were isolated big moments”, O’Sullivan said speaking about last Saturday’s opening Test defeat for the Lions.
“They can look at it and say ‘if we had scored there we could have changed the game’. It’s hard to see, if they don’t get those isolated moments again next weekend how they will create those opportunities.
“The All Blacks on the other hand had a very constructed, well thought through game plan. It broke down the Lions defence and they looked a team much more comfortable on the ball and much more likely to score as the game went on.
“That’s a worry because I think the All Blacks will improve. What do the Lions do to create more of those opportunities? Unless they think outside the box they mightn’t come up with it.”
“If you want to beat teams like the All Blacks you have to deconstruct them systematically. You’ve got to break them off set pieces and break them of phase-play.
On player selection O’Sullivan believes there may only be a small number of changes to Gatland’s starting fifteen for the second test.
Complementing Gatland’s selection throughout the tour so far, he noted that the inclusion of Maro Itoje and Elliot Daly may be the only major changes made for Saturday, if any.
“I think to be fair Gatland has got his selection policy right. I think he did use the Tour well and even before the first Test we were only talking about three or four positions [up for grabs], which is a good indicator that the Lions knew what they wanted and knew where they were.
“I think if you look at his first Test selection it was a very good selection. He got a lot of things right but it didn’t work out for him for different reasons – it wasn’t a bad selection.
“I think in his mind he is thinking ‘look I believed in this team last week, I believe we were close, what can I change that is going to change that dynamic?’
“He has to be asking who are the guys that didn’t deliver who he has to change. There’s probably a couple of positions that you could argue but nothing more.
“If you look at the team for the weekend, I don’t think there are any changes in the front row. There has been talk of Rory Best coming in as hooker. I am a big fan of Rory Best but I don’t see him changing his front row. Second row is debatable.
“If he puts Itoje into the second row does he drop Kruis or does he drop Alun Wyn-Jones? Wyn-Jones got a bit of flack but is a very good lineout technician. He runs the lineout brilliantly and has played well throughout the tour. If he drops Kruis he loses another guy who can do a very good job.”
O’Sullivan discussed the possibility that Peter O’Mahony could drop out of the side for the second Test despite captaining the Lions against the All Blacks in Auckland.
“Back-row he is talking about bringing Warburton back, but at whose expense? At this stage probably Peter O’Mahony’s.
“O’Mahony was hauled off early shores in the first Test and I thought he was playing well given the state of play. Given the fact that the All Blacks were dominating possession and territory I thought O’Mahony did a very good job.
“He is a very good lineout technician. If he drops O’Mahony he loses some prowess in the lineout, maybe not in the attacking lineout but in the defensive lineout where he can cause lots of problems as we know.
“So the back row is still debatable. Has Warburton done enough to justify himself or has Henderson done enough today to justify himself to leave O’Mahony out? They are massive calls and we are still only talking about two changes in the pack.
“Then you go into the backline: I think he got his midfield right, so the question is do you back that midfield or do you change the number 10. Do you drop Farrell and put in Sexton? That’s a big call to make. Has Sexton done enough to say he is the better option here?
“Then the back three: Liam Williams is outstanding. I think Daly is a guy they might look at. For all he did Rieko Ioane still skinned him for the try last week and Daly is one of the fastest guys in northern hemisphere rugby. He didn’t get a fingertip on Ioane.
“I just wonder does he look at someone like George North, a power-player. They are all tight calls but you are still talking maybe at a maximum four debatable changes. It’s still going to be the core of his team.
“So what he has to look at now is that if this is his best team, tactically what are they going to do to beat the All Blacks. That’s where the game is going to be won and lost next week, because that’s where it was won and lost last week.”
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