1) Lions run out of puff in breathless game
If a second midweek defeat of the tour has brought the Lions down to earth, there is equally no need for Warren Gatland to panic. There were positives in the 23-22 defeat in Dunedin – they outscored the Highlanders three tries to two after all – but many of their failings against the Blues returned. It was a breathless match, the best so far, but the Lions were found wanting in the final stages. Should Owen Farrell rather than Greig Laidlaw have kicked at goal considering it was his first involvement? Should Elliot Daly have allowed the clock to run down by lining up his long-range penalty? And why did the Lions not attempt to drive over from the late lineout? Both midweek defeats have been inflicted in the final six minutes when, as history has repeatedly shown, New Zealand are able to raise their game. The Lions must at the very least not allow theirs to fall apart.
2) Gatland must be merciless
The back row was always going to be complicated – Taulupe Faletau may be nailed on at No8 but flankers are proving more difficult. Sam Warburton did not have a good first half but he made significant improvements thereafter. It is hard to see Gatland leaving him out but Sean O’Brien was simply superb against the Crusaders. He could go to blindside but Peter O’Mahony is another in the frame, as is CJ Stander, who like Warburton, grew into this match. Justin Tipuric has shone in patches but the fact he was given 13 minutes in a contest tailor-made for him shows how desperate Gatland is for Warburton to prove his fitness. Considering the Lions struggled in the collisions and at the breakdown on Tuesday, O’Brien and the Warburton of the second half would seem the right blend but Gatland must be ruthless if his captain is not up to speed.
3) Kicks cause a headache
Defence and discipline, so pivotal against the Crusaders, were considerable blots on the Lions copybook. The penalty count was 12 as the Highlanders often got the better of the breakdown. George Kruis and his fellow forwards were effective at cleaning out rucks in Christchurch but that was not the case in Dunedin. The line speed was there but the Highlanders saw it coming and continually kicked, using a mixture of chips, crossfield kicks and grubbers. It did not always work – Tommy Seymour scored an intercept try from a Lima Sopoaga kick – but it caused the Lions problems and the All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett is the best in the world kicking from hand. One poor pass aside, Sopoaga looked assured and while Steve Hansen needs no reminder of Waisake Naholo’s qualities, he showed what a threat he can be.
4) Front row fall short
That the scrum toiled will be a source of great frustration for Graham Rowntree and it cannot all be put down to the fact the referee, Angus Gardner, officiates on the Super Rugby circuit. That no doubt played its part – Dan Cole was furious with one scrum penalty against the Lions – and so Rowntree’s anger will be tempered by the fact two of the Tests will be refereed by Frenchmen. Nonetheless, it is a worry, particularly as the scrum got worse as the game wore on. The Highlanders pack isare underrated and contained only one All Black but if the Lions front-row replacements are supposed to be one of their biggest strengths, it was certainly not the case in Dunedin.
5) Te’o the man to beef up No12
Courtney Lawes’s premature departure meant Alun Wyn Jones entered the fray earlier than Gatland would have wanted and that may give Maro Itoje the chance to stake his claim for a Test spot by playing against the Maori All Blacks on Saturday. There were not too many who advanced their hopes of featuring against New Zealand, other than maybe Kyle Sinckler and Rhys Webb, who seem destined for a bench role. In terms of front-row and back-three starters, no one is ahead of the chasing pack and while Jonathan Joseph caught the eye, he also made mistakes. Robbie Henshaw was better but it is hard to look past Ben Te’o if Gatland wants muscle at No12. Most telling will be whether Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell start together on Saturday. It would potentially allow Gatland a 6-2 bench split, with a bit more heft in someone like Iain Henderson, who showed his true colours against the Highlanders.
