This tour was 34 seconds old when Bryn Gatland grubber-kicked into the British & Irish Lions 22. It was dealt with but as an attacking ploy it highlighted a difference between the sides.
The Lions, at least when Johnny Sexton was at fly-half, looked to keep the ball in hand, either employing big ball-carriers to get over the gain-line or using loops and changes of direction to create space, but Gatland, in the manner of a New Zealand No10, varied his options more.
Gatland, who cannot get a Super Rugby contract, stood flat and directed the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in heavy traffic. He used the kick as an attacking weapon seven times in the first half, with one leading to his side’s try. In contrast, Sexton did so once, four minutes before the interval when his chip to the left for Tommy Seymour went straight into touch.
New Zealand have long used the grubber or chip as a means of countering opponents rushing up in defence. The All Blacks’ Beauden Barrett is a master at it, as he showed last month for the Hurricanes, who scored their first four tries against the Stormers directly from kicks in or around their opponents’ 22 and added a fifth after the interval when Barrett cross‑kicked from close to his own line for Julian Savea.
Gatland drove the Barbarians tactically. His scrum-half, Jack Stratton, received the ball 60 times and passed on each occasion, quick ball going to Gatland and slower possession to a forward to take contact and set up a ruck. In contrast, the scrum half Greig Laidlaw was more than a distributor, kicking and running, and a number of set-piece moves did not involve Sexton.
Gatland was as likely to run the ball from his own 22 as he was to kick in the opponents’, never allowing the Lions to settle. Sexton often took the ball at second receiver, looking to loop around the first receiver and widen the point of attack. He created room for Ben Te’o and one move should have resulted in a try for Stuart Hogg with another wasted when Hogg’s pass to Anthony Watson was low and in front of the wing.
After the interval the Lions changed their approach. Laidlaw chipped into the Barbarians’ 22 three minutes after the restart and when Owen Farrell replaced Sexton shortly afterwards, his first act was to kick the ball just short of the tryline close to touch. The Barbarians took play through two phases before Gatland kicked downfield. Farrell ran the ball back and set up his side’s try from a subsequent ruck by first giving Ross Moriarty space to attack and then running outside the flanker to give Watson the scoring pass.
The Barbarians’ try had come after Sexton’s clearance kick from a stable scrum near his line made only 20 metres. When Gatland received the ball from the lineout he kicked high and after the Lions had failed to deal with it, they were lining up for a conversion under their own posts five rucks later.
The Lions will in the coming weeks face Super Rugby teams whose attacking game is varied and they will be more coordinated than the Barbarians.
A few hours before the Barbarians game started in Whangerei, the Crusaders and the Highlanders shared six tries in a match decided by a 45-metre drop goal with the last play of the game.
Three of the tries came directly from set-pieces, two after turnovers – the second following a kick into the 22 – and the sixth from an interception. They operated at pace and the Lions will need to kick-start their tour against the Blues on Wednesday.
