The Lion eyes are on Warren Gatland this weekend. The decision on who will take charge of the British Isles touring team in New Zealand will be made after the home unions’ summer tours and with England and Ireland starting their southern hemisphere campaigns with notable victories, the Wales head coach needs a response from his players against the All Blacks in Wellington.
While Wales emerged from the first Test defeat in Auckland with some credit, not least for their willingness at times to counter-attack from deep rather than kick the ball, Tuesday’s 40-7 defeat to the Chiefs in Hamilton revealed old failings, not least their habit of constantly recycling the ball and making no headway while their opponents, with scant possession, found space.
Gatland, who masterminded the Lions’ series victory in Australia in 2013, has long been the favourite to be the head coach on next year’s tour to his homeland, but Ireland’s Joe Schmidt, another Kiwi, has seen his stock rise with last Saturday’s 14-man victory over South Africa, while England’s remarkable transformation under Eddie Jones will, despite his insistence that he is not interested in the job, ensure he is talked about.
Wales led the All Blacks at half-time last week, surprising them with their willingness to counter-attack, but a failing that cost them in last year’s World Cup against Australia and South Africa resurfaced when they were unable to turn pressure near their opponents’ line into tries, more excitable than composed.
They lost one of their most impressive players that night, the wing George North, who suffered a hamstring injury that ended his tour having made his opposite number Julian Savea look so defensively suspect that a player with one of the best try-scoring records in the history of Test rugby has been dropped by the All Blacks.
The No8 Taulupe Faletau was another Wales player who stood out at Eden Park, revelling in his side’s bolder approach. But another last-quarter meltdown against New Zealand may prompt a different approach at Wellington’s Cake Tin, where Wales dare not be as half-baked as they were in Hamilton.
North’s absence means Liam Williams moved to the wing from full-back where he is replaced by Rhys Patchell, who arrived in New Zealand on Monday after being called up as a replacement. He has a bigger boot than Gareth Anscombe, who covered the position from the bench in Auckland, and is a more effective tackler. He is an outside-half by preference, but Wales will have a back three who all have experience of playing at full-back.
Failure to deal with New Zealand’s kicking game will result in a 28th successive defeat to the All Blacks since Wales’s last victory in the series in 1953. They also have to tighten up in the set-pieces, where the home side are fortified by the return of the second row Sam Whitelock from injury.
“The defeat to the Chiefs was hard to take, but that huge backlash is worth it for the development of the players,” said Gatland. “I would do it again because it is worth it for the future of Welsh rugby. We did well in the first Test for the first 60 minutes and then stopped playing. We know the areas where we have to improve, not least dealing with their kicking strategy.”
Gatland’s opposite number, Steve Hansen, believes Wales appreciate they cannot defeat the All Blacks by locking them into a slow, set-piece scrap, but “have to play a bit, something they are quite good at”. That will be the way for the Lions next year, and as the tourists mull over their options for the position of head coach, it is how Wales play in Wellington, more than the result, that will influence them.
New Zealand I Dagg; W Naholo, M Fekitoa, R Crotty, B Smith; A Cruden, A Smith; J Moody, D Coles, O Franks, S Whitlock, B Retallick, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, P Tuipulotu, A Savea, TJ Perenara, B Barrett, S Tamanivalu.
Wales R Patchell; L Williams, J Davies, J Roberts, H Amos; D Biggar, R Webb; G Jenkins, K Owens, S Lee, L Charteris, AW Jones, R Moriarty, S Warburton, T Faletau. Replacements S Baldwin, R Evans, T Francis, B Davies, E Jenkins , G Davies, G Anscombe, S Williams.
Referee J Peyper (SA).
