Gregor Townsend expects attacking improvement

British and Irish Lions coach Gregor Townsend believes that the team has the ability to break the Springboks’ impressive defence and score tries.

The tourists have struggled so far in the Test matches, despite finding it easy to breach the line of the provincial sides in the build up.

They have scored just once in two games – from a lineout drive – but Townsend insists that the Lions can put it all together for the decider.

“We have the ability to score tries. We have the ability to put South Africa under pressure which can open up opportunities later in the game or can lead to three points, six points,” the Lions attack coach said.

Creating more opportunities

“We have got to create more, that’s for sure. If you create opportunities, whether that comes through errors in the defence that can get you line breaks that lead to tries, that gives you a better chance to win the game.

“I believe that against a quality opposition you’ve got to get a 20-point or more scoreline, to have more control of the outcome.

“We have to do that through all aspects, whether it’s the set-piece or our defence getting us penalties and the ball back, but in particular our attack by creating and finishing off opportunities.

“We know we won’t get a huge amount of opportunities in this Test so to do all you can to get seven points would make a massive difference.”

The officials, led by referee Mathieu Raynal, have an important role to play in enabling the Lions to engineer the tries they seek.

In a humdrum second Test, dominated by kicking and close quarter forward exchanges, each half lasted over an hour due to repeated stoppages while on-field decisions were fastidiously checked with the TMO.

This was a result of the hour-long video released by Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks’ director of rugby, in which the performance of the officials from the first Test was picked apart.

Warren Gatland has also noted the injury breaks, cramp interludes and stud changes that were used by South Africa to slow the game down to a speed that suited their big forwards.

In response, the Lions urged Raynal during their meeting with the referee to prevent any tactical interruptions being taken.

“We know that we have to control the game more by moving South Africa around, draining them of energy whenever we can. That will be an area we focus on,” Townsend said.

🗣️ "So I’m disappointed with the part where they’ve sort of said both sides have been making comments and being critical of the officials." #RSAvBIL

🦁 Warren Gatland shocked that #LionsRugby are in the firing line. 👇https://t.co/j0sQGSe4mm

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 4, 2021

“We have made the point that we don’t want unnecessary stoppages. You keep the tempo and the flow of the game through your own accuracy and decision-making.

“When the game stops for a scrum or lineout, you want it restarted as quickly as possible. Everybody does who is watching it at home, so I’d like to think that it will be a shorter game this weekend than last weekend.”

South Africa enter a clash that will determine whether the 2021 tour is a success or failure as marginal favourites, but Townsend insists the Lions have another gear in them.

“South Africa have got better throughout the three games that they’ve played, if you include the A game, so I think they’ll get better again,” the Scotland boss said.

“But it starts again on Saturday. Each match of rugby, each Test match tells its own story.

“There’s certainly more to come from us. If we were to look at the first half last week and the second half of the first Test, that would be a very good performance. But I feel there’s more in us than those halves of rugby.”

Alun Wyn Jones demands better discipline

Meanwhile, Lions skipper Alun Wyn Jones said his team must not allow off-the-ball tussles and ill discipline to hamper their hopes of a series triumph in South Africa.

The Springboks set up Saturday’s winner-takes-all encounter by sealing a deserved 27-9 victory in the second Test at the same venue.

Jones acknowledges the need to match the world champions’ formidable physicality but has warned it must not come at the expense of suffocating free-flowing rugby.

“They always happen but you don’t want to entertain them,” replied the Welshman when asked about handling flashpoints. “There’s a case for not taking a step back but also an awareness in keeping the game flowing.

“You see finals, they can be attritional things but they can open up as well. I’d like to think we’re prepared for both.”

Gatland's job this week

Mark Smith and Adam Kyriacou from the Planet Rugby Show look ahead to a big week for Warren Gatland as he hopes to pick up his British and Irish Lions side after a tough second-test defeat to South Africa.