Lions tour report card: Backs
With the British and Irish Lions class of 2021 now finally finished in their work, we took time out to deliver the report card on the players.
First up, it’s the backs.
Backs overall
When history examines the tour of 2021, it will be judged rather simplistically that the forwards managed to create enough chances to secure the Test series but that the backs struggled to create an identity or a moment that defined them or the style of this group of players.
In the background, there was always a feeling of compromise and conflict in selection, with none of Gregor Townsend, Steve Tandy or Warren Gatland ever quite getting the side they personally wanted and each and every selection being something of a compromise of solidity over flair.
In the final analysis, with a foreshortened tour, the conservative line-ups tended to win over innovation, yet in the couple of moments we saw the likes of Finn Russell, Josh Adams, Marcus Smith and Louis Rees-Zammit cut loose and strut their stuff, we might always look back on what might have been if the selection had just been that much bolder.
Full-backs
Stuart Hogg: Finally, the great Scot navigated his way both through a complete Lions tour and into two Test matches. Sadly, he never quite made the running impact that he is capable of, and he made some defensive howlers in the Test matches, never quite offering the surety at the back that’s needed at this level. It was a thoroughly disappointing tour for the Exeter Chief and he really looks a long way away from his best right now. 4/10
Liam Williams: A man left out of two Tests when his catching skills and physical defence were sorely needed. Maybe things might have been different if the big Welshman had been brought in earlier to deal with the bombing blitz. When he did get his chance, he blew a try-scoring pass and he’ll join the long list of players who have seen Cheslin Kolbe’s boot soles go flying past him as he missed a crucial tackle in the second half. However, he emerges marginally in credit overall. 5.5/10
Wings
Josh Adams: Considering his try-scoring record at the start of the tour, his absence in the first two Tests raised some eyebrows. He was simply phenomenal in the tour games, running in try after try and it’s still a little perplexing as to why he was left out of the first two clashes with the Springboks, given the form he’d shown. He failed to really get into the last Test, but he’ll be drinking pints courtesy of Liam Williams for the rest of his life. 8/10
Duhan van der Merwe: In terms of aerial work, arguably the best of the Lions wings as his familiarity with the SA conditions stood him in good stead. Powerful with ball in hand and lethal in the provincial games, he leaves the tour with his reputation enhanced. 7/10
Anthony Watson: Still a supercar when he’s got the ball and he makes yards in the tightest of spaces. We saw some electric mini-breaks in the Tests, but he never hit the heights expected. His aerial game was seriously exposed in the second match with South Africa and he’ll look back on this series with disappointment. 5/10
Louis Rees-Zammit: Tipped by many to be a Test bolter, the flying youngster can look back at his tour with immense pride. He confirmed both his pace and promise, but he still needs to refine his aerial game and defence to be the complete superstar wing. He’ll get there, you can be sure of that, and you can be equally sure this will be the first of a number of Lions tours for a player with immense ability and no less humility. 7/10
Centres
Bundee Aki: Started the Lions off with a bang versus Japan in Murrayfield but finished with a whimper in Cape Town. Aki made the press conference moment of the tour when he informed the world’s media that ‘you can either be a bad c**t or a good c**t’ in reference to him being patient around the squad to get a Test cap, but sadly he never managed to create quite the same punchline on the pitch. Nevertheless, what you see is what you get with Bundee and he was a great tourist. 6.5/10
Elliot Daly: We’ve come to expect a curate’s egg performance from the immensely skilled English utility back and that’s precisely what we got; sublime at times, disastrous at others. It’s fair to say that everyone wants to see his handling ability and pace in the centre, but at the same time, every fan in the land closes his eyes with fear when Daly is asked to catch or tackle. However, it was great to see him in his optimum position at Test level and we’re sure there’s more to come from the eccentric Daly. 6/10
Chris Harris: Harris was cool and confident in the centres without ever managing to break loose of the strangleholds of South African defence. He does the simple things well and is immensely reliable but this series and tour needed a little more from all of the backs than that. He had his moments with some big tackles early in the second Test, but he struggled to create at this level. 5/10
Robbie Henshaw: So near yet so far would be Henshaw’s tour motto. He was close to breaking out of the Springbok stranglehold so many times in the Test matches and a fag paper away from an important try in the second. His height and skill made his defence a level up from anyone else in the Lions backline and he was by far the most effective back; a tower of reliability in a landscape of frailty. Nevertheless, he came up against two of the best in the world in Lukhanyo Am and Damian de Allende, but the fact he matched them blow for blow is a big positive for the Leinsterman. 8.5/10
Fly-half
Dan Biggar: Despite starting all of the four international matches, Biggar looked a mile away from the confident and cheeky 10 that we’ve come to love and respect. In fairness, he never quite looked physically right and his knee was said to be held together with tape for much of the Test series. Nevertheless, the first Test was won with a brilliant forward display rather than inspiring back play and Biggar could never unlock the Springbok defence off phase play or kick, and he’ll look back upon his own tour with mild disappointment. 6.5/10
Owen Farrell: Used in a bench role in the Tests and an occasional starting 10 in the midweeks, Farrell has his own enormous standards which he never got close to. There seemed a reluctance from Gatland to fully empower him on the pitch in his favoured position of 12. Nevertheless, there were no huge errors either and at times, his kicking game showed some real go forward, but in truth, he never really fired a shot in anger. It was a frustrating tour for the Saracen but he really does seem slightly off the pace right now and will return to England to lick his wounds. 5/10
Finn Russell: Fabulous Finn’s 65-minute cameo in the third Test gave us a feeling of ‘what might have been’ had the impish Scot been available for the first two internationals. His delicate passing and high rugby intellect was exactly what was needed to unlock the Springbok blitz but, for some unfathomable reason, the Lions decided not to build upon his brilliant first half display and spent the entire second half kicking off nine, despite evidence to the contrary. It’s a great shame his Achilles played up because the snorefest of rugby we saw in the series needed the brilliant counterpoint of attack Russell offers. 8/10
Marcus Smith: A late replacement as cover for Russell, Smith played one game, got one player of the match and was absolutely brilliant in his single tour appearance. When you’ve had the personal momentum that the mighty Quin has had all season, he really should have benched for at least one of the Tests where Russell was not available, but we’re sure he’ll be back as a Lion in four years’ time. Gatland and Townsend might look back on his non-selection as a huge error as Smith provided an absolute cameo of a tour performance and could not have done any more than was asked of him. 7.5/10
Scrum-half
Gareth Davies: Brought on tour to inject pace, his perceived inferiority in the base kick stakes cost him dearly and when he had so much more to offer than the slugfest we saw from the base in the Tests. Nevertheless, when kicks are ten a penny and speed is at a premium, it’s perplexing that he wasn’t used in an impact format at some stage in the series. He was, along with Rees-Zammit and Iain Henderson, a victim of the short tour itinerary and it’s a great shame we were not able to see the electric feet of the Welshman contribute to the big games. 6/10
Conor Murray: Like an ageing heavyweight boxer, the Munster nine spent a lot of time on the ropes and was a little punch-drunk with his blows. His kicking was woefully short in many of his clearances in the second Test and he punted contestables up that the Springboks picked off with ease. His pass, never quite his strength, was sluggish compared to that of others and this was probably a tour too far from him, despite his incredible leadership and popularity around the squad 5.5/10
Ali Price: A shock selection in April, the wee Scot did a lot of good things on tour and emerged with a marginally enhanced reputation. The only blot on his copybook was his reverting to a kicking strategy in the second half of the third Test when Russell was the man that was scaring the Springboks outside him. For a man noted for a break around the fringes, it’s annoying that he never seemed to have the platform to challenge the Springbok defence around the ruck, but his kicking and passing was easily the best of the three half-backs on tour. 6.5/10
Biggar's first half injury provides Russell chance to excel
Mark Smith and Adam Kyriacou from the Planet Rugby Show discuss the impressive performance of Finn Russell after an early injury to Dan Biggar gave the fly-half the chance to play a starring role in the British and Irish Lions' defeat to South Africa this weekend.