B&I Lions accused of ‘looking like puppets’ with ‘strings being pulled from management off stage’ after ‘eminently forgettable’ tour matches
The British and Irish Lions react to their win over the Waratahs
The British and Irish Lions were generally criticised for their underwhelming 21-10 win over the Waratahs last Saturday, and ex-England out-half Stuart Barnes has now joined the chorus of disapproval, accusing the Andy Farrell set-up of pulling strings and making the team “look like puppets”.
Four matches into the tour, Farrell’s Lions have struggled to produce an all-court performance to show they are ready for their three-match Test series versus the Wallabies, which starts in Brisbane on July 19.
Second-half scoreboard flourishes at least alleviated the pedestrian nature of their first-half play against the Western Force and the Reds since their arrival in Australia following a pre-trip defeat by Argentina in Dublin.
However, there was no second-half renaissance in Sydney last weekend, and what unfolded greatly bothered Barnes, the former Sky Sports pundit who is now a regular columnist for The Times.
“Sporadic outbreaks of leonine excellence…”
Summing up the tour in his latest online piece, Barnes wrote: “So far, so underwhelming. This was another weekend of substandard performances from the British & Irish Lions and also the Wallabies.
“The team that scrapped their way to a 21-10 win over a weakened Waratahs team were, admittedly, a long way from a Lions Test team, but it’s worth reminding followers what the Lions like to remind the general public.
“From the tour party unveiling onwards, we have been consistently told that this is ‘the best of the best’, supposedly because it combines the best of British and Irish.
“All I’ll say to that is, it’s not far from Dover to Calais. On Saturday, a scratch France team took on and almost beat a Test-strength All Blacks team. A week earlier, 82,500 supporters packed out the Stade de France for an epic Top 14 final between the two best club sides in Europe, Toulouse and Bordeaux.
“British and Irish claims to ‘best of the best’ do not equate with ‘world class’.
There have been sporadic outbreaks of leonine excellence, mostly when Finn Russell is pulling the strings.
“For the rest of the time, the Lions look like puppets, their strings being pulled from management off stage as critics argue over whether to blame the individuals or the system for the myriad errors.
“All three of their games against the Not So Super Australian teams have been eminently forgettable.”
Wallabies strengths
Barnes went on to reference Australia’s 21-18 win over Fiji, suggesting they “were strong at the breakdown, their back-row are a deft operation and Len Ikitau is an exceptional signing for Exeter and a gainline threat to whatever midfield the Lions select”.
He finished his piece by claiming more should have been done with the Test schedule and that a match against Fiji should have been on the Lions tour roster in Australia.
“Fiji face Scotland, but if Scotland had played Samoa next Saturday and Fiji the one after (the date Samoa meet them), the Lions could have played Fiji, let’s say in Newcastle, where Fiji would be based for the two matches,” Barnes added.
“Instead, there is the charm of a made-up invitational Australian-New Zealand scratch team. Fiji are a proud Test team and more of a challenge than an invitational 23.
“If the Lions didn’t fancy four straight Test weekends, they could have fielded the core not involved in the first Test against Fiji. Everyone benefits. Instead, Fiji miss the opportunity of a massive-profile match. Does anyone have their interests at heart?”
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