Talking points ahead of the Lions opener
What Ben Te’o offers, a much-needed run-out for two senior forwards and more ahead of the Lions’ first match on Saturday.
1) Ben Te’o
The Worcester centre is yet to start a Test for England but gets the nod straight away in the Lions midfield, partnering a player he knows well from multiple sessions up at Pennyhill Park in Jonathan Joseph. Te’o is exciting for a number of reasons.
To define him as a crash-ball centre is a little simplistic, but he does offer that ability to break the gain-line continually and coupled with his ability to offload becomes a dangerous prospect. Gatland will like his physical attitude with a bit of edge, and the fact that will Billy Vunipola gone, Te’o can help provide go-forward, balancing nicely with Jonathan Joseph’s fleet-footed approach.
Arguably most crucial of all, he has adapted to union defensive schemes remarkably quickly, be it with Leinster, Worcester or England. Go well here and we may see a lot more of Te’o in the coming weeks.
2) Weather
Accounts coming out of Whangarei suggest that the heavens have opened and don’t show much sign of slowing down either ahead of Saturday’s game with more rain expected early doors.
Obviously that means the free-flowing opener many want to see might not happen if the ball is so slippery that it might as well have been looked after in an otter’s pocket.
Should that be the case then the onus will be less on Jonathan Joseph and the back three to rack up tries, and more on the pack to win the physical battle upfront, which they should be well capable of given the engine room is made up of Alun Wyn Jones and Iain Henderson.
3) Potent back three
Much to like about this area of Gatland’s selection, particularly the contrast in styles between Tommy Seymour’s physicality and Anthony Watson’s pace. George North and Liam Williams appear to be the pencilled-in Test starters but the two wingers for Saturday are not exactly sub-standard.
Watson’s strike rate in Test rugby of 13 tries in 24 starts commands respect, and while there was a suspicion that Seymour might miss out on the squad he never deserved to, consistently good this season for Glasgow Warriors and Scotland.
Stuart Hogg is bound to get the most attention of the lot however. Is his defence as soft as many are making out? His missed tackle stat from Saturday is likely to be of more interest than his actual tackle count. Crowned the best player in the Six Nations now two years in a row, Hogg should thrive in what threatens to be an open fixture.
4) Fitness of Warburton and Jones
Warburton’s calm demeanour was convincing enough around the time of the squad announcement to assure any doubters that he would be raring to go by the time the Lions touched down in New Zealand. A substantial shift here and then again against the Blues and Crusaders next week should be enough to blow off the cobwebs.
Naturally there has been plenty of talk about Warburton’s leadership ability and his fitness, but what should not get lost in that are his qualities as a player. He was firmly back to his best in the Six Nations when it came to tackling and turnovers, and his ability as a lineout jumper and soft hands in attack fail to always get the credit they deserve.
As for Alun Wyn Jones, there are few more highly respected leaders in the game today and much of his best work does often go unseen. But the Wales second-row has his work cut out to break up the tried and tested Saracens pair of Maro Itoje and George Kruis, coming off a second straight European title together. This game can serve as a reminder of his class.
5) Sexton and Joseph
No one needs a run more than Sexton after that flat effort against the Scarlets and the Ireland veteran should thrive as the most experienced member of the Lions back-line, and also from combining with Greig Laidlaw, a player he has come up against enough times in the past but never played with.
These are early days to be calling what system the Lions will settle on, but by not opting for the Sexton-Owen Farrell midfield partnership in what is set to be the simplest of the warm-up fixtures, perhaps Gatland has shown his hand. Robbie Henshaw feels like the best option at 12, and after the rumours pre-squad announcement that Joseph was to be left out, he could well be a Test starter on account of his pace and defensive reads, which are underrated.
Are we about to see the start of a Sexton-Farrell shootout then for the number ten shirt? If that’s the case, then the pressure is on Sexton to deliver after Farrell finished the campaign so strongly with Saracens.
6) Bench
Having four Saracens on the bench in Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, George Kruis and Owen Farrell offers the Lions some security. More importantly, it means that quartet get to blow off some steam in their first match since losing out in the Premiership semi-finals to eventual champions Exeter Chiefs.
George and Vunipola bring more to the party in terms of carries and work-rate than most front row forwards and Gatland will be looking for buckets of that in Whangarei.
Are they the likely Test starters at loosehead and hooker? Rory Best gets the nod on Saturday and given that England have benefited so much from George’s impact off the bench, it would almost make sense to carry that on with the Lions.