The British and Irish Lions secured a crucial victory against the ACT Brumbies with a score of 36-24 in their penultimate match before the first Test against Australia.
Although coach Andy Farrell may have cleared up some doubts, the team showed an attack that was disjointed at times and conceded 24 points, which will surely generate frustration in the coaching staff.
There are still positions to be defined in the midfield and the third line.Andy Farrell selected his strongest team to date to face the Brumbies, giving players a final chance to secure a place in the starting XV. The front row, made up of Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, could be the one to play the first Test, as could the second row with Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy, who were solid in Canberra. At scrum-half, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell seem to have their place assured.
Blair Kinghorn is a slight concern at fullback, after being substituted due to injury against the Brumbies. However, if fit, he should start, with Marcus Smith and Hugo Keenan as backup options. James Lowe and Tommy Freeman will likely occupy the wings in Brisbane.
This leaves the third line and the midfield as the main points to be debated.
Tom Curry played as an openside flanker and had a solid performance, but Jac Morgan has stood out every time he has played and seems to be the favorite in this position. Will Farrell opt for the only Welsh player in the team as number 7?
Ollie Chessum played the full 80 minutes at number 6, with Jack Conan at number 8. Chessum, with his imposing physique, scored a try (almost two), making a great impression. Conan also put in a great effort, with 17 carries and 13 tackles, the most of any Lion.
In midfield, the Irish duo of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose work well and performed well on Wednesday, but their Scottish counterparts Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu also aspire to have opportunities.
Perhaps the answer is a combination of both? Farrell might already know the answer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the final decision is made at the last moment in both areas.
“Strange feeling in the camp” – Jamison Gibson-ParkJamison Gibson-Park summed up the situation when asked about how the Lions feel about their performances.
“I suppose we are happy with the final result, an irregular performance, but we are happy. Congratulations to the Brumbies, who came with a plan and executed it well,” he told Sky Sports.
“There’s a bit of a strange feeling in the camp, but there are things we need to check.”
A strange feeling when winning, and winning well on the scoreboard, but knowing that they can offer much more. It’s the nature of the Lions to some extent.
Developing the game plan on the fly and building combinations. “Irregular” is the right word.
The match in Canberra had a family atmosphere. A messy start, good in some parts but not consistently and a good finish. We probably won’t have an idea of what this team is really capable of until the first Test, perhaps even after.
Gibson-Park’s comment shows that the players know they can be much better.
Do the Lions have a fear factor?
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was present observing, following Australia’s only match against Fiji last week, a close 21-18 victory.
What will he have thought of the Lions’ last performance?
On the one hand, he will know the players very well, but he will also have seen areas that he can exploit. The Brumbies were successful at the ruck and Schmidt will probably look to disrupt their lineout, which has improved but is not perfect. They have also had problems with indiscipline at times during the tour.
Schmidt also has his own problems, with concerns at the opening position after Noah Lolesio was ruled out of the tour.
But, being the great coach that he is, Schmidt will know that there are parts of the Lions that he can target if what the tourists produced in Canberra is similar to what they produce in Brisbane in 10 days.
