The British and Irish Lions secured a crucial 36-24 victory against the ACT Brumbies in their penultimate match before the first Test against Australia.
Although coach Andy Farrell has been able to glimpse some certainties, the team showed a sometimes disjointed attack and conceded 24 points, which will surely frustrate him.
Key Points of the Canberra Meeting
The British and Irish Lions extend their winning streak with a score of 36-24 against the Brumbies.
Follow the match live: Lions vs Brumbies.
The positions in the center of the field and on the third line are still in dispute.Coach Farrell selected his strongest team to date to face the Brumbies, giving players a final chance to secure their place in the starting lineup. The front row, composed of Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, and Tadhg Furlong, could be the one to play in the first Test, as could the second row formed by Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy, who showed solidity in Canberra. There are no concerns in the half-backs with Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell assured.
Blair Kinghorn is a slight concern at fullback, as he had to leave the field early against the Brumbies due to an injury. However, if he is fit, he should start. There are also backup options with Marcus Smith and Hugo Keenan. James Lowe and Tommy Freeman will likely be on the wings in Brisbane.
This leaves the third line and the center of the field as the main points of discussion.
Tom Curry played as an openside flanker and was solid, but Jac Morgan has stood out every time he’s played and seems to be the favorite here. Will Farrell opt for the only Welsh player in the team as his number 7?
Ollie Chessum played the full 80 minutes at number 6 with Jack Conan at number 8. Chessum is physically imposing and scored a try (almost two), making a big impression. Conan also produced a great effort, with 17 carries and 13 tackles: the most of any Lion.
In the center of the field, the Irish duo formed by Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose obviously works well and showed well on Wednesday, but their Scottish teammates Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu also aspire to have their opportunities.
Perhaps the answer is a combination of both? Farrell might already know the answer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided at the last moment in both areas.
Strange feeling in the camp
Jamison Gibson-Park
Jamison Gibson-Park summed up the situation in the best possible way when asked how the Lions feel about their performances.
“I suppose we are happy with the result in the end, an irregular performance but we are happy. Congratulations to the Brumbies, they came with a plan and executed it well,” he told Sky Sports.
“There’s a strange little 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 they have much more to offer. It’s the nature of the Lions to some extent.
Developing the game plan on the fly and building combinations. “Irregular” is also correct.
The match in Canberra had a familiar feel. An irregular start, good at times 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, maybe even after.
Gibson-Park’s comment shows that the players know they can be much better.
Do the Lions have a fear factor?The Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt, was observing, bundled up in the capital after Australia had their only encounter against Fiji last week, with a narrow 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 seek to disrupt their attacking line, 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, however, with concerns at fly-half 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 attack if what the tourists produced in Canberra is similar to what they produce in Brisbane in 10 days.
