Lions roar to victory as they win 59 - 8 against the Baa-baas
The Lions roar to victory as they win their first tour match against the Barbarians 59-8 in a very humid Hong Kong.
Sir Ian Mcgeechan, the last coach to lead the Lions to a tour victory, stated before the game that he did not want the game to be easy for the Lions - not a sixty pointer. The legendary Lions coach did not see a sixty point difference but it did come pretty close with 51 point separating both sides.
Twenty minutes in to the first half it was very evident that the conditions were to play a sizable part in the game. Passes that would have been easily completed in any other weather conditions fell to the ground as the ball became to resemble a bar of soap in the hands of the players. Great breaks by both Jamie Roberts and Richie Gray were not being completed as off loads were left to slip through the sweaty hands of their team mates. It was not only the greasy ball that led to frustration. The first half saw Barbarian Schalk Brits being sent to the sin bin after referee Steve Walsh saw a replay of the Springbok throwing a left hook in to the face of Lions fly half, Farrell. This decision was very questionable as almost immediately after Brits' punch, the young Saracens player reacted with equal force. Should both have been sent to the sin bin? One thing is for sure and that is Farrell has to control his frustration and improve the attitude he has on the pitch. If his game is not going the way he was hoping then he must find another way to deal with his frustration. The starting number ten for the Lions was also seen clapping as Brits left the field - this is no way for a Lion or any player to behave and I am sure that Gatland and the coaching staff will have something to say about this.
The scrum worked very well for the Lions with them earning a penalty from almost every one which helped the Barbarians to concede a remarkable 13 penalties compared to the Lions' 5. Another bonus of a successful scrum was that it allowed Mike Phillips to put on a Man of the Match performance as he smashed his way through the Barbarian defence. 27 minutes in to the game, scrum half Phillips orchestrated a series of pick and goes that eventually led him to reach the try line, only to be tackled just short of the line by Italian front row giant, Castro Giovanni. Captain O'Connell came in at the breakdown and dived over the line to finish Phillips' move and put the Lions up 3-13.
Less than five minutes after being denied his own shot at glory, Mike Phillips crossed the line after once more dancing his way through the Barbarian defence. The Welsh scrum half left Barbarian captain Parisse in his stirde and despite New Zealand legend - Rokocoko's efforts, Phillips crossed over for the Lions' second try.
With the conditions in the first half disrupting the rhythm of the game, the second half began with a bang. Two minutes in, an impressive Mike Phillips, crossed for his second try of the match while once more cruising over the line. God only knows what fellow tour scrum halves, Ben Youngs and Connor Murray, were thinking as Phillips stormed around the field. One has to think that in order for these men to start a Lions test match in place of Phillips they will have to train out of their skins and play the best rugby of their lives.
Fellow Welshman, Tipuric, also showed his strength and intelligence as a player when he made a 48th minute run for the line - only to be held up, once more, by Rokocoko. He showed how good he was off the ball and how great he was with it.
A shocking failed pass by Farrel in the 56th minute allowed the Barbarians to add to their previous three points. A classy sidestep by an impressive Rokocoko passed Faletau, led to sub, Kahn Fotuali'l, to cross the line. The score now 8-30.
The atmosphere within the stadium had been quite non existent until a water break during the second half when Tom Jones' Delilah began to blast from the stadium's speakers. A song that has now become synonymous with Welsh rugby led to the thousands within the stadium to sing in unison. This blast of familiarity might have taken centre Jonathan Davies back to the Millennium Stadium for a moment as he successfully grounded a lose ball that led to the Lions to increase their lead to 29 points. Jonathan Davies was very impressive during today's game with him showcasing his kicking ability as well as his strength and control during a match. The centre partnership between himself and fellow Welsh powerhouse - Jamie Roberts, who was the 2009 Lions Player of the Tournament, was very impressive and sent a strong message to O'Driscoll that he will have to fight hard for his place in the starting XV.
The ability of the backrow to work together in such harmony was very much evident when Cuthbert scored both his 60th and 68th minute tries which closely resembled the, now historic, tries he completed against England in the Six Nations Championship decider back in March. If the Lions' were not already slightly satisfied with their performance, 2012 Six Nations player of the tournament - Dan Lydiate, crossed the try line to make the score 8-52. Replacement captain and fellow Welshman, Alun Wyn Jones, ended the game with another try for Gatland's men and with Sexton missing the conversion the game ended 8-59.
A very successful first outing for the men in red. The game was filled with many mistakes and they, as individuals and as a collective, have a lot to work on and to improve. However, when taking in to consideration the conditions and the limited time these men have had together to bond as friends and as fellow players it was an all around satisfying game. Welsh sports journalist, Phil Steele, did make a very important point during the match as he tweeted - "A pleasing first half for Lions but as preparation for the conditions in Oz - this match is about as useful as a sparrowhawk with a squint". This is very true as Australian conditions will be nothing compared to those of Hong Kong and also one could quite confidently bet that the Wallabies will be a much tougher test than the Barbarians.
A good win against the Barbarians that showed immense promise for the team moving forward but they are very far from the finished product and will have to work hard in training if they are to win against the Australians. However, the promise shown today has given many supporters hope and filled them with the excitement as they go on to play Western Force in Perth on Wednesday.
Sir Ian Mcgeechan, the last coach to lead the Lions to a tour victory, stated before the game that he did not want the game to be easy for the Lions - not a sixty pointer. The legendary Lions coach did not see a sixty point difference but it did come pretty close with 51 point separating both sides.
Twenty minutes in to the first half it was very evident that the conditions were to play a sizable part in the game. Passes that would have been easily completed in any other weather conditions fell to the ground as the ball became to resemble a bar of soap in the hands of the players. Great breaks by both Jamie Roberts and Richie Gray were not being completed as off loads were left to slip through the sweaty hands of their team mates. It was not only the greasy ball that led to frustration. The first half saw Barbarian Schalk Brits being sent to the sin bin after referee Steve Walsh saw a replay of the Springbok throwing a left hook in to the face of Lions fly half, Farrell. This decision was very questionable as almost immediately after Brits' punch, the young Saracens player reacted with equal force. Should both have been sent to the sin bin? One thing is for sure and that is Farrell has to control his frustration and improve the attitude he has on the pitch. If his game is not going the way he was hoping then he must find another way to deal with his frustration. The starting number ten for the Lions was also seen clapping as Brits left the field - this is no way for a Lion or any player to behave and I am sure that Gatland and the coaching staff will have something to say about this.
The scrum worked very well for the Lions with them earning a penalty from almost every one which helped the Barbarians to concede a remarkable 13 penalties compared to the Lions' 5. Another bonus of a successful scrum was that it allowed Mike Phillips to put on a Man of the Match performance as he smashed his way through the Barbarian defence. 27 minutes in to the game, scrum half Phillips orchestrated a series of pick and goes that eventually led him to reach the try line, only to be tackled just short of the line by Italian front row giant, Castro Giovanni. Captain O'Connell came in at the breakdown and dived over the line to finish Phillips' move and put the Lions up 3-13.
Less than five minutes after being denied his own shot at glory, Mike Phillips crossed the line after once more dancing his way through the Barbarian defence. The Welsh scrum half left Barbarian captain Parisse in his stirde and despite New Zealand legend - Rokocoko's efforts, Phillips crossed over for the Lions' second try.
With the conditions in the first half disrupting the rhythm of the game, the second half began with a bang. Two minutes in, an impressive Mike Phillips, crossed for his second try of the match while once more cruising over the line. God only knows what fellow tour scrum halves, Ben Youngs and Connor Murray, were thinking as Phillips stormed around the field. One has to think that in order for these men to start a Lions test match in place of Phillips they will have to train out of their skins and play the best rugby of their lives.
Fellow Welshman, Tipuric, also showed his strength and intelligence as a player when he made a 48th minute run for the line - only to be held up, once more, by Rokocoko. He showed how good he was off the ball and how great he was with it.
A shocking failed pass by Farrel in the 56th minute allowed the Barbarians to add to their previous three points. A classy sidestep by an impressive Rokocoko passed Faletau, led to sub, Kahn Fotuali'l, to cross the line. The score now 8-30.
The atmosphere within the stadium had been quite non existent until a water break during the second half when Tom Jones' Delilah began to blast from the stadium's speakers. A song that has now become synonymous with Welsh rugby led to the thousands within the stadium to sing in unison. This blast of familiarity might have taken centre Jonathan Davies back to the Millennium Stadium for a moment as he successfully grounded a lose ball that led to the Lions to increase their lead to 29 points. Jonathan Davies was very impressive during today's game with him showcasing his kicking ability as well as his strength and control during a match. The centre partnership between himself and fellow Welsh powerhouse - Jamie Roberts, who was the 2009 Lions Player of the Tournament, was very impressive and sent a strong message to O'Driscoll that he will have to fight hard for his place in the starting XV.
The ability of the backrow to work together in such harmony was very much evident when Cuthbert scored both his 60th and 68th minute tries which closely resembled the, now historic, tries he completed against England in the Six Nations Championship decider back in March. If the Lions' were not already slightly satisfied with their performance, 2012 Six Nations player of the tournament - Dan Lydiate, crossed the try line to make the score 8-52. Replacement captain and fellow Welshman, Alun Wyn Jones, ended the game with another try for Gatland's men and with Sexton missing the conversion the game ended 8-59.
A very successful first outing for the men in red. The game was filled with many mistakes and they, as individuals and as a collective, have a lot to work on and to improve. However, when taking in to consideration the conditions and the limited time these men have had together to bond as friends and as fellow players it was an all around satisfying game. Welsh sports journalist, Phil Steele, did make a very important point during the match as he tweeted - "A pleasing first half for Lions but as preparation for the conditions in Oz - this match is about as useful as a sparrowhawk with a squint". This is very true as Australian conditions will be nothing compared to those of Hong Kong and also one could quite confidently bet that the Wallabies will be a much tougher test than the Barbarians.
A good win against the Barbarians that showed immense promise for the team moving forward but they are very far from the finished product and will have to work hard in training if they are to win against the Australians. However, the promise shown today has given many supporters hope and filled them with the excitement as they go on to play Western Force in Perth on Wednesday.
Comments
Post a Comment