New Zealand v British & Irish Lions
Venue: Eden Park. Kick-off: 8.35am Irish.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports
The first Test in this series assuredly constitutes the biggest game world rugby has seen since the World Cup final. Such was the scale of the task facing the Lions coming into the game that it’s also doubtful the global game could conceive of a more daunting challenge, not in the Test arena anyhow.
That World Cup final saw Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Keven Mealamu all ride off into the post-All Blacks sunset as two-time World Cup winners. Yet the body of statistics in favour of them could almost have overwhelmed the Lions before kick-off.
To give an indication of the task facing even the Lions’ increasingly well-drilled defence, that World Cup final win over Australia was the last time they failed to score three tries in a game. In their last ten matches going into this first Test, they had averaged 45 points, and of course their last defeat in Eden Park had been fully 23 years ago.
It tells us much about the peerless succession planning of the All Blacks think tank – the peerless Beauden Barrett replacing the peerless Dan Carter – that despite all those multi-cappers retiring, with a dozen of their match-day squad from that Twickenham final pitching up in Eden Park for this first, they still boasted a combined tally of 1,004 caps.
Yet, coming into the first Test, the Lions match-day 23 were a seasoned lot as well, with a cumulative total of 999 caps. What’s more, ten of the 23 from the third Test in Sydney were in the match-day squad to kick off this series.
There has been a little succession planning here too it seems. Four years ago, Conor Murray and Owen Farrell came on in the series decider against Australia in Sydney, and kicked off this series as the starting halves. Relative boys in the Test environment then, they are Test match animals now; each in the prime of their careers.
That 2013 tour was a benchmark in Murray’s steadily upward trajectory into becoming, arguably, the best scrum-half in the world. Indeed, this series might go a long way to settling the argument. The experience, and working with Rob Howley, the former Wasps, Wales and Lions scrum-half, ensured he returned a better player. Four years on, Howley is clearly relishing working with Murray again, and can see the maturity.
“He’s just such at ease with the game. When you watch him move within the game he’s so comfortable; his direction and leadership, he facilitates the team, he doesn’t get involved in the one-on-one battles. It’s about the team. He’s a team player, and I think that’s the one thing when you are a Lions player – it’s such a quality. You’re concentrating on your role and your responsibility, and being accountable within the group. And Conor has got spades of that.”
Fantastic coaches
“I think also, being involved with Ireland and under the guidance of the fantastic coaches they’ve got, and beating New Zealand, they [the Irish players] know. They’ve been there and done it, and I think that’s a huge amount of self-belief they can take from that.
They’ve beaten the All Blacks. They’ve talked about that within our group and that experience is so important as a player when you’ve beaten the All Blacks and you’re playing them in their own back yard.”
Murray and Farrell have roomed together this week, although the difference in their personalities is also striking, in front of the media at any rate.
Asked yesterday if this was the biggest game of his career, Murray considered his answer for a moment and admitted: “Yeah, to put simply. I think so, just to be involved in a group of players like this; the talent that we have; to get the nod from the coaches fills you with confidence. To test yourself against the best team in the world is going to be really special.”
Farrell may give the impression sometimes of being highly emotional on the pitch, but not off it. A very nice lad by all accounts, publicly it’s as if he has an impenetrable shield.
Asked the exact same question, the first Test is, he said, almost matter-of-factly, “the one that’s in front of us. Everything that goes with playing for the Lions – the history, the hype around it and the excitement leading into it – means it’s going to be a big event.”
A big event? Just slightly.
Admittedly, Farrell has played in as many big events as anyone since coming on as a replacement for the final quarter of the third Test in Sydney. There have been four successive European Champions Cup finals, huge World Cup games on home soil, back-to-back Six Nations titles including a Grand Slam as part of record-winning run with England.
But this, he admitted, is “very different”. Farrell was steeped in rugby, if not rugby union. He has Irish ancestry on both sides of his family and grandfather Kieron O’Loughlin, like his father Andy, played rugby league for Great Britain. It was only when his father moved to Saracens that Farrell was introduced to rugby union at the age of 14, having played League until then.
“My background’s a bit different to a lot of lads here,” he said, explaining his relative lack of knowledge regarding the Lions’ history until his early teens, although his first Lions’ memory was Brian O’Driscoll’s try against the Wallabies in Brisbane when he was nine.
Cue O’Driscoll presenting Farrell and his team-mates with their jerseys last night.
NEW ZEALAND: Ben Smith (Highlanders); Israel Dagg (Crusaders), Ryan Crotty (Crusaders), Sonny Bill Williams (Blues), Rieko Ioane (Blues); Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes), Aaron Smith (Highlanders); Joe Moody (Crusaders), Codie Taylor (Crusaders), Owen Franks (Crusaders), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs) Samuel Whitelock (Crusaders), Jerome Kaino (Blues), Sam Cane (Chiefs), Kieran Read (Crusaders, captain). Replacements: Nathan Harris (Chiefs), Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders), Charlie Faumuina (Blues), Scott Barrett (Crusaders), Ardie Savea (Hurricanes), TJ Perenara (Hurricanes), Aaron Cruden (Chiefs) or Lima Sopoaga (Highalnders), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs).
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales); Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets, Wales), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors, England), Elliot Daly (Wasps, England); Owen Farrell (Saracens, England), Conor Murray (Munster, Ireland); Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England,) Jamie George (Saracens, England), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster, Ireland), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales), George Kruis (Saracens, England), Peter O'Mahony (Munster, Ireland, captain), Sean O'Brien (Leinster, Ireland), Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales). Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales), Jack McGrath (Leinster, Ireland), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, England), Maro Itoje (Saracens, England), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, Wales), Rhys Webb (Ospreys, Wales), Johnny Sexton (Leinster, Ireland), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon, Wales).
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa).
Overall record: New Zealand v British & Irish Lions: Pl 30, New Zealand 23 wins, 2 draws, Lions 5 wins.
Highest scores: New Zealand – 48-18 (Wellington, 2005). Lions – 20-7 (Wellington 1993).
Biggest wins: New Zealand – 38-6 (Auckland, 1983). Lions – 20-7 (Wellington 1993).
Betting (Paddy Power): 2/9 New Zealand, 33/1 Draw, 7/2 Lions. Handicap odds (Lions + 11 pts) Evens New Zealand, 25/ Draw, Evens Lions.
Forecast: New Zealand to win.
