Lions banter is good fun — but also an utter embarrassment for Australian rugby
The British & Irish Lions got their Australian tour off to the ideal start, hammering Western Force 54-7.
Meanwhile, the Wallabies are continuing their preparation for the one-off Test with Fiji.
Sam Bruce looks into both camps ahead of the hotly-anticipated Test series.
BANTER IS BANTER, THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW AUSTRALIA LET THEM GO
Already plenty has been made of the British & Irish Lions’ naturalised cohort, which encompasses players born in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Then on Saturday night, the ground announcer at Optus Stadium took great pleasure in referring to the two Australian born-and-raised Lions who faced the Force as “our former Aussie at No. 14, Mack Hansen… another Aussie at No. 12, Sione Tuipulotu”. While the sledge might be wearing a little thin, it is also just a bit of good-natured banter. However, individuals like the aforementioned announcer also need to be reminded to look at their own backyard, too.
But the bigger sore point, for Australian rugby anyway, is how Tuipulotu and Hansen were allowed to depart in the first place. The fact they have both gone on to represent not only Scotland and Ireland respectively, but now also the Lions, is an utter embarrassment for Australian rugby and its talent pathways. Furthermore, it’s not like Tuipulotu was at a powerhouse like the Brumbies or Reds, or even the underperforming Waratahs, he was brought through the rugby outpost in Melbourne, in a position where Australia isn’t exactly swimming with talent – the midfield. The loss of Hansen is slightly more understandable, given the Brumbies were significantly well resourced in the outside backs; but he was also shopped around to other franchises, and never received an offer that gave him cause to knock back the advances of Irish province Connacht.
Rugby Australia at least has head of performance Peter Horne in place these days, so similar talent losses in the future should hopefully be fewer in number. The idiom that “you can’t keep them all” also carries weight, but the fact that Tuipulotu and Hansen are touring in red right now, and are both certain to figure in the Test series against the Wallabies, should have Australian rugby fans shifting uncomfortably in their seats, even if they’re chuckling at the ground announcer’s antics at the same time.
POLLOCK LOOKS LIKE A SUPER RUGBY-REARED FORWARD – NOT AN ENGLISH ONE
Outside of American superstar Ilona Maher, young Lions tourist Henry Pollock is arguably the biggest name in rugby right now. The 20-year-old Englishman exploded onto the scene over the northern winter, culminating in a Six Nations debut and then several sensational performances for Northampton in their run to the European Champions Cup final. Then on Saturday night in Perth, Pollock carved up the Western Force, setting up one try, before finishing with a stats sheet of 13 runs for 74 metres, with two clean breaks, four beaten defenders and the one offload that put Tomos Williams over for the first of his two tries.
Pollock was superb against the Force, the irony being that he plays very much in the mould of an Australian loose forward, more so than the old-school English flanker anyway. Whether he retains a starting spot for the Test series remains to be seen, but he is a clear asset for Lions coach Andy Farrell given his energy and skill set, and the fact that he can play across the back-row.
SCHMIDT SHOWS HIS TUPOU HAND AFTER ROBERTSON’S SCRUM MASTERCLASS
Taniela Tupou will turn out for the Waratahs against the Lions in Sydney this weekend after he was released from Australia’s camp in Newcastle. It’s a decision that will be welcomed by Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, so too the 40,000 or so spectators that should be preparing themselves for a blowout at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night; the Force team that hung with the Lions for 40 minutes on the weekend was infinitely stronger than the one NSW will trot out this week, particularly up front.
Prop Tom Robertson was at the heart of the Force’s resistance, after he took famed Lions prop Tadgh Furlong to school; how the hosts weren’t awarded a first-half penalty for their set-piece dominance is a question only Ben O’Keeffe can answer. Making Robertson’s performance more impressive was the fact he had spent the entire Super Rugby season at tighthead, rather than in the No. 1 jersey he wore on Saturday night. That is the same versatility that veteran Wallabies prop James Slipper has, giving Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt another front-row option he probably didn’t think he had.
Is there a world where Robertson and Slipper fill the prop spots on the bench against the Lions behind rusted-on starters Angus Bell and Allan Alaalatoa? Absolutely. But Schmidt also needs Tupou to find some form, and fast, a good 50-minute hit-out on Saturday night against the Lions, rather than potentially a second-half cameo against the Fijians, is the perfect place to do so.
PIETSCH EXPOSES LIONS’ RESTART FRAGILITY AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUAALII
Along with Robertson, winger Dylan Pietsch was the other clear standout for the Force against the Lions in Perth. The former sevens flyer played sparing little Super Rugby this season after tearing his quad, but looked in supreme condition as he shredded tackles at will and was genuinely a handful for the tourists whenever he touched the ball.
The other area where Pietsch created headaches for Farrell and his Lions coaching team was at the restart, the winger flying in to disrupt the tourists on more than one occasion. That is an area of strength for Australia’s star recruit, former Roosters centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who demonstrated his aerial prowess in his stunning Test – and professional rugby full-stop – debut at Twickenham last November. Pietsch’s eye-catching performance won’t have been lost on Schmidt, having a jumper on either side of the field at restarts would be a real bonus for the Wallabies.
REDS LOOMS AS LIONS FIRMEST PRE-TEST CHALLENGE
The Lions’ next assignment, against the Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday night, will be their toughest hit-out before they face the Wallabies back at Suncorp Stadium two-and-a-half weeks later. The Queenslanders will today name a team that could have as many as seven capped Wallabies-players, as well as rising young talents Joe Brial and Kalani Thomas.
Farrell will name his Lions team later Monday also, his challenge far tougher given he must consider Saturday’s game against the Waratahs a few days later as well. Does the Lions coach look to trot out a stronger side in Sydney, even with the knowledge that NSW will have nowhere near the same strength as Queensland? He won’t want to underestimate the Reds regardless, they will be able to go far deeper into the contest than the Force managed – and Queensland coach Les Kiss will be desperate to underline his ascension to the Wallabies job by displaying his coaching acumen.
Source: espn.com