The non-Test matches on a Lions tour are always a bit of a
mixed bag. You can end up with one-sided
drubbings, such as the game against the Western Force, or brutal, fast-paced
nerve-shredders like the cracker against the Reds on Saturday, but the trick is
to be able to get something out of each encounter. Of course, when the opposition is posing
about as much of a threat as damp sponge, then it can be quite hard to gauge
exactly what your end product is.
That said, with such a short amount of time on a Lions tour,
every game played on every pitch is worth its weight in gold, and any chance to
get players used to each other on the field is a chance that has to be seized. Not only does this apply to guys stating
their case for the first time – such as injury call-ups Alex Corbisiero and
Ryan Grant – but it also goes for blokes who may not have hit their stride
fully as yet, such as Richard Hibbard, Conor Murray and Sean Maitland; they
know they have to make the most of these opportunities to impress. And that’s especially true when you have a
guy who’s never played professionally in a position starting his first game in
that spot – step forward Stuart Hogg.
The youngest member of the tour has looked sharp on occasions but has
been burdened with the responsibility of being the “back-up” flyhalf, due to
Gatland’s rather odd decision to just travel with 2 playmakers – who are now of
course both carrying niggling injuries.
That places a lot of pressure on the young man’s shoulders – but he might
as well get used to it in a match against possibly the only side less-prepared
than the British and Irish Lions.
The Combined Country XV are nicknamed the Blokes from the
Bush, and there’s a good chance they might be left out in the wilderness
against a team with vastly more experience and firepower on Tuesday
evening. With just a handful of players
with professional experience, this is a side that realistically stands no chance
of upsetting the Lions wagon – but they’ll have adopted that Western Force mantra
to leave some form of physical impact before the 80 minutes is up. They know that the only way they can possibly
get close to the tourists is to get under their skin and make them forget their
patterns and game plans – they may mostly be electricians or plumbers, but they
can all hit bloody hard, and none of them will want to miss the opportunity of
a lifetime to smash someone from the ‘big time’.
This one might look like a walkover, but with the Test
series hurtling up over the horizon at an alarming rate, every minute counts
for this Lions side. That means that no
matter who the opposition, the tourists have to approach every match with a
view to making every connection and every partnership click, because the clock
is ticking. And nobody wants to run out
of time.
Combined Country
XV Team News
Melbourne Rebels No.8 Tim Davidson will captain a side
featuring eight Super Rugby players including Brumbies hooker Josh Mann-Rae,
Force lock Phoenix Battye, Reds lock Blake Enever, Reds flanker Jarrad Butler,
Force scrum-half Michael Snowden, Rebels fly-half Angus Roberts and Brumbies
winger Tom Cox. The team also includes local favourite Lewis Catt who plays for
Newcastle Wanderers Rugby Club.
Starting Line
up: Nathan Trist; Alex Gibbon, Lewie
Catt, Tareta-Junior Siakisini, Tom Cox; Angus Roberts, Michael Snowden; Haydn
Hirsimaki; Josh Mann-Rae, Tim Metcher, Phoenix Battye, Blake Enever; Richard
Stanford, Jarrad Butler; Tim Davidson (c)
Subs: Tom
Kearney, Dylan Evans, Rikki Abraham, Rory Arnold, Trent Dyer, Adam McCormack,
Shaun McCarthy, Dale Ahwang
Key Player
Jarrad Butler. The
guy may almost share the same name as one of the biggest movie stars on the
planet, but the flanker is a bit of an unknown himself – but he does have one
key string to his bow. He came off the
bench for the Reds and took on the Lions on Saturday, and showed good energy against
the tourists, but most importantly he will be one of the few players with Super
Rugby experience and, critically, knowledge of what the Lions will bring to the
table. The rest of his side will be
looking to him to lead the fight against the men in red and ensure that the
scoreline at least has an air of respectability about it.
Lions Team News
Brian O'Driscoll reunites with Jamie Roberts in midfield for
the first time since the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. Stuart Hogg shifts to
fly-half to allow Sean Maitland to come into the side at fullback while Alex
Cuthbert retains his place on the right wing. George North, who impressed off
the bench against the Reds having replaced centre Manu Tuilagi, is on the other
flank while Ireland's Conor Murray partners Hogg at half-back. Alex Corbisiero
is handed his first start of the tour at loose-head with Richard Hibbard and
Dan Cole lining up alongside him. Richie Gray, who also started against the
Reds, is named in the second-row with Ian Evans handed the No.5 shirt. And in
the back-row, Justin Tipuric, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip all start.
Starting Line up: Sean
Maitland, Alex Cuthbert, Brian O'Driscoll, Jamie Roberts, George North; Stuart
Hogg, Conor Murray; Alex Corbisiero, Richard Hibbard, Dan Cole, Richie Gray,
Ian Evans, Sean O'Brien, Justin Tipuric, Jamie Heaslip.
Subs: Rory Best,
Ryan Grant, Matt Stevens, Alun Wyn Jones, Toby Faletau, Mike Phillips, Jonathan
Davies, Leigh Halfpenny
Key Player
Stuart Hogg. It was
always a bit of an odd statement to claim that a bloke who last played fly half
in school could step up in a Lions Test match if necessary. The Scotsman is a damned fine full back but
he will need all the game time at 10 possible if he is going to be able to fill
in adequately if required – Gatland’s made the right decision in playing the
experienced Conor Murray and Jamie Roberts either side of him. It will be interesting to see how the baby of
the tour handles the highest-pressure position in the game for the most-scrutinised
team in the team.
Key Battle
Lewis Catt v Brian O'Driscoll. The local lad, Lewis Catt, is a computer
programmer by trade and has never had a professional contract in his career,
despite obviously being half-decent.
He's up against Brian O'Driscoll, the most capped centre of all time
with 131 international appearances, 47 tries and 250 points. Should be no contest? It should be, but O'Driscoll should know that
he'll need to be on his toes against a bloke with nothing to lose and absolutely
everything to gain in a game against his self-confessed hero.
Prediction
This Lions side will have far too much experience and class
for a makeshift outfit containing only a select few with Super Rugby
experience, even with Stuart Hogg starting at the unfamiliar position of fly
half. It's a good game for those who
will be pushing forward their test credentials, as they should get plenty of
front-foot ball to show off what they can offer – if the Combined XV don't get
a foothold in the pack, it could end up being a big score for the tourists. Lions
by 50.
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