The calm before the storm.
That famous phrase comes to mind when talking before a mid-week,
inter-Lions Test match between the dirt-trackers and a provincial side. Or, after the game we’ve just seen, perhaps
the calm after the storm would be
more appropriate. Somehow, a game that
would have had us all clamouring for selection hints and ideas on combinations
now seems about as interesting as a paint-drying competition contested by
accountants. Or so it would seem – this is,
after all, a Lions tour and there is still a heck of a lot to play for in this
one.
The Rebels are still the babies of Aussie rugby. I say the babies, but they’ve overtaken the
Force in terms of bank-backing and league position this year and, despite a
mixed season where an embarrassing 70-point hammering against the Sharks and a
home-loss to whipping boys the Kings were followed up by back-to-back wins over
the Stormers and the Wartahs. It’s a bit
hit-and-miss as to which Rebels side will show up, but when they do, they can
give anybody a run for their money. They’re
also only missing 4 Wallabies, and although guys like James O’Connor, Scott Higginbotham,
Kurtley Beale and Nick Phipps are hard to replace, they’ve actually played some
of their best rugby this year without their ‘big stars’. I’m not quite sure what that says about their
key players, but the Rebels have made a habit of forcing tight games through a
frantic and committed defence which forces turnovers and a strong and mobile
pack which is more than capable of outmuscling any opponent – and the big boys
in the Melbourne side will be hungry to make their own statement and piece of
history against the tourists, especially since their rivals, the Brumbies
managed to do a job on them.
The Lions’ mid-weekers meanwhile, will know that there are
still potential Test squad spots up for grabs, especially with somebody going
down crocked almost every other day it seems.
The likes of Richard Hibbard, Dan Lydiate, Sean O’Brien and Manu Tuilagi
all have decent shouts and making headway and it seems like the team spirit
amongst the squad is such that there will be no half-measures in this
game. With Tuilagi back in the side, the
team has a much more ‘Gatlandball’ look about it, unlike against the Brumbies,
when Billy Twelvetrees was forced into the crash ball role. With Brad Barritt and Manu Tuilagi, in particular,
forming an ultra-physical midfield, you can be sure that the side won’t lack
for momentum when it comes taking on the Rebels on the gainline. Also, having a bloke at 10 who has actually
played more than 1 professional game at fly half is always a bonus.
This may not be the main event, but this is still a Lions
tour, and this is still the scalp that every side wants. It may seem calm now, but by Tuesday night, a
storm will be brewing.
Rebels Team News
The Rebels are missing four Wallabies but include three
capped players in their match-day squad, with scrum-half Luke Burgess starting
his first game on his return from France, and former Wales international Gareth
Delve leading the side from number eight.
Starting Line
up: Jason Woodward; Tom English,
Mitch Inmar, Rory Sidey, Lachlan Mitchell; Bryce Hegarty, Luke Burgess; Nic
Henderson, Ged Robinson, Laurie Weeks, Cadeyrn Neville, Hugh Pyle, Jarrod
Saffy, Scott Fuglistaller, Gareth Delve (capt).
Subs: Pat Leafa,
Cruze Ah-Nau, Paul Alo-Emilie, Luke Jones, Jordy Reid, Nic Stirzaker, Angus
Roberts, Cooper Vuna.
Key Player
Hugh Pyle. The lanky
second row has been a revelation this season, touching down for 3 tries
already. He is surprisingly strong in
the tackle and his inspector gadget arms have proven to be a useful weapon, not
only in reaching for the try line but also in getting his hands free to offload
behind defenders. He’ll also be well
aware that one of the few areas where the Rebels can genuinely pressurise the
Lions is in the lineout, with Richard Hibbard and substitute Rory Best enduring
tricky times on their throws of late. If
Pyle can get in front of the Lions’ jumpers, then it may just plant some seeds
of doubt in tourists’ minds – and we all saw what happened when the lineout
fell apart against the Brumbies.
Lions Team News
Wales flanker Dan Lydiate will lead the British & Irish
Lions against the Melbourne Rebels on Tuesday night after the latest injury
crisis to hit the squad forced them into a late change. England lock Geoff Parling was set to lead the
Lions into their final midweek clash at AAMI Park but was withdrawn on the eve
of the game following an injury to fellow second row Paul O'Connell. Parling
looks set to replace O'Connell in the Test side for Saturday's showdown at the
Etihad Stadium while Wales lock Ian Evans is promoted from the bench to fill
the void in the team that will line-up against the Rebels. The late switch
follows another change to the original side that saw Ireland and Ulster prop
Tom Court drafted onto the replacements' bench for Mako Vunipola, who is being
rested as cover for Test prop Alex Corbisiero who is battling a calf injury
suffered in the Lions' first Test triumph at the weekend. Centre Manu Tuilagi is back for his first
game since suffering shoulder injury against the Reds back on June 8 and will
partner England colleague Brad Barritt in midfield. Rob Kearney is named at
fullback, linking with Simon Zebo and Sean Maitland in the back three.
Starting Line up: Rob
Kearney; Sean Maitland, Manu Tuilagi, Brad Barritt, Simon Zebo; Owen Farrell,
Conor Murray; Ryan Grant, Richard Hibbard, Dan Cole, Richie Gray, Ian Evans,
Dan Lydiate (capt), Sean O'Brien, Toby Faletau.
Subs: Rory Best,
Tom Court, Matt Stevens, Tom Croft, Justin Tipuric, Ben Youngs, Billy
Twelvetrees, Stuart Hogg.
Key Player
Manu Tuilagi. The Leicester
centre has had a frustrating tour, playing a grand total of 95 minutes. He put in an impressive display against the
Western Force before an injury against the Reds forced him off before he could
have an impact in that game, and he will be keen to make up for lost time. He will be well aware that Gatland’s game
plan demands having at least one centre who can make serious yardage on the
carry, and that the Lions backline doesn’t quite seem to function without the
likes of Roberts or Tuilagi trucking the ball up on first phase. A big and busy performance here will not only
keep the Rebels’ defenders interested and the Lions on the front foot, but will
also give Gatland a serious selection headache heading into the second test.
Key Battle
Gareth Delve v Toby Faletau.
Gareth Delve is a name that will ring familiar with many northern
hemisphere fans – especially the Welsh. The former Gloucester and Wales number 8 made the
move down under with Danny Cipriani when the Rebels were first set up – but unlike
the self-styled ‘flash’ fly-half, the number 8 won the respect of his peers and
the fans with his bravery, dedication and general reluctance to act like a
complete tit. As captain, he is less of
a powerful ball carrying number 8 but more of a glue that holds the side
together – at times he seems to be everywhere, taking the hard yards, making his
tackles, offloading into space. Of
course, he will be up for another grafter in the shape of Faletau, but the
current incumbent of the Welsh number 8 shirt has that little more zip to his
play and his work rate and carrying will be crucial for the Lions. If Delve can tie his man down into a personal
battle, however, the Lions may find that they will lose a bit of fluency and,
if the game gets scrappy, anything can happen.
Prediction
After the hype of a Test match it seems odd to come back to
the midweek games, but make no mistake, this will be a physical contest. With both sides containing hard, physical
players there will be no shortage of big hits and, whilst the Lions players
will be looking for one last big shift to force themselves into Test
contention, the Rebels will be fired up to prove that they are not simply a
forgettable undercard to the second Test in Melbourne on Saturday...or indeed
the State of Origin on Wednesday. But
the Lions will have too much experience and too much class throughout their ranks,
and I can see them breaking down the Rebels as the game wears on – despite the
Melbourne outfit proving to be a stubborn side and surprising several ‘big’
teams this year. Lions by 15.
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