Review - Queensland Reds 12 - 22 British & Irish Lions

The odd thing about this particular Lions tour above others is that it seems to have had a couple of false starts.  I mean, when did the tour really begin?  Was it when the players got selected?  Probably not, since Dylan Hartley didn’t even make it onto the plane following his stupidly honest outburst directed at Wayne Barnes.  The Barbarians game?  Still a bit of a no, because half the squad wasn’t available, the game was played in bizarrely bad conditions, and the opposition looked about as coherent as Freddie Flintoff on a stag-do.  In a pedalo.

Surely, then, it was when the Lions touched down in Australia, and played their first match on Wallaby turf?  Again, everyone seems to have said “Oh, that doesn’t count”.  Why?  Because the Force picked a side that posed as much threat as bag of bunnies and, once again, there was no real test for the Lions.  But nobody thought that would be the case against the Reds in Brisbane.  From the moment that Ewan McKenzie picked a squad stuffed with 12 full Wallabies, including the mercurial Quade Cooper as his captain, you knew this was the real deal.  This would be a “Welcome to Queensland” in the way the Aussies know best.  It was going to be fast, brutal and electrifyingly good to watch.

Memories of the farce against the Force were swiftly swept aside as the Reds tore out of the blocks in an explosive opening spell that had the tourists rattled.  Playing with tremendous speed and purpose, the hosts quick tapped at every opportunity – twice from kickable penalties – to stretch the tourists’ defence from the start, and twice the Queenslanders went close to crossing for a try.  Firstly, Luke Morahan was inches away from claiming a beautifully weighted box kick from Nick Frisby, before Beau Robinson knocked on within sight of the line following a sharp burst from Ben Tapuai and then ‘Rocket’ Rod Davies.  Thankfully for the Lions, the set piece was looking utterly dominant, with the Aussie scrum crumpling with alarming ease and Geoff Parling at his telepathic best in the lineout.

Five minutes later though, and the tourists proved that the hosts weren’t the only ones capable of playing sexy rugby, with winger Tommy Bowe hitting a lovely angle to burst through the defensive line, step inside the cover and heave a big pass out to Alex Cuthbert.  The big Welshman had been caught out in defence a couple of times already but pinned his not-insignificant ears back and went for the corner, only to be denied by a superb cover tackle from Morahan.  Despite missing the try, the Lions went back to work at the set piece and soon got their reward after the pack marmalised the Reds’ 8 in another scrum, giving Owen Farrell the chance to slot over from distance.

The game was finely poised and being played at a breathless pace, and it was no surprise when the first try came – although there were stunned faces all round at the quality of the score when it came long.  Luke Morahan fielded an average kick from Owen Farrell before stepping around Alex Cuthbert – with the help of a cheeky nudge from Ben Lucas – and setting off on a mazy run that took him inside the covering Ben Youngs, through past the desperate Sam Warburton and over (via a perfectly weighted chip) Stuart Hogg, collecting his kick to dive in under the posts for an outstanding try.  Quade Cooper, whose passing had been unlocking the Lions defence on a regular basis, added the extras and the hosts had a 4 point lead.

This game was a shining example of how rugby should be played – this was fast, entertaining and brutal in the purest form of the game.  Farrell added another 3 points with the boot, but every time one side had the ball, they would create something – even the Lions fly half got in on the act, with a show-and-go taking him within metres of the line before the Reds turned him over through the excellent Robinson.  O’Donoghue then made big inroads around the fringes to give Cooper a simple penalty attempt, that the fly half scuffed, before the Lions came within the centimetres of scoring a try themselves.  Ben Youngs made a smart dart to put George North away, and the big winger should superb speed and judgement to get away from his man and flick an inside ball back in to Farrell, who was hauled down by Morahan as he reached for the line.  The TMO was called in and showed it was another stunning piece of defensive play by the Reds winger, saving a try, and the hosts had a relieving scrum.  Danger averted?

Not quite.  Under huge pressure, Jake Schatz picked up and was scragged by Ben Youngs, who forced the pill loose, back heeled and then dived on the bouncing ball to claim a try for the Lions.  The TMO was inconclusive as to whether or not the Englishman had knocked it on, but the try was award, and Farrell’s conversion put the visitors ahead.  It was soon nearly so much better for the Lions, when George North set off on an incredible run from his own 22 metre line, charging past 6 players before feeding the ball to Warburton.  The flanker was hunted down well by the cover defence but, stepping inside, it looked like he may have made it – only to be denied by a superb tackle by Quade Cooper of all people, with the Reds fly half getting his foot under the ball to prevent a try.  Despite the disappointment of missing out on a 5 pointer, Farrell added another penalty on the stroke of half time to leave the score 16 – 7 to the visitors.

If the first half had been dynamite, the second was just as explosive – although perhaps half a pace slower, as the bodies understandably started to tire.  It meant more half breaks though, as North, Ben Youngs and Dom Shipperley – on for the superb Luke Morahan – all made dangerous in roads into the opposition defence.  The Lions struck first in the 2^nd half with another Farrell penalty, before Mako Vunipola and Robinson struck each other with one of the most full-on head clashes I’ve ever seen on the rugby field.  It led to a five minute break in play, a concussion and a substitution for Robinson and a look of mild irritation for Vunipola, who looked as though he’d just suffered a mosquito bite.  The combination of the breather and the increasing rain began to suck some of the ambition out of the game, but this was still an enthralling contest as the collisions increased in ferocity.

It was ding-dong stuff, with jabs going in from either side, but it was the Reds who landed the next haymaker.   Frisby sent Davies scorching down the right wing before collecting the inside ball and just evading George North to touch down for his team’s second try.  Although substitute Mike Harris missed the simple conversion, Brisbane was beginning to believe.

Ultimately though, the Lions played the smarter rugby, with Dan Cole counter-rucking superbly to turn over ball when the Reds were mounting an attack, before fellow substitute Paul O’Connell got his hands on the ball to force a penalty as the hosts tried to play from deep, which was knocked over by Farrell.  It sealed the game at 12 – 22, but that didn’t tell the whole story.

This one was where the tour really started.  This had speed, power, drama and ambition in abundance from both sides – and if that’s any sort of taster of what’s to come on this tour, well, call me greedy, but I can’t wait.

 

Reds Player Ratings

Ben Lucas – 6 – Solid at the back but didn't see anywhere near enough of him joining the line.

Rod Davies – 7 – Having a quiet day at the office and then…BAM! Screeches down the wing and sets up the score.  Great wheels from Rocket.
Ben Tapuai – 6 – Strong defensive presence and then a sharp break early on, but then faded out of the game.
Anthony Faingaa – 5 – An absolute rock in defence but utterly invisible with the ball in hand.
Luke Morahan – 8 – Scoring one of the best solo tries in recent years against the Lions is not a  bad effort.  Neither is a try saving tackle 10 minutes later.
Quade Cooper – 7 – Everything you'd expect from Quade.  Mesmeric footwork, delicious passing, dropped passes and scuffed kicks.  Had more good moments then bad, though.
Nick Frisby – 7 – Finished off his try well and looked lively throughout – a shame about a 5 minute period where he chucked a couple of howlers, however.
Ben Daley – 5 –Took a bit of a beasting in the scrum before being subbed early on
James Hanson – 4 – Not the best of days for the hooker, enduring a torrid time in the set piece, with Geoff Parling his chief tormentor at the lineout
Greg Holmes – 4 – Would have been targeting Vunipola in the scrum but came up a clear second best.
Ed O'Donoghue – 6 – Not great in the lineout but a workman like performance from the lock, making plenty of tackles.
Adam Wallace-Harrison – 6 – Kept up well with the pace of the game and a couple of decent rumbles with the ball caught the eye.
Ed Quirk – 7 – The blindside flanker was a real thorn in the side of the Lions pack, displaying a powerful physicality in the loose that more often than not forced slow ball.
Beau Robinson – 8 – The bloke may resemble a low-budget 80s pornstar but he was a real menace for the tourists, pilfering ball and really getting stuck into the Lions' pack.  How he got up after taking Vunipola's head to his face at full tilt I'll never know.
Jake Schatz – 7 – A real shame he lost the ball to Ben Youngs in contact as he was part of a backrow effort that was outshining their illustrious opponents for much of the game.

 

Subs Used

Albert Anae – 5 – Wasn't comfortable in the scrum and couldn't make an impression around the park
Sam Denny – No time to make an impact
Jono Owen – No time to make an impact
Jarrad Butler – 6 – Showed some dynamism around the park and didn't seem overwhelmed by the pace of the game
Radike Samo – 6 – The fans favourite acquitted himself with typical gusto but couldn't quite dominate as much as he would have liked
Jono Lance – No time to make an impact
Mike Harris – 5 – Nearly went clean through with one good line but failed to hold on.  Missed a sitter of a conversion as well.
Dom Shipperley – 6 – Looked lively with some promising touches but didn't find the space Morahan did.

 

Lions Player Ratings

Stuart Hogg – 6 – A couple of lovely darts caught the eye but he was also caught out of position a couple of times

Alex Cuthbert – 5 – He didn't look quite fit to me.  Always a danger with the ball in hand but will be disappointed with his finish following Bowe's break and was caught out defensively for the 2nd try
Manu Tuilagi – 5 – Barely touched the ball before having to go off, but had played well in defence before then.
Jonathan Davies – 6 – A workmanlike display that wasn't flash, but made his tackles and carried with purpose
Tommy Bowe – 7 – Was looking really good before being forced off at the end of the first half, with one mazy run in particular nearly leading to a try.
Owen Farrell – 7 – An almost Quade-ish display, without the out-and-out flair.  Flawless goalkicking, a couple of breaks, powerful defence, some dodgy distribution and some aimless kicks summed up a mixed evening for the Saracens man.
Ben Youngs – 8 – A strong statement from the England scrum half.  Good box kicks, quick service and some sharp breaks caught the eye, but it was his tenacity that got him and the Lions on the scoresheet.
Mako Vunipola – 8 – Not quite as bulldozing as he was against the Force but his work in the scrum was superb and he worked tirelessly on the carry.
Tom Youngs – 7 – Flawless in the lineout and typically busy around the park, the Leicester hooker is giving Gatland some interesting selection decisions.
Matt Stevens – 6 – A great display in the scrum was backed up by a solid effort around the park, although he seemed to struggle with the pace as the game went on.
Richie Gray – 7 – Impressive showing from the Scottish giant.  Worked his socks off in defence and carried a fair bit as well.
Geoff Parling – 7 – Completed an impressive partnership in the second row.  He may not have been quite as impressive in the loose as his blonde-haired buddy but he was dominant in the lineout, winning a key battleground for the Lions.
Dan Lydiate – 7 – The best of the backrow, although he still isn't back to his best.  The game's top defensive player worked tirelessly, although it would have been good to see him more in attack.
Sam Warburton – 6 – It would be unfair to expect the Lions captain not to be rusty on his first game back, but he needs to get back into his stride ASAP.  Missed a key tackle on Morahan but grew in influence as the game wore on.
Toby Faletau – 5 – Disappointing from the talented 8.  One big charge aside, he was far too lateral on the carry and spilt the ball in contact several times, despite a good defensive shift.

Subs Used

Richard Hibbard – 6 – Carried on where Youngs left off with a busy showing off the bench

Dan Cole – 7 – Impressive cameo in the unfamiliar loosehead slot, and a superb piece of rucking won key turnover ball for the Lions late on.
Adam Jones – 6 – Like Cole, helped dominate the scrum and tried to get involved away from the set-piece too.
Paul O'Connell – 7 – Another to impress off the bench, looking strong in the lineout and winning the decisive penalty at the end of the game.
Justin Tipuric – No time to make an impact
Johnny Sexton – 6 – A sharp display from the Irishman added to his reputation as the overwhelming favourite to start the Tests at 10
George North – 9 – What an athlete.  The run he went on to set up Warburton for his near try was breathtaking in terms of speed and power, but he is a smart footballer as well.  The number 11 shirt is his.  Man of the match.