British & Irish Lions are crying out for an injection of authority and aggression - but the answer might be right under their noses, writes NIK SIMON
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As all 38 Lions players circled the Allianz Stadium after the final whistle, the cameras pointed towards a man who has not played a minute.
Owen Farrell stood on the sideline in fits of laughter, sharing a joke with Bundee Aki. The Englishman has barely had time to iron the creases out of his new tracksuit yet it already feels like his stock is rising.
A few metres away, Finn Russell ran around with his daughter, enjoying his night off, encouraging her to climb on the back of BIL the Lions teddy. The Scotsman looked like a man without a care in the world and who can blame him? The No 10 jersey for the Tests looks firmly in his grasp. You suspect that neither of the Farrells would argue with that.
This was night that proved better for the players who were off the pitch, rather than on it.
Fin Smith was handed the No 10 shirt for an hour but he did not show the best of himself. The backline faltered, looking less than the sum of their parts against a middle-of-the-road Waratahs team.
They were lateral, forcing passes, failing to punch their way through the middle. They looked like a team that needed an injection of something.
For the final quarter, Marcus Smith was given the chance to take over. Perhaps that something was a dash of Marcus magic. He ran on full of energy, bouncing around like Jack Grealish, orange boots with his socks around his ankles. He showed some nice touches yet, whilst he was on the pitch, the Lions failed to score a point. He kicked a penalty dead and walked off the pitch with Tadhg Furlong’s arm around his shoulder.
The Lions were turned over 20 times and averaged just 1.3 points per visit to the 22. They looked like a group that needed an injection of authority and aggression. Someone to bark at the team’s strike runners to run it hard and straight, instead of taking the cultured approach.
No one brings that doggedness like Farrell and, with Elliot Daly’s versatility no longer an option, he may well end up being the fall-back to Russell’s magic hand.
There were boos when Farrell appeared on the big screen. Even team-mate Will Stuart joined in with the hecklers, knowing full well that the Englishman is one of rugby’s favourite pantomime villains. Picking Farrell on the bench will not be popular yet it could be pragmatic if his father, Andy, opts for a 6-2 split of forwards and backs.
The Lions want players across the backline who are competent ball-players. Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn both stepped in at second receiver yet the passes often failed to stick. The ball was slippery from the start, with the Lions accusing their hosts of soaking the pitch in water before kick-off.
Slow starts have become a trend for the Lions this tour. They have come up against opponents who want to make a statement and here the Waratahs charge was led by their relentless flanker Charlie Gamble. With his jet black hair and striking moustache, he looked like a man who had been on the run with Ned Kelly as he relentlessly disrupted the breakdowns.
Hugo Keenan spilt an early ball under pressure and it took an interception from unlikely hero Scott Cummings to save an early try. To their credit, the Lions pack improved at the set-piece, with Cummings marshalling the lineout and Pierre Schoeman winning his scrum battle with Taniela Tupou. The downside was the pack were less effective in open play.
Using the set-piece as their platform, Sione Tuipulotu stepped in at first receiver to make the first breakthrough. Using his eyes to direct the defence towards Fin Smith, he popped a no-look pass to his club and country mate Jones, who ran off his shoulder to score. They work together in perfect synchronicity yet this was a night when Aki’s hard and straight philosophy could have been more effective.
After conceding four quick penalties, the Lions got out of jail when Gamble’s try was ruled out for obstruction. A sharper, Test-level team would not have been so forgiving.
Jones used his footwork to dance around Rob Leota for his second try but the Lions restart wobbles continued. They found themselves under pressure as their exit plays faltered. Mitchell kicked the ball downfield under pressure and the Waratahs ran it back. Tupou triggered a blindside attack from the ruck and Darby Lancaster ran over the top of Keenan – a tackle that will give him sleepless nights – to score the hosts’ first.
It was two tries apiece when Ethan Dobbins scored for the hosts early in the second half. Mitchell grew in authority, running sharp and evasive lines as he scored the Lions third try from the back of the scrum. Ben Earl impressed, too.
The trend has been for the Lions to pull away in the final quarter but here that did not happen, lacking their ruthless edge, although it may be right under their noses.
