Warren Gatland has been rich in his praise of a maturing player whose skill can counter the power of the Springboks
Winning a series in South Africa is hard at the best of times, never mind during a pandemic. For a British & Irish Lions side hurtling towards a Test series like skydivers yet to locate their ripcords, it is all about making calm, correct decisions under pressure. Find a clever tactical balance and – whoosh – up goes the canopy and everything will be fine.
Among the most crucial judgments Warren Gatland and his co-pilots must make is their ideal 10-12 combination. It goes without saying that a Lions stand-off is a pivotal individual around whom much revolves, particularly given the strength, size and reputation of the current Springbok forwards. No one is going to steamroller this lot which makes the identification of alternative ways to try and wrongfoot them absolutely vital.
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