The Lions must be smarter and more physical in the second Test but the All Blacks will be ready for whatever Warren Gatland throws at them
The biggest problem for the British & Irish Lions is that the All Blacks are only going to get better in Wellington. They will know what is coming – Warren Gatland is going to throw the kitchen sink at them because the Lions must be more physical. I know Graham Rowntree well and he will be cracking the whip this week but New Zealand were not at their best on Saturday. They made uncharacteristic mistakes and they will improve.
But it is not just that the Lions could not handle New Zealand’s physicality. The big thing was the All Blacks’ forwards’ work with the ball at the contact area. What I noticed most was the yards they made after contact. Carriers like Brodie Retallick and Kieran Read were getting tackled behind the gainline a lot but they have the ability to spin out, make that extra one or two metres and make the pass.
Related: The key areas the Lions must focus on to recover against All Blacks | Paul Rees
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