Forwards leave coach spoilt for choice and set tourists up well for the tests that lie ahead as they prepare for their match against the Highlanders on TuesdayIt is impossible to overstate the fresh sense of purpose that has accompanied the entire British & Irish Lions squad south from Christchurch to Otago. Not many sides conquer a strong Crusaders team with something to spare and the result on Saturday had two significant consequences. Not only do these Lions have more belief in themselves but New Zealand’s worst nightmare is in danger of materialising.From a New Zealand point of view all was relatively normal before the weekend. The touring team had been struggling to make an impression, the local media were...
Fearless captain’s cavalier innings shows his England side are no longer cowed by a canary-yellow onslaught in one-day cricketEoin Morgan had tipped the raucous Eric Hollies stand here to be one of England’s chief assets before their encounter with Australia. As the captain signalled the charge that would eventually dump their rivals out of the Champions Trophy, the army of assorted bananas, gorillas, Mexicans and Nintendo characters duly responded. Related: England’s carefree Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes ensure Australia exit Related: Ben Stokes universally praised after Champions Trophy ton for England Continue reading...
The Owen Farrell-inspired victory for the British and Irish Lions against unbeaten Crusaders, after being tipped to not win another game on tour, will keep New Zealand’s analysts awake for nights to comeAs the past few weeks on the election trail have shown, a campaign rarely runs in a straight line. What seems certain one day can look unlikely the next and a few days after being tipped to go through the rest of the tour without securing a victory the Lions not only defeated the previously unbeaten Crusaders but gave New Zealand some reasons to be fearful.One disappointment for the Lions, which will kick in after the euphoria and relief of a win they needed with the majority of...
There was much to admire in Christchurch, but Warren Gatland still has some fine-tuning to do before the first Test against the All BlacksStill not very pretty, but mightily effective against Super Rugby’s only unbeaten team this year – and as Warren Gatland said: “We needed that, didn’t we?” He has repeatedly claimed that only the Test series matters, but while there was palpable relief on his face after the criticism that followed the Blues defeat, you get the feeling he had targeted this match as the opportunity for the Lions to announce their arrival. Certainly they had a far more cohesive gameplan – with aggressive, suffocating defence at its heart – and his side were far more composed, finishing...
With an All Black tight five, the Christchurch side are powerful in the ruck and they can really do some damage through Richie Mo’unga and David HaviliWarren Gatland is kidding no one when he says there is not much difference between playing the Super Rugby teams and the All Blacks. He’s trying to take the pressure off his players but they’ve just lost to the Blues, who haven’t beaten another Kiwi side all season. Test level is a different, much bigger beast and when it’s the full-blooded All Blacks against the Lions the levels of pressure and intensity will go right through the roof.While losing to the Blues was a blow it wasn’t fatal and now they come to the...