Murray Kinsella reports from Rotorua
AMONG THE MANY interesting tidbits Warren Gatland offered up after his Lions team had taken the Māori All Blacks apart was an update on Owen Farrell.
While the England international remains a doubt for next weekend’s first Test against the All Blacks in Eden Park, Gatland suggested that he’s coming along well after his quad strain.
“We are hopeful that Owen will be OK,” said Gatland. “It was precautionary leaving them out tonight. At a pinch, he probably could have played tonight, but the ground is quite heavy and a number of players at half time had tight hamstrings, groins and calves.
“We are trying to manage them and for us it was important that we didn’t take the risk and put Owen out there.”
For many, Farrell should be the Lions’ starting out-half but if he is not fit to take a place in the 10 shirt for the first Test against the All Blacks, then Johnny Sexton’s classy performance in Rotorua would have been reassuring.
The Leinster and Ireland playmaker was back to his best, challenging the defence with ball in hand, offloading, passing intelligently and kicking with conviction, as well as offering up his usual fine contributions defensively.
Sexton showed more than enough to suggest he’s good for a Test start against the All Blacks, so if Farrell is fit then the prospect of a 10-12 combination between these two tactically-gifted players is very real.
We’ve already seen it on this tour and Sexton enjoyed the experience.
“We played 50 minutes together against the Crusaders and things went… I think we went well together,” said Sexton after helping the Lions to their 32-10 win over the Māori.
“At times, he was at 10 and I was able to be his eyes and, at other times, I was at 10 and he was able to be mine.
“It’s great when you’ve got somebody at 12 who can help you out that much. When he was at 10, I tried to help him as well. I thought we played well together but it’s up to the coaches now. We all want to play in the Test team, but it’s a 23-man game as well. I’m sure there will be different combinations.”
The connection between Sexton and Farrell looked smooth and slick, particularly given that both Gatland and assistant coach Andy Farrell had insisted that the pair have not trained together as a combination at all.
While Sexton backed that insistence up, he pointed out that there have been some links between himself and Farrell in Lions training.
“Well, there’s a few drills where you just naturally fall in together,” said Sexton. “We did a little bit in Carton House, where we weren’t put in the same team together but we were, I suppose, doing a drill where at times he was at second receiver and at times I was.
“If you know the game like he does, if he plays 10 or 12, he’ll be a huge asset to any team.”
The first thing for Farrell is getting fit but it seems a certainty that if he does so, he will be in the Test team. Perhaps that will be at 10, but there is a nagging feeling that Gatland has been holding the Sexton-Farrell combination back to unleash on the All Blacks.
Ben Te’o has strong form in the 12 shirt leading into the Tests, but he is a relatively unknown quantity as a starting centre at the highest level.
Whatever way the midfield selection goes for the Lions, Gatland will have been greatly pleased to see Sexton back commanding things in Rotorua.
The Lions head coach had previously stated his belief that Sexton had been lacking a little confidence when he had a poor game against the Provincial Barbarians in the tour opener, but Gatland felt Sexton had “got his mojo back” against the Crusaders.
“The Barbarians game was tough because we arrived Wednesday and we were expected to play on the Saturday,” said Sexton. “It was a disappointing start.
“I didn’t know you lose your mojo after one bad game. You are never that far away. When things are bad, you get written off – I have been written off hundreds of times in my career and I will probably continue to be at different stages until the end.
“But it is important you take it with a pinch of salt at times because you know if you work as hard as you always do when things are going well, it will eventually turn and as a 10 you rely on so much around you.
“If you have only got two days’ prep for the start of the tour, obviously you are not going to come out firing on all cylinders. I have just got to prepare as best I can and if it is starting, off the bench or otherwise I will just give it my all. That is all you can ask.”
While he has his own selection concerns in the next week, Sexton was pleased with the Lions’ collective performance against the Māori All Blacks.
They scored their two tries from close-range scrums and failed to capitalise on a number of chances in open play, but generally it was a display that would have warned the All Blacks that they will have a competitive Test on their hands next weekend.
That said, Sexton doesn’t quite think Steve Hansen’s men will be too concerned.
“I don’t think the All Blacks get worried, at least publicly,” said the out-half. “They don’t get too fazed by the opposition.
“They make that fairly well known, so we just have to go out and out with the game plan that we haven’t even spoken about to be honest – we have just tried to find our form and tried to get our combinations right.
“The only way you earn their respect is by beating them.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
