The data that shows why run-and-gun Lions are now a different beast
“The days of kick it and chase it and hope for good outcomes at the set-piece, from a northern hemisphere perspective, are very much in the past,” Fisher said.
“If you look at the quality of the [Lions] players, particularly the halfbacks and the 9 and 10, the width, the speed of pass, the vision, the appreciation of space, it’s an exciting prospect for our [Queensland] boys.”
The Lions were expansive in their loss to Argentina in Dublin, but didn’t go away from it in Perth, as many thought they might. The Lions scored eight tries against the Force and did so mostly with superb transition attack, wide-running forwards and a whopping 23 offloads.
Again, counter to stereotypes, the most lethal of the Lions in Perth was Scottish No.10 Finn Russell, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s most dangerous attacking players.
Russell has been paired with skilful Irish halfback Jamison Gibson-Park in the team to meet Queensland, and they’re likely to be the Test halves. The attacking-minded duo of Mack Hansen and James Lowe will operate out wide.
The Reds’ last clash with the Lions in 2013 is remembered for Luke Morahan’s incredible solo try but this tour the Queenslanders source of strength will be their forward pack, which contains a bevy of big men who have points to prove to Joe Schmidt, like Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Josh Canham, Seru Uru and Joe Brial, and Ryan Smith and Angus Blyth on the bench. With Matt Faessler, Aidan Ross and Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen also in the engine room, but some inexperienced halves, the Reds would much prefer close-quarter combat than touch footy.
That could see the Reds being the ones to take pace out of the game, use contestable kicks, and play to the set-piece, particularly given the Force also troubled them at scrum time in Perth. If they’re still in the game at the hour-mark, the pressure will then flip all onto the Lions.
“We are a team that showed over the course of the last 18 months in particular that our set-piece is strong, particularly with our scrum, our ball,” Fisher said.
Follow all the action of the British and Irish Lions tour with news and analysis from Australia’s best rugby writers. Sign up here to receive special Rolling Maul editions of our Sport newsletter.
