Gatland calls on Lions to show boldness, flair in 1st test
British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland may have been laying a false scent when he told the last news conference before the first test against New Zealand on Saturday that he wanted his players to be bold and play with flair.
Gatland has coped with the challenge of uniting players from four nations under the Lions' banner on a short and intensive tour by imposing a highly-effective but minimalist style.
The Lions haven't had the luxury in playing six matches in just over two weeks to devote any great attention to the development of their attacking game. They achieved the first significant win of the tour, over the Christchurch-based Crusaders, without scoring a try and they have shown caution in their use of possession until Tuesday's match against the Chiefs, when they scored four tries.
Gatland has developed the Lions style seemingly with the specific intention of blunting the All Blacks' attacking game and it's unlikely he will depart from it in the first test at Eden Park. The Lions have acknowledged the crucial importance of the first test in the broader scheme of the tour.
If the Lions can't beat the All Blacks in the series-opener - and their best chance of doing so depends on their rigid and successful adherence to the style of play they have produced - they will likely have little chance of winning the series. The world champion All Blacks, who have had only one match together in preparation - an impressive 78-0 win over Samoa - are only likely to improve in tests two and three.
Yet Gatland floated the possibility the Lions will attempt a more attacking style when he spoke on the eve of the test.
''Now it's about bringing other parts of our game, which is about playing with some flair and taking some risks and being courageous and bold,'' Gatland said. ''That's the way to beat the All Blacks.''
Gatland's comments were received with some skepticism and he is well known for using news conferences to plant false leads and to play psychological games with rival teams. But there was a hint in the selection of the Lions' team that he might be in serious.
Gatland has chosen the pacy England winger Elliot Daly ahead of the more powerful George North and Liam Williams ahead of Leigh Halfpenny at fullbck, which may point to a desire to play a more adventurous style.
The success of the game plan the Lions have developed on tour was shown in their wins over the Crusaders and New Zealand Maori, and Gatland admitted that remained the blueprint for the tests. But he also suggested the Lions may have to do a bit more.
''We squeezed the life out of those two teams,'' he said. ''We won't stop being aggressive defensively and to play against the All Blacks you've got to have a strong set piece because they're traditionally very dominant in those areas.
''We've created opportunities and early on in the tour we weren't finish off the line breaks but it was pleasing so see Tuesday we were starting to do that. The message to the players will be to go out and do that on Saturday night.''
Gatland said there'd been a lot of speculation about the contrasting styles ''but I think we've played some lovely rugby.''
''We struggled at the start of the tour but I think we've scored nine tries to three in the last four games so we're starting to score tries,'' he said.
There are no secrets about the style the All Blacks will adopt. They will play their typical high-tempo, high-skill style despite the Lions attempts to smother it with a rush defense.
All the signs from the All Blacks this week have been of a team going about it's business quietly and confidently.
Coach Steve Hansen said he was ''cool, calm, excited'' in the led-up to the match. Hansen said the All Blacks players are ''really up for it.''
''That doesn't guarantee you'll win the thing,'' he said, ''but it does guarantee that our attitude is right and if our attitude is right then we're a good side.''
