It’s a must-win match as the Wallabies and British & Irish Lions clash for the second time.
The Lions claimed victory in the first match, and if the Australian side will need to take the win today in order to keep their chances alive.
Former Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland joined Jason Pine to break down what the Wallabies would need to do to turn their chances around, and how difficult it will be for the Lions to keep their good form rolling.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zedb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Frish and Irish Lions will look to secure a series
victory over Australia with a game to spare when they
face the Wallabies in the second Test at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground tonight. The lines of course winning the first
Test twenty seven to nineteen in Brisbane a week ago.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
And a lives stay unbeaten in Brisbane and put one
hand from a Tom Richet job.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah. A Liones win tonight would sew up the series
with a game to play. By contrast, an Australian win
would level the series at one all. The final Test
is in Sydney next Saturday night. Great pleasure to welcome
in British and Irish Lions coach on their twenty thirteen
tour of Australia and twenty seventeen tour to New Zealand,
as well as former Chiefs and Wales coach and former
(00:57):
All Blacks hooker Warren Gatland, who's involved in the television
coverage of this current tour. Larren, thanks for joining us
on Weekend Sport. Let's look back a week what stood
up most in the British and Irish Lions win in
Test one in Brisbane.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
For you, I just thought the way they dominated the
first half, I just sort their collision stuff, they go forward,
territory and possession really kind of shut Australia out in
the first stuff. In Fairnis Australia. They are a lot
better in the second half, but I felt that the
game was kind of had gone by then, so I was,
you know, I was impressed with them, you know, particularly
(01:31):
upfront dominating probably that Australian food pack.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
How much improvement do you think there is in this
line side?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
That's interesting. It's always this has been would have been
a tough week for them because they've had that game
on Tuesday against the First Nations team, so they sort
of mixing and matching and bought some players in and
you're trying to prepare for that. You're trying to give
the players that sort of belief that a good performance
and they play well, they've got a chance to be
(02:02):
collected in the in the in the test site. That's
a challenge, and you're also trying on the back of
your mind trying to prepare the Test team to get
them ready for seven night too, so it's a tough week.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But I felt that.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
They have improved from the pre tour game against Argentina
and they've got better. Obviously, some of the combinations are
working quite well and there's a lot of competition to
lose forwards. They've picked up a few injuries, so I
think it's Tralily going to be absolutely desperate. You know,
they want to they want to tie the series and
(02:38):
go to Sydney hopefully for a decider. The great thing
about winning the first tests is that you know that
you're there right until the end anyway.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Indeed, so three changes to the line starting fifteen seven
to the twenty three for the second test tonight, A couple,
as you mentioned, injury enforced Joe McCarthy, Siowy Top a
Lot who both injured, Olie Chessham Bundy a key and
also Andrew Porter come in. Is that kind of what
you expected, that that, barring those injuries it would be
a fairly settled line sight.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, I didn't expect too many changes. I think that
the word was that it was going to be Archy
and ring Rows in the midfield. Ring Ross pulled out,
you know, he's had a couple of head knocks and stuff,
so you know, maybe one or two changes, three changes,
it's you know, it's quite a number of changes. But
there's been a lot of competition on this tour and
(03:28):
I think for Australia, you know, they've have got to
dominate somewhere. And I thought that First Nations team there
was a couple of areas. I thought they were quite
good at the breakdown, they had a couple of turnovers
even though they were earned a lot of pressure in
that first half. I thought the scrumb went well. I
got a couple of scrumping reason they defended aggressively at
the back and then shut the lines down at time.
So you know, there's there's areas of this game where
(03:51):
you want to have some sort of dominance and I
didn't feel, you know, apart from the aspects of the
second half, that Australia really had that in the first Test.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, I think most people expected more from them. Did
you did you think they would be better from the
first worst the less? You say, they kind of came
right in the second half, But did you expect more
from the Wallabies from the start?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Well, I think it's been one of the things that
the lines have done. They've defended really well. I mean
the forced teams back, the teams haven't really had a
lot of go forward against him. And I thought in
the second Test when Australia started to pick and go
a little bit, they McDermott came on and caused a
little bit of damaged sort of snipping around the fringes
(04:34):
and they got a little bit of go forward and
then probably in that second half they you know, they
had you know, a lot better performance. And I think
there's something that Skelton come in and that'll see to
his game. Valentini he's always really direct in the way
that he that he carries in pereki as well up front. Yeah,
so I think there'll be a lot more direct, you know,
(04:54):
particularly around the fringes. You know, tonight for the game
and and looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Tomliner retains the team jersey. It's a bit of a
baptism of fire, isn't it for a young player, even
though he's got a very famous surname. Do you think
there would have been any temptation Warren from Joe Schmidt
to give James O'Connor the teen jersey?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, possibly or maybe some time, but you know, sometimes
when you make a call like that, you've got to
stick with it because then you're just going to completely
knock his confidence and that and he would have learned
a huge amount of fight as a young player sort
of playing at a level and experience and the pace,
the intensity and the physicality of his first start and
he's come off the bens a couple of times and stuff.
(05:39):
So I think as a coach often you make those
big calls and then you've just got to stick with them.
And then and maybe you know the thing with Joe
and Australia and know the lines so is important, but
they're also in the back of them, want to potentially
thinking a couple of years time with the World Cup
and developing players for that term, making sure that it's
(06:01):
going to be really important for Australian rugby two.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
So since the lines have arrived in Australia, they've won
all seven matter, which is no Lions side has gone
unbeaten overseas on a tour since nineteen seventy four in
South Africa. How big an incentive would that provide the
Lions an unbeaten time on Australian soil.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Oh, I think that would be massive. You know, it'd
be huge for them. It would be I know how
disappointed they were with the game in Dublin. It's before
they before they're left, but to go and defeate it
on a tour, you know, it's incredibly tough because I
don't think people always realize, you know, how difficult it
is to bring a Lions titting together. When you're bringing
(06:42):
the players from four nations and you have a few
weeks preparation and you're playing, you're trying to mix a match,
you're playing two games a week, you're in and out
hotels and traveling, and you're playing away from home against
you know, normally one of the best teams in the world,
and so it's a massive challenge. So if they're able
to do that, it would be be a huge coupe
for this Lion team. I think it's going to be
(07:03):
a huge part of your motivation in terms of going
to win that second Test and definitely go undefeated.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What are the best strategies for navigating the challenges you
just outlined there bringing everybody together, short space of time,
highly motivated opposition who only really get one chance in
their career to play the lines. How do you navigate
those challenges as a coach and as a management team.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, that's always the real challenge. And I speak to
a lot of people who had been on previous tours
and probably the common vene that came back to me
was the rugby kind of took care of itself. It
was trying to make sure that harmony off the field
was as good as it could be. And it's one
of the things that I did, and it doesn't always
(07:46):
help with your preparation. And if you're in the back
of your mind, if you're thinking about combinations and test matches,
is sort of saying to the players, you know, everyone
would get a start in the first three games. And
if you're a player and you're on tour and the
coach says you're going to get a start, and you think,
I five play well and the team plays well, and
now maybe there's an opportunity for me to be selected,
and the test side of the startiing fifteen or the
(08:08):
twenty three, and that kind of I found that was
really really positive for the group, feeling everyone felt like
they had an opportunity that they've been in the shop window,
you know. So, like I said, it's not always the
easiest thing to do, but you know you've got to
try and really get those things. And you know, having
a few nights out together as a team are particularly
(08:29):
early on, you know, a couple of quiet ones to
sort of bring everyone together as always as a real
positive as well, and they would have done lots of
things with committees and you know, having for that we
things in terms of everyone being involved, and I'm sure
Andy would have done a really good job in terms
of trying to facilitate that all.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Right back to tonight to finish, can you see Australia
improving enough to take this to a third Test?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Well, I think they have to. I think that they DestinE.
I can remember back in twenty thirteen and the emotion
afterwards that the Australian players, James Fall and that sort
of expressed and released they were so desperate to win
their second Test and they're going to be absolutely desperate tonight.
(09:18):
So and it's probably in the back of their minds
that they are the desperate ones Australia. The Lions know
they've kind of sort of a get out of jail cut,
if you know what I mean. In terms of I'm
sure that they won't want to use that, but it's
a testament. It's rugby. Even in the season, it's really
really difficult to be on that absolute mental age and
(09:41):
peak game after game after game, and so I think Australia,
you know, that's definitely where they have to be. But
you know, it's a really strong Lions team and looking
forward to what's going to be hopefully you're really entertaining
and you know, really really exciting encounter.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yet so Laarren, really appreciate you joining us with your
insight and expertise. Thanks for your time this afternoon on ZB.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Cheers, Cheers, funny thanks.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Thank you, Warren. Warren Gatlin. They're out of Melbourne where
he's part of the television commentary team for tonight's second
Test Australia, British and Irish Lines mcg vearying reports, what
was the placehold? One hundred thousand over ninety thousand? Anywayre
going to be there, you have to think it will
get pretty close to capacity. Just as an indication of
the favoritism here on our tab, the British and Irish
(10:29):
lines are paying a dollar twenty two Australia four dollars
twenty but they will be desperate they have to win
to keep the series alive, but the British and Irish line,
certainly last week it didn't feel to me anyway got
out of third gear and winning that. So it's going
to take a big upswing in the fortunes of Australian
rugby if they're going to take this to a serious
(10:49):
decider in Sydney a week from now.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zedb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Frish and Irish Lions will look to secure a series
victory over Australia with a game to spare when they
face the Wallabies in the second Test at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground tonight. The lines of course winning the first
Test twenty seven to nineteen in Brisbane a week ago.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
And a lives stay unbeaten in Brisbane and put one
hand from a Tom Richet job.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah. A Liones win tonight would sew up the series
with a game to play. By contrast, an Australian win
would level the series at one all. The final Test
is in Sydney next Saturday night. Great pleasure to welcome
in British and Irish Lions coach on their twenty thirteen
tour of Australia and twenty seventeen tour to New Zealand,
as well as former Chiefs and Wales coach and former
(00:57):
All Blacks hooker Warren Gatland, who's involved in the television
coverage of this current tour. Larren, thanks for joining us
on Weekend Sport. Let's look back a week what stood
up most in the British and Irish Lions win in
Test one in Brisbane.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
For you, I just thought the way they dominated the
first half, I just sort their collision stuff, they go forward,
territory and possession really kind of shut Australia out in
the first stuff. In Fairnis Australia. They are a lot
better in the second half, but I felt that the
game was kind of had gone by then, so I was,
you know, I was impressed with them, you know, particularly
(01:31):
upfront dominating probably that Australian food pack.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
How much improvement do you think there is in this
line side?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
That's interesting. It's always this has been would have been
a tough week for them because they've had that game
on Tuesday against the First Nations team, so they sort
of mixing and matching and bought some players in and
you're trying to prepare for that. You're trying to give
the players that sort of belief that a good performance
and they play well, they've got a chance to be
(02:02):
collected in the in the in the test site. That's
a challenge, and you're also trying on the back of
your mind trying to prepare the Test team to get
them ready for seven night too, so it's a tough week.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But I felt that.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
They have improved from the pre tour game against Argentina
and they've got better. Obviously, some of the combinations are
working quite well and there's a lot of competition to
lose forwards. They've picked up a few injuries, so I
think it's Tralily going to be absolutely desperate. You know,
they want to they want to tie the series and
(02:38):
go to Sydney hopefully for a decider. The great thing
about winning the first tests is that you know that
you're there right until the end anyway.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Indeed, so three changes to the line starting fifteen seven
to the twenty three for the second test tonight, A couple,
as you mentioned, injury enforced Joe McCarthy, Siowy Top a
Lot who both injured, Olie Chessham Bundy a key and
also Andrew Porter come in. Is that kind of what
you expected, that that, barring those injuries it would be
a fairly settled line sight.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah, I didn't expect too many changes. I think that
the word was that it was going to be Archy
and ring Rows in the midfield. Ring Ross pulled out,
you know, he's had a couple of head knocks and stuff,
so you know, maybe one or two changes, three changes,
it's you know, it's quite a number of changes. But
there's been a lot of competition on this tour and
(03:28):
I think for Australia, you know, they've have got to
dominate somewhere. And I thought that First Nations team there
was a couple of areas. I thought they were quite
good at the breakdown, they had a couple of turnovers
even though they were earned a lot of pressure in
that first half. I thought the scrumb went well. I
got a couple of scrumping reason they defended aggressively at
the back and then shut the lines down at time.
So you know, there's there's areas of this game where
(03:51):
you want to have some sort of dominance and I
didn't feel, you know, apart from the aspects of the
second half, that Australia really had that in the first Test.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, I think most people expected more from them. Did
you did you think they would be better from the
first worst the less? You say, they kind of came
right in the second half, But did you expect more
from the Wallabies from the start?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Well, I think it's been one of the things that
the lines have done. They've defended really well. I mean
the forced teams back, the teams haven't really had a
lot of go forward against him. And I thought in
the second Test when Australia started to pick and go
a little bit, they McDermott came on and caused a
little bit of damaged sort of snipping around the fringes
(04:34):
and they got a little bit of go forward and
then probably in that second half they you know, they
had you know, a lot better performance. And I think
there's something that Skelton come in and that'll see to
his game. Valentini he's always really direct in the way
that he that he carries in pereki as well up front. Yeah,
so I think there'll be a lot more direct, you know,
(04:54):
particularly around the fringes. You know, tonight for the game
and and looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Tomliner retains the team jersey. It's a bit of a
baptism of fire, isn't it for a young player, even
though he's got a very famous surname. Do you think
there would have been any temptation Warren from Joe Schmidt
to give James O'Connor the teen jersey?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, possibly or maybe some time, but you know, sometimes
when you make a call like that, you've got to
stick with it because then you're just going to completely
knock his confidence and that and he would have learned
a huge amount of fight as a young player sort
of playing at a level and experience and the pace,
the intensity and the physicality of his first start and
he's come off the bens a couple of times and stuff.
(05:39):
So I think as a coach often you make those
big calls and then you've just got to stick with them.
And then and maybe you know the thing with Joe
and Australia and know the lines so is important, but
they're also in the back of them, want to potentially
thinking a couple of years time with the World Cup
and developing players for that term, making sure that it's
(06:01):
going to be really important for Australian rugby two.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
So since the lines have arrived in Australia, they've won
all seven matter, which is no Lions side has gone
unbeaten overseas on a tour since nineteen seventy four in
South Africa. How big an incentive would that provide the
Lions an unbeaten time on Australian soil.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Oh, I think that would be massive. You know, it'd
be huge for them. It would be I know how
disappointed they were with the game in Dublin. It's before
they before they're left, but to go and defeate it
on a tour, you know, it's incredibly tough because I
don't think people always realize, you know, how difficult it
is to bring a Lions titting together. When you're bringing
(06:42):
the players from four nations and you have a few
weeks preparation and you're playing, you're trying to mix a match,
you're playing two games a week, you're in and out
hotels and traveling, and you're playing away from home against
you know, normally one of the best teams in the world,
and so it's a massive challenge. So if they're able
to do that, it would be be a huge coupe
for this Lion team. I think it's going to be
(07:03):
a huge part of your motivation in terms of going
to win that second Test and definitely go undefeated.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What are the best strategies for navigating the challenges you
just outlined there bringing everybody together, short space of time,
highly motivated opposition who only really get one chance in
their career to play the lines. How do you navigate
those challenges as a coach and as a management team.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, that's always the real challenge. And I speak to
a lot of people who had been on previous tours
and probably the common vene that came back to me
was the rugby kind of took care of itself. It
was trying to make sure that harmony off the field
was as good as it could be. And it's one
of the things that I did, and it doesn't always
(07:46):
help with your preparation. And if you're in the back
of your mind, if you're thinking about combinations and test matches,
is sort of saying to the players, you know, everyone
would get a start in the first three games. And
if you're a player and you're on tour and the
coach says you're going to get a start, and you think,
I five play well and the team plays well, and
now maybe there's an opportunity for me to be selected,
and the test side of the startiing fifteen or the
(08:08):
twenty three, and that kind of I found that was
really really positive for the group, feeling everyone felt like
they had an opportunity that they've been in the shop window,
you know. So, like I said, it's not always the
easiest thing to do, but you know you've got to
try and really get those things. And you know, having
a few nights out together as a team are particularly
(08:29):
early on, you know, a couple of quiet ones to
sort of bring everyone together as always as a real
positive as well, and they would have done lots of
things with committees and you know, having for that we
things in terms of everyone being involved, and I'm sure
Andy would have done a really good job in terms
of trying to facilitate that all.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Right back to tonight to finish, can you see Australia
improving enough to take this to a third Test?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Well, I think they have to. I think that they DestinE.
I can remember back in twenty thirteen and the emotion
afterwards that the Australian players, James Fall and that sort
of expressed and released they were so desperate to win
their second Test and they're going to be absolutely desperate tonight.
(09:18):
So and it's probably in the back of their minds
that they are the desperate ones Australia. The Lions know
they've kind of sort of a get out of jail cut,
if you know what I mean. In terms of I'm
sure that they won't want to use that, but it's
a testament. It's rugby. Even in the season, it's really
really difficult to be on that absolute mental age and
(09:41):
peak game after game after game, and so I think Australia,
you know, that's definitely where they have to be. But
you know, it's a really strong Lions team and looking
forward to what's going to be hopefully you're really entertaining
and you know, really really exciting encounter.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yet so Laarren, really appreciate you joining us with your
insight and expertise. Thanks for your time this afternoon on ZB.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Cheers, Cheers, funny thanks.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Thank you, Warren. Warren Gatlin. They're out of Melbourne where
he's part of the television commentary team for tonight's second
Test Australia, British and Irish Lines mcg vearying reports, what
was the placehold? One hundred thousand over ninety thousand? Anywayre
going to be there, you have to think it will
get pretty close to capacity. Just as an indication of
the favoritism here on our tab, the British and Irish
(10:29):
lines are paying a dollar twenty two Australia four dollars
twenty but they will be desperate they have to win
to keep the series alive, but the British and Irish line,
certainly last week it didn't feel to me anyway got
out of third gear and winning that. So it's going
to take a big upswing in the fortunes of Australian
rugby if they're going to take this to a serious
(10:49):
decider in Sydney a week from now.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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