Lions won’t cope with the brilliance of New Zealand backs, says Richie McCaw

Warning: Richie McCaw
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Jim Kayes6 June 2017

New Zealand great Richie McCaw says the Lions will struggle to contain the All Blacks X-factor players, adding that a northern belief that they’re superior in the forwards is flawed.

He says the All Blacks scrum will be at least as good as what the British and Irish side can muster and that locks Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock are world class.

“They are superb in all those things you associate northern hemisphere rugby with and can do some damage physically, that’s why, from an All Blacks perspective, the Lions will find it tough.”

Just how tough was evident in the opening match against the tossed-together Provincial Barbarians when the Lions were unable to use their scrum as a weapon and struggled to construct a lineout drive.

For parts of the match the Barbarians had the better of the Lions in driving play.

McCaw says where the Lions will really struggle is with the brilliance of the All Blacks backs, and while he highlighted Hurricanes fly-half Beauden Barrett, he also cast a blanket over the collective “X-factor”.

That’s been on display throughout Super Rugby where the New Zealand teams have dominated amid a torrent of tries — the Hurricanes crossing for 83 and the Crusaders 74.

The Lions face a Blues team tomorrow with plenty of attacking punch but not a forward pack that should cause them too many concerns. That changes on Saturday, though, when they play a Crusaders side with an All Blacks tight five.

The All Blacks squad named on Thursday will contain a list of players returning from injury including skipper Kieran Read and fellow loose forwards Jerome Kaino and Liam Squire.

Hooker Dane Coles will also be named but is at long odds to be fit for the First Test after being sidelined since mid-March with concussion.

The feature in the backs will be the quality players who don’t make it, starting with the Hurricanes midfielders Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape, who have scored 14 tries each this season.

“Our backs, at their best, will cause the Lions all sorts of headaches,” McCaw said.

“It’s what makes us a step ahead of the rest but you can’t rely on that, you have to earn the right for these guys to show their skills. The Lions will try to stifle us, so that battle up front will again be key.”

Lions coach Warren Gatland has taken exception to suggestions his side will adopt a “Warrenball” attack — an approach predicated on a direct, confrontational style of attack.

In Pictures | Provincial Barbarians vs British and Irish Lions

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He says his players have been told to use the ball, to play positive rugby and try to create chances.

“To match the All Blacks you have to display a bit of X-factor and that means an offload or something that is a little bit out of the box.”

The first true test of whether the Lions can do that will come against the Blues at Eden Park tomorrow.

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