First Test scoreline flattered the Wallabies... but our brave Lions can only improve Down Under

The first Test between the Lions and the Wallabies might not have produced the fireworks we were expecting, but there were still plenty of issues for our Three Wise Men to sink their teeth into. 

Here, former Scotland captains ANDY NICOL and JASON WHITE join Mail Sport’s deputy chief sports writer CALUM CROWE to run the rule over the Scottish midfield axis, why the victorious Lions dropped off in the second half, and whether we should be anticipating a 3-0 whitewash or a stirring Aussie fightback.

What were your overall thoughts on the game and why do you feel there was such a drop-off in the second half?

Andy Nicol: It was a very comfortable win for the Lions. They were excellent for the first 50 minutes, sharp in attack and strong in defence but then almost stopped playing. At 24-5, it looked like it could get to 40 and the Aussies around me in the stadium were fearing the worst. In fact, many ended up talking to each other rather than watching the game.

Australia upped their game a little in the second half but it was more because the Lions dropped in their accuracy and intensity and let them back in the game. The eight-point difference hugely flattered the Wallabies and the Lions won with some ease.

Jason White: The Lions were so dominant in the first half and should really have had another couple of tries through Huw Jones and James Lowe. They were good value for their victory, with Ellis Genge, Tadhg Beirne, Finn Russell and Huw Jones producing the big performances the occasion required.

The second-half drop-off was a concern. They could have kept some of the players on the pitch for a bit longer before bringing on replacements. Australia certainly grew into the game and have the capacity to improve their performance by 20 per cent for this week, which is a concern for the Lions.

Calum Crowe: The Lions were running riot in the first half and physically dominated the Wallabies. But there seemed to be an element of complacency in their performance during the second half. Leading 17-5 at the break, they should have kicked on and racked up a record score against Australia. 

After taking their foot off the gas, it was Australia who emerged with more credit at full-time. Andy Farrell and Maro Itoje have spoken about standards and they will be driving the message this week that the second half just wasn’t good enough.

How did you rate the Scotland midfield axis of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones?

CC: They were outstanding in a dominant first-half performance. Russell’s pass to create the opening try for Tuipulotu was world class and the Wallabies defence had no answer to the Scotland playmaker.

Tuipulotu revelled in the occasion after some of the jibes from the Aussies, but it was Jones who really impressed me. He has been one of the Lions standout performers across the tour so far. He was unfortunate to have a try ruled out but some of the lines he was running were devastating and he’s clearly a player at the peak of his powers right now.

AN: Finn was magic in the first half. He controlled the game beautifully, kicking well, passing sharply and looked total class. His build-up play for Sione’s try was brilliant; two very different passes but both executed perfectly. His only blip was when he butchered the cross-field kick for Joe McCarthy. He will be gutted as he normally gets those kick passes right on the money.

Sione was excellent as well, bringing great shape to the Lions attack, running direct when it was required. Huw almost got on the scoresheet as well but his try was ruled out fo not releasing the ball in a tackle. Huw did a lot of good things and, collectively, they defended very well against the strength of this Australia team, their centres.

JW: They were excellent as a unit and should be proud of their input. One of Finn’s super strengths is his ability to have time on the ball and assess which option to take, all within milliseconds. His pass for Sione’s try was a brilliant example of that.

Defensively they were capable of keeping the Australia X-factor players quiet. A good day’s work all round.

Australia looked under-cooked in the first half. Have you been surprised by their approach, their lack of game time, and their reluctance to release players to play for their club sides during the warm-up games?

AN: They were really poor in the first 50 and only got back in because the Lions dropped off. There’s been a lot of talk out here about how Australia have got the build-up all wrong. Which seems very strange as they have known for 12 years the Lions were coming. 

One theory is they are still correcting the huge errors made by Eddie Jones but, fundamentally, they haven’t got the players and t did not look fully prepared.

This series could make or break Australian rugby because there is so much sport out here that it’s competing against, and one thing Aussies like is success. They will not get behind a losing team, so the next two weeks are huge for Australian rugby.

JW: The biggest head scratcher for me has been their Test team only playing one Test, against Fiji, in the run-up. If their internationalists were not playing for clubs/provinces, I don’t understand why they did not schedule more full fixtures. The CEO and planners in Australian rugby appear to have got it majorly wrong in that respect.

CC: They came into this series with only one game under their belt. This tour has essentially been in the diary for 12 years, so I can’t understand why the Wallabies have been so badly prepared. 

It would have made much more sense for more of their Test players to play in the warm-up games and get a taste of what the Lions are all about. In the first half on Saturday, they looked woefully off the pace and that ultimately comes down to a lack of proper preparation.

Given the gulf in quality between the teams, should we be expecting 3-0 series whitewash? This could be the most one-sided Lions series in history.

CC: If the Lions don’t win 3-0, the tour will be viewed as a failure. They are miles ahead. We love to build these things up and try to portray the matches as having jeopardy attached to them. But the reality is these two teams are a total mismatch in terms of quality. The Lions should wipe the floor with the Wallabies and rack up some big numbers on the scoreboard.

They dropped off massively in the second half on Saturday. I don’t expect the same slackness in the next two games. We could well see them put 50 points on the Aussies in either of the next two games.

AN: I always saw the second test in Melbourne as the potential banana skin for the Lions, mainly because of the scale of the stadium, the importance of the stadium in Australian culture and how it might inspire the Wallabies into action. 

After watching them on Saturday, I am not concerned. The Lions are the much better team, look better connected and coached and should win this series 3-0.

JW: My worry is that Australia have the capacity to improve by at least 20 per cent this weekend, which will definitely cause the Lions trouble if they do. Having said that, the Lions can play better than they did and Farrell and the players will know they need to recover well, refocus and find another 10-15 per cent in their performance levels.

What’s your view on the tour as a whole so far? Has it lived up to previous tours or been a bit flat so far?

AN: From a rugby perspective, it has not been that exciting because the opposition have not been able to be really competitive in the warm-up games. It felt flat when I was watching it from Edinburgh, but since arriving into the Sea of Red in Brisbane the Lions still has huge interest for the fans.

I hosted an event on Saturday with almost 5,000 Lions fans and the stadium was split 50/50, so there is huge excitement from a fans perspective.

JW: The one disappointment has been the lack of genuine jeopardy in the games running up to the first Test. Australia are the weakest Southern Hemisphere team at the moment so it was always likely to be the case. 

Releasing the Test players to the warm-up games was a no brainier to me. It will likely mean a change to how any future Lions tours to Australia look in future.

CC: It has undoubtedly been flat. Rugby union is dying a slow death in Australia. As a sport, it’s just not all that popular any more. The fans haven’t really bought into the tour and it hasn’t been helped by the fact so many of the warm-up games were so uninspiring. 

When the Lions go on tour in New Zealand and South Africa, you know it’s going to be box-office. The Springboks and the All Blacks represent a mighty challenge, whereas the Wallabies are very much the poor relation.

What changes would you like to see being made for this week? Or will Andy Farrell stick with the same team?

JW: Everything points to the same team unless there are injuries. There is definitely room to make changes on the bench. Henry Pollock is the obvious one to bring into the conversation due to his high energy and ability to influence a game.

I also have a sneaky feeling Owen Farrell might just find his way into the Test squad over the next two weekends.

CC: I expect Farrell will probably stick with the same team. But there is definitely an argument for adding more firepower out wide. Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham would have scored a bucketload of tries on Saturday, especially during a dominant first half. But James Lowe and Tommy Freeman were relatively quiet on the wings. 

I don’t expect Farrell to drop Lowe given their relationship with Ireland, but Freeman might be the one whose place is under threat. Van der Merwe and Graham would bring explosive pace and finishing prowess to a back-three who looked slightly one dimensional at times.

AN: Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry were simply outstanding and fully vindicated the decision to pick them. Garry Ringrose will be available again after his head knock which will definitely mean there will be a discussion on the 13 jersey. Huw Jones played well so I would stick with him, mainly because I would not want to change that winning partnership and understanding with Sione and Finn. 

If Blair Kinghorn is fit, he will be in the mix but I think Farrell will go with the same team, with the message to take the series with a convincing win in Melbourne.