British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones has noted the energising effect that the Bundee Aki has brought to the squad in the preparations for the third test against the Springboks and hopes he will make a difference on match day.
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For those who believe that some things can be prophetic, the fact that Lions coach Warren Gatland has made changes to his midfield for the series decider could be unsettling, depending of course which side of the fence you are sitting. For it will be recalled that Gatland changed his midfield in quite controversial fashion for the final test of the series against Australia in 2013 and it worked for him.
To refresh memories, Gatland invoked the ire of the UK and particularly Irish media when he dropped the legendary Brian O’Driscoll for a game that was similar to this one in the sense that the Wallabies had come back from defeat in the opening test to win the second and force a decider.
The Lions coach went instead for an all-Welsh combination of Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies and that midfield was instrumental in tearing the Wallabies apart as the Lions scored a comprehensive win to clinch the series.
Significantly, or perhaps ominously for Bok fans, Jones was captain that day too of a side that included as many as 10 Welshman. The veteran lock and Wales captain likes to pretend he doesn’t remember much about his previous triumphs or failings in the Lions jersey, and we’ll have to wait to see if he does an autobiography that will prove whether that’s true or not, but he must surely remember the impact the changed midfield made the last time he led a Lions team in a series decider. So Aki’s contribution this week should be heartening to him.
“Very much so,” said Jones when asked if Aki had been an energiser in training. “He has shown those traits throughout the tour. He is chomping at the bit to get his chance. His and Robbie’s (Robbie Henshaw) combination will definitely be exciting.”
That statement does beg the question as to why if it is so exciting that combination hasn’t played together in a Lions test before now, but it does make sense - Aki’s selection at inside centre means Henshaw moves to his more regular position of outside centre, and they play together like that for Ireland.
FARRELL STILL PLAYING SUPPORTIVE ROLE
Aki’s selection coupled with the selection of Finn Russell on the bench and the retention of Eliot Daly means there is no place in the match day squad of 23 for England captain Owen Farrell, who might have been cast as the victim this time in the same way that O’Driscoll was eight years ago were it not for the fact he has always played no more than a bit part on this tour.
But if that means that Farrell might be being a disruptive influence, Jones is not saying. On the contrary, he says the flyhalf/centre is being supportive.
“All the non playing guys have been exceptional. Helping the other guys prepare when you have not been selected and are not involved in the game is the hardest thing to do, but they’ve all been true professionals throughout this tour.”
The Lions captain said that in preparation for what would come from the Boks, the training sessions this week have been physical even though the Lions players are coming to the end of a season that started a year ago.
“Tuesday’s session was tasty again and that is the best kind of preparation we can have,” said Jones.
PHILOSOPHICAL ABOUT IMPACT OF CHAT WITH REFEREE
He reiterated what his coach said earlier in the week by saying he wanted the game to flow more than was the case last week.
“I try not to speak too much to the referee obviously after what went before,” he said. “We try to speak to him to get what we feel should happen and if he listens we get what we want or otherwise we don’t.
“The game has the potential to be another arm wrestle. But it can open up as well. This game is like a final, and finals tend to be attritional. But we don’t want to stifle ourselves and rely too much on the kicking game. We want to bring the balance we didn’t have last week. We want to have the ability to do both and be ready for both.”
Jones has been part of Lions squads since the tour to South Africa in 2009 so he is well qualified to put the magnitude of Saturday’s game in perspective.
“There have obviously been big games before and this is a new tour but this one is right up there (among the big games I have played in my life),” said Jones.