Player Ratings: Lions vs NZ Provincial Barbarians
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1. Joe Marler 5/10
The scrum today was solid but Marler failed to dominate the opposition when it came to the set piece.
2. Rory Best 6/10
Best had some solid line out throws in a game where neither side’s set piece was particularly impressive.
3. Kyle Sinckler 7/10
Despite attempting a quick tap and go that failed miserably Sinckler put in a good shift and was one of the few players who looked somewhat promising.
4. Alun-Wyn Jones 6/10
Jones worked well around the park and made a couple of impressive hits along with a solid line out performance.
5. Iain Henderson 5/10
Henderson was a ghost on the pitch; other then operating in the line out Henderson did very little.
6. Ross Moriarty 7/10
Moriarty had one or two impressive carries one of which led to the Lions only try of the game.
7. Sam Warburton 6/10
Warburton did his best to lead a tired looking Lions side but failed to make a big impact on the game.
8. Taulupe Faletau 8/10 MOTM
Faletau was the stand out player in today’s game. He had some strong carries and showed some impressive footwork on occasion. Faletau also held up a try on his own and his efforts won him the man of the match award.
9. Greig Laidlaw 6/10
Laidlaw was average enough, didn’t do a huge amount but did manage to get himself 3 points after Sexton was unable to kick because of injury.
10. Johnny Sexton 5/10
Sexton wasn’t his usual self, his playmaking was forced and what he did try failed to come off, unfortunately Sexton was forced off through injury.
11. Tommy Seymour 5/10
Seymour failed to make any meaningful impact on the game; hopefully he is more involved in the coming games.
12. Ben Te’o 7/10
Te’o was quite impressive, he was hugely physical and was difficult to defend against, a promising prospect for the future of the tour.
13. Jonathan Joseph 6/10
Joseph was unusually quiet, didn’t put in his usual shift and wasn’t the attacking threat we’re used to.
14. Anthony Watson 7/10
Watson didn’t see a lot of the ball but when he did get it he looked lively. Watson made a couple of impressive breaks and managed to get the Lions only try of the game.
15. Stuart Hogg 5/10
Poor performance from Hogg, his passes failed to stick and struggled to play up to his usual best.
Honorable mentions from the bench
Owen Farrell 7/10
Farrell made a huge difference to the game when he came on. He orchestrated the attack well and marshaled the players around him. With performances like this its likely Farrell will be starting 10 against The All Blacks.
Mako Vunipola 6/10
The big unit made an impact when he came on. Vunipola used his size well and had an impressive turnover.
NZ Provincial Barbarians
- Aidan Ross – 6/10
Put under some pressure at scrum time from his opposite number. However, put in a solid shift around the park, carried well and hit an impressive number of rucks.
- Sam Anderson-Heather – 6/10
Put in a solid shift both defensively and offensively. Accurate at the lineout which provided a good attacking platform for his side at times. Got through an impressive amount of work at the breakdown
- Oliver Jager – 5/10
Also struggled at scrum time when put under significant pressure by The Lions front row. Put in a solid shift at the breakdown and in defence. Carelessly lost the ball forward on a couple of occasions which handed cheap possession back to the opposition.
- Joshua Goodhue – 5/10
Provided a good option at the lineout and put in a solid shift defensively. However, struggled to make a really positive impact in attack.
- Keepa Mewett – 6/10
Also an impressive lineout option. Got through a lot of work at the breakdown and stood up in defence. Carried well at times but struggled to make a really positive impact in attack.
- James Tucker – 5/10
Made some big tackles in defence and put in a respectable shift at the breakdown. Showed some flashes of excellent carrying ability but they were too few and far between for him to really impact the attacking side of the game.
- Lachlan Boshier – 6/10
Very consistent at the breakdown, getting in over the ball on several occasions to secure vital turnovers for his side. Carried powerfully at times and caused The Lions some defensive problems.
- Mitchell Dunshea – 7/10
One of the more impressive performers in the Barbarians pack. Carried impressively, consistently making vital yardage for his side. Got through a lot of work at the breakdown and was very solid defensively.
- Jack Stratton – 6/10
Maintained a good tempo through the game and consistently provide his out-half with quick accurate ball. Box kicked well at times but made some questionable decisions in terms of game management.
- Bryn Gatland – 7/10
Took advantage of the opportunity to play against a side managed by his father by putting in an excellent performance at out-half. The standout player in the Barbarians side. Made some impressive breaks and played some beautiful territorial kicks.
- Sevu Reece – 6/10
Started the game very brightly and caused The Lions defence a host problems in the opening 25 minutes with his pace and power. Faded as the game went on but can still be happy with his performance overall.
- Dwayne Sweeney – 6/10
Reasonably quiet afternoon for the inside centre. Carried well at times but didn’t get enough opportunities to show his ability with ball in hand. Put in a solid sift defensively, consistently smashing the opposition back over the gain line.
- Kaveinga Finau – 7/10
Impressive performance from the young Kiwi. Made some really impressive line breaks thanks to his excellent pace and incredible footwork. Caused The Lions a lot of problems in defence and stood up in defence when called upon.
- Sam Vaka – 6/10
Another one of the better performers in this Barbarians side. Showed some moments of real attacking flair, causing The Lions defence significant problems with his blistering pace and direct running. Solid under the high ball and made some vital defensive tackles.
- Luteru Laulala – 5/10
Relatively quiet afternoon for the Kiwi full-back. Kicked well out of hand and put in a solid defensive shift but failed to positively impact the attacking side of the game.
Honourable mentions from the bench:
- Andrew Makalio – (42’) 7/10
Made a really positive impact when called upon early into the second half. Accurate at the lineout, solid in defence and dogged at the breakdown. Made a crushing tackle on Alun-Wyn Jones forcing a knock on at a crucial stage of the game.
- Matt Matich –(46') 6/10
Came off the bench to play in the back row and made an impressive impact. Put in a huge shift at the breakdown and made some bone crunching tackles in defence. Unable to make much of an attacking impact but still an impressive cameo from the bench for the big man.
