Sigma Lions 14-56 Lions: ‘Warrenball’ no more as fluid Lions show flair

A RUNAWAY victory against markedly inferior opposition usually offers little value, but for Warren Gatland's Lions every match in the build-up to the Test series counts.

It was not the eight tries they scored nor the way they defended their line for ten minutes in the first half when they were under sustained pressure for the only time, but the singlemindedness they showed throughout that stood out.

There were moments when they were sloppy and were turned over, overindulging against an under-strength team that started so passively that the contest was all but over after six minutes, but for the most part they left their opponents with little to do other than defend.

Josh Adams scored four second-half tries on the left wing after Louis Rees- Zammit had opened the scoring on the right three minutes in, Hamish Watson capped an aggressive, all-action performance with a try and Courtney Lawes, apart from denying the Wales prop Wyn Jones a try at the end of the first-half by performing a neck-roll on Ruben Schoeman in the build-up, provided contrast by mixing hard running and tackling with neat footwork before taking contact and smart off-loading to sustain contact.

When the Lions played their namesakes in 2009 on the second match of the tour, they won 74-10 on a night when the hard-running Jamie Roberts played himself into the Test side at 12.

Gatland was an assistant coach then, but that style was dubbed Warrenball on the trip to Australia four years later, an insulting tag that branded his playing style as unremittingly physical and anti-rugby.

Warrenball has not been a feature of the two matches of this year's Lions, although it is an option, even if a stronger team would have looked to expose their narrow rush defence.

There was little mauling and not much crash-bang behind. The emphasis, as it had been against Japan, was on quick release from scrum-half and getting the ball into space.

The Lions played more through Finn Russell at 10 than they did through his half-back partner, Ali Price, and while Owen Farrell, starting at insidecentre, initially struggled to anticipate the reactions of the pair with another Scot, Chris Harris outside him, early matches are about developing combinations and seeing if they work.

There was more mixing and matching behind than there was at forward where the England hooker Jamie George had three international colleagues as targets, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill and Lawes.

They took 13 throws between them with the other four going over the top: one provided a try for Price after the ball was caught by Farrell with the opposition forwards set up to defend a maul and the last nearly provided a try for the home flanker Sibusio Sangueni who set off from 70 metres only to be hauled down by Stuart Hogg as the try line beckoned.

In the Roberts era, lineouts were used to skim ball off the top and send the centre stampeding his way over the gainline, but George's long throws were designed to get in behind without contact and expose a startled defence.

South Africa will be considerably more prepared than a team that resembled moggies rather than lions, but in the two matches so far the fingerprints of the attack coach Gregor Townsend are detectable.

The Lions will not easily be typecast. If Australia knew what was coming eight years ago, the Springboks will have to spend more time on analysis, but to win the series the Lions have to be watertight in the set-pieces and control the breakdown, an area where the front row added value at the old Ellis Park and where Itoje was supreme.

Watson was named man of the match for the relenting force of his performance following Justin Tipuric's tourending injury, but Itoje was back to his most effective after a Six Nations in which he conceded a number of penalties as he strived to make up for some of his team-mates' deficiencies.

He did not trouble the referee once on Saturday despite making a nuisance of himself.

He has the knack of being where he needs to be, snuffing out danger or keeping moves alive. He took all eight throws aimed at him by George and stole two from the home side who had the relief of seeing him taken off 11 minutes from the end.

Gatland name checked Hill, Lawes and Adams afterwards, but Itoje's return to form of a player whose importance is heightened by the loss of Alun Wyn Jones will not have gone unnoticed. The only player who was not overly involved was the No.8 Taulupe Faletau who is still getting attuned to Townsend's way of attacking.

The Lions led 21-7 at half-time. Early tries by Rees-Zammit, following the impressive Harris' chip behind the defence, and Watson who overpowered three defenders, were followed by a defensive stint and a warning for conceding four penalties in quick succession.

Price scored the tourists' third try before the willing flanker Vincent Tshituka gave the tannoy announcer in the empty stadium something to get excited about after the No.8 Francke Horn took advantage of Rees- Zammit's presence in midfield to scoot down the left wing.

Adams scored his first try 50 seconds after the restart after Itoje and Watson were involved in the build-up, but the home Lions hit back immediately through the left wing Rabz Maxwane after a counter-attack.

George failed to control the ball after Adams' kick to the line before Sangueni ran out of puff, as did his side. The last 30 minutes were dominated by the Lions.

Wales supplied the final four tries through Adams and the replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies with Elliot Daly a lively replacement in the centre.

The Sharks should provide more searching opposition on Wednesday, but this was a useful start with new Lions stepping up and a few creases to iron out.