Mike Phillips: Lions players must now prove they can take the heat after Blues humbling… and we’ll see who has the last laugh
Crusaders game is crunch time for side after having smoke blown up their backsides since the squad was announced
IT IS crunch time for the Lions after having smoke blown up their backsides since the squad was announced.
The boys have had the limelight and everything that goes with it but they’ve lost to New Zealand’s worst Super Rugby side and have shown they are not bulletproof.
Reality will have hit home and it is a different mindset now.
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We will see which players can take the heat at the highest level.
This is the toughest Lions tour to be on and it is interesting to see who will shine.
Some have done it already — like Toby Faletau and Maro Itoje — but it gets even harder now.
It is all about building to that first Test — and they will improve.
There is no doubt that they have players who can win that first Test, so they need to get the mix right in the squad. It is just as vital to enjoy it off the pitch.
We played all sorts of jokes on each other and there were some pretty decent fines dished out on the two Lions tours I went on, in 2009 to South Africa and four years later to Australia.
I was in stitches on our 2013 tour when Irish wing Simon Zebo had to phone his club coach at Munster in front of everyone and tell him that he thought he should be captain for next season.
Moments like that pull everyone together. Warren Gatland even picked some players who are good for the squad environment over their out-and-out playing ability.
In 2009, Wales’ Andy Powell was man of the series off the field. Just being around him was great.
He’d always make the boys laugh and would galvanise the team. He got injured on that tour but I don’t think he was too fussed. He just wanted to make people laugh!
James Haskell is renowned for being a joker. I couldn’t stop laughing when I was in his company.
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In Australia, I was man of the match in the first game but then I was struggling with a dodgy knee.
I was on the back foot for the whole tour trying to patch myself back up. I ended up missing out on those little day trips and beers with the boys during down-time.
That was bad timing but I managed to get back out and help the boys win those two Tests, so it was more than worth it!
With Gats, you need to impress and take your opportunity as well.
If you don’t, you might not get picked again. You can see it when someone has had a bad game. In 2009, things didn’t go well for Ireland’s Keith Earls in the first game and he’s a quiet guy, so you have to be aware of this as a team and pick guys up.
That’s the test now for this team. It’s how strong they are behind the scenes. The friendships and trust are still being built and to do that under huge pressure from everywhere is crucial.
It’s hard when you lose and I know Gats has taken a few shots, too. But it’s better for him to be in the firing line than the players.
I can only imagine the stick he will get if they don’t beat the Crusaders — but he won’t care if they win the series.
It is all about the Test matches against the All Blacks.