Rugby: Lions need their pack to become best in world

The British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland during the teams captains run at Linwood Rugby Club. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

The British and Irish Lions believe they need their forwards to become the best pack in the world over the next month or so in order to win the test series against the All Blacks.

It's appropriate, then, that their next opponents should be the Crusaders, a side who have for the past eight years been able to lay claim to having the best forwards in Super Rugby but who have come up short every time.

The Crusaders have traditionally had the best set piece, probably the classiest forwards on paper, a front row to put the fear of God into any opposing forwards coach, but they have failed to get across the line and add to their seven titles because in the intervening period they haven't found that X-factor which separates good teams from great ones.

They may have found it this season under Scott Robertson. They certainly have found something after three incredible comebacks in their first four matches, and one for the ages against the Highlanders in Christchurch last weekend.

Greatness is some way off, but, after coming through their past 14 matches undefeated, it's in their grasp.

The big question is, even if the Lions' pack improve significantly, will that be enough to beat the All Blacks once, let alone twice in order to claim the series? Will they be good enough to beat the Crusaders at AMI Stadium in a match described already as the unofficial fourth test?

They need to find something else in order to be successful in New Zealand. Big, well-drilled forwards won't be enough, that much is clear after a rotten performance against semi-professionals in Whangarei and a defeat to the Blues at Eden Park.

In their favour perhaps is the fact that they are starting halfback Conor Murray, an Irishman who can hold claim to being one of the best No9s in the world, and Englishman Owen Farrell, a talented operator and presumably their starting No10 for the first test on June 24.

Now's not the time for Warren Gatland to hold his team back, if indeed they are holding back. The tests are everything, but now is the time to show they have a bit of X-factor, cutting edge, attacking spark, something to show themselves that they can front against a Super Rugby team, remember, not the All Blacks.

Yes, the Crusaders contain six All Blacks in their pack, but the match-day 23 that Steve Hansen will name for that first test will be considerably stronger again.

It was, according to Lions hooker Jamie George, who has the honour of starting this match before starting a test for England, the assertion from assistant coach and former England lock Steve Borthwick that the tourists' pack have to get to world class standard in order to beat the All Blacks.

It is a lofty statement, and possibly right, but the reality is they need a bit more than that as well.

"New Zealand have been the best side in the world for a long time so in order to come here and win the test series we're going to have to become the best pack, the best team in the world in the next six weeks," George said. "It's a big statement but it's one that's needed if we're to be successful out here."

The Lions feel they were unlucky to lose at Eden Park, that it came from a moment of brilliance, and the talents of Steven Luatua, Sonny Bill Williams and Ihaia West aligning to perfection. But another reality is that those moments are a dime a dozen for New Zealand Super Rugby teams this year.

Perhaps another lesson awaits in Christchurch.

"You've got to look at the improvement from the first game to the second," George said. "There were huge improvements and the boys are feeling really good. We're getting used to the patterns on attack and how we want to defend, the set piece I thought was fantastic against the Blues. We're getting better and better. We're hoping to get another big improvement in this third game."