All Blacks: How the Lions are able to control the pace of the game

Lions prop Mako Vunipola is shown the yellow card during the 2nd test match between the All Blacks and the British and Irish Lions. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

Any wonder the Lions have concerns about their ill-discipline. Ten penalties within kicking range in Wellington could easily be interpreted as cynical infringing.

And with Romain Poite, the French referee who has dished out 12 cards in nine previous All Blacks tests, in charge for Saturday's decider at Eden Park, where and when the Lions commit fouls could come under more scrutiny.

The All Blacks aren't squeaky clean, but Kieran Read attempted to voice his frustrations early last week. Twenty minutes in, he said to French whistler Jerome Garces: "Is there a way we can speed up rather than them going down at every scrum and lineout? We just want to play."

On defence the Lions' intent is to control the pace; to contest and contain however possible.

Several times in Wellington the Lions appeared more than happy to roll the dice and give away three points, rather than risk giving up seven. With Beauden Barrett struggling off the tee, missing three kicks, and Garces seemingly reluctant to punish repeated infringing, it proved a more-than-effective tactic.

"You can make your own opinion on that," All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said. "All I know is we've been getting a lot of penalties which generally occur at fast ball situations."

Here are four examples of what Foster is talking about:

11 minutes: The All Blacks get a roll on. Off the scrum Waisake Naholo and Read carry strongly to punch over the gain-line. Jerome Kaino follows up by busting through one tackle. Sean O'Brien flops in at the ruck to kill momentum. Penalty. Barrett misses.

31 minutes: Barrett goes blindside, again off the scrum. The ball remains clearly in the back of the ruck. Jack Nowell comes in from the side. Three points.

35 minutes: Pick-and-drive from Read. Mako Vunipola goes off his feet. Three points.

49 minutes: Israel Dagg breaks the line to leave the All Blacks 10 metres out. The ball is slowed from the ruck; several Lions rush up offside, forcing Barrett to grubber in behind. Three points.

After half time, the Lions conceded six penalties in a row. Vunipola was pinged four times in the test and, yet, did not receive a warning for consistent infringing, only being shown a yellow card for his final act - the shoulder to the head of Barrett, which could have easily been a red card.

The question in all this is timing. Giving away a penalty directly after a line break or strong carry gives the impression of it being intentional.

Asked if he was surprised Garces did not go to his pocket for repeated infringements, Lions prop Tadhg Furlong said: "I don't think like that on the pitch. The message was don't give away any more penalties. Was there any sort of penalties that would warrant it? I don't know. It's probably not for me to comment on."

Told it was sometimes better to give away a penalty rather than concede a try, Furlong said: "It's a split second thing at this level. If you have to think about it, it's too late."

After two tests, the Lions have conceded nine more penalties than the All Blacks, and they continue to push the boundaries around offside from lineouts, particularly when the jumper is brought to ground rather than releasing the ball off the top, and rucks.

Lions forwards coach Graham Rowntree said after the second test penalties were killing the tourists, and could cost them the series unless major changes were made.

Foster expects Poite to have a similar approach to Garces.

"He's an experienced ref and he's been witnessing what's been going on so he's had a pretty good preparation for this test I would've thought. We've got a group of three there that have been operating together. We have always applauded that so they can grow and learn through the series so I'm sure he's learnt a lot from the last two tests.

"We'll have to find out what that means for us early and adjust to that quickly."