'He was laughing': Lions accuse NSW of sneaky tactic
What sort of Bizarro World are we living in?
There was a time when northern hemisphere teams were rugby's mudlarkers, in their happy place grinding it out on a wet, boggy pitch and ticking the scoreboard three points at a time.
And Australian sides were supposed to be craving hard, dry surfaces to showcase the skill and speed synonymous with their halcyon days.
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Andy Farrell at Allianz Stadium.
But there was Andy Farrell on Saturday night, accusing the NSW Waratahs of watering the Allianz Stadium surface in a bid to slow down his slick British and Irish Lions, who had put up 50 points in their two previous tour matches.
The Lions won 21-10 before coach Farrell - who had inspected the Sydney surface with great suspicion before kickoff - opened Watergate 2.0
"For whatever reason, and I actually don't care - it's great for us - the pitch was very wet," Farrell told a packed press conference room.
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell checks the pitch.
"And I was asking [Mike Catt] after the game and he was laughing."
Catt is a former England and Lions player who is now assistant coach of the Waratahs.
"But I mean that's good tactics from them, isn't it? The ball's slippery, the breakdown's ferocious enough, and the line speed is is high octane stuff as well from them. I believe that it could be wet on Wednesday anyway [their next tour game in Canberra], so we'll take that.
"I mean, he just laughed. Catty just laughed and we've seen that done plenty of times. I don't know whether the pitch needed watering."
Sydney Morning Herald journalist and noted weather enthusiast Jonathan Drennan reminded Farrell that Sydney had experienced a massive deluge of rain on Tuesday.
"We know all that, we know all that, but I've been here for two days as well," Farrell replied.
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell before the tour match.
"[The weather's] been glorious. It's been glorious and the pitch was OK, and again, we're not complaining. That's what you would do if you're waiting for this type of game to come, you know, it's huge for all the clubs.
"We know what's coming and we've got to be ready for anything and be able to adapt."
The Waratahs produced a committed defensive effort and flanker Charlie Gamble was outstanding, winning four breakdown turnovers.
NSW coach Dan McKellar was asked to respond to Farrell's claims but captain Hugh Sinclair interjected.
"Did you see the weather on Tuesday? A f---ing cyclone mate," Sinclair quipped.
The Lions thrashed the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday before flying to Sydney on Thursday to prepare for the Waratahs.
McKellar denied the charge.
"Andy was probably sunning himself in Brisbane on Tuesday it was, but it wasn't pleasant in Sydney, that's for sure," he said.
"No. I've got too much to think about to be worried about watering the pitch."
Hugh Sinclair of the Waratahs thanks British & Irish Lions players.
The Lions led 14-5 at halftime and despite having vast superiority in possession and field position, had to struggle for an 11 point win.
"The Waratahs played a great, combative game, and made it very difficult especially at the breakdown and in the contact work and with the line speed," Farrell said.
"It's good learning for us. We found a way in the end, but to have so much possession and territory, and so many turnovers, you know, we need to be better than that."
Jac Morgan of the British and Irish Lions fends off Charlie Gamble of the Waratahs.
Centre Huw Jones scored close range tries in the 12th and 35th minutes to give the Lions a 14-0 lead, although the Waratahs had a try by flanker Charlie Gamble overturned by the TMO for a lineout obstruction in between.
The Waratahs scored from the second kick restart, sending the ball to the short side where winger Darby Lancaster beat some forward defenders, was knocked off balance by Hugo Keenan's covering tackle before scrambling the last five metres to score in the left corner.
That made it 14-5 at halftime.
https://x.com/StanSportRugby/status/1941474808773968280The Lions hadn't conceded a second half point in their opening two wins but that run ended less than two minutes after the break, when Waratahs hooker Ethan Dobbins crashed over after a driving maul from a lineout.
The Lions were denied an almost immediate try in response by some desperate cover defence before halfback Alex Mitchell scored in the 55th minute, darting to the shortside from a ruck after sustained pressure from a scrum penalty and a stream of Waratahs errors.
Fin Smith converted to make it 21-10 and it appeared the Lions were starting to get on a roll again, particularly when man-of-the-match Mitchell kicked a 50-22 to give the Lions another ideal attacking opportunity.
https://x.com/StanSportRugby/status/1941471737922609634He then threw the last pass for replacement prop Ellis Genge to drive over the tryline on the hour, but the ball was lost in the tackle and the Waratahs held firm.
The Lions barged over again in the 76th minute but had a try disallowed for a lineout obstruction in the buildup, and weren't able to cross again in a scrappy, error-strewn encounter.
Lions 21 (Huw Jones 2, Alex Mitchell tries; Fin Smith 3 conversions) Waratahs 10 (Darby Lancaster, Ethan Dobbins tries). HT: 14-5
