For a second game in just five days, the British and Irish Lions have put more than 50 points on a Super Rugby Pacific side, showing their depth and skill is on a whole other level.
These scorelines are not unexpected, and tens of thousands of people have bought tickets knowing this, but Lions tours are about the making of history, and so far, more than 46,000 people have turned up both in Perth and Brisbane to witness the spectacle.
Although the scores have been very lopsided, punters have gotten their money’s worth with the Lions playing some expansive and explosive rugby, with the Western Force and Queensland Reds both putting their own flair on the games in smaller patches.
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Lions’ coach Andy Farrell must like what he sees, as confidence within the group and their apparent trust in his systems grows exponentially.
If this is of any concern to Wallabies’ coach Joe Schmidt remains to be seen, but he would very much be paying attention to the Lions’ repeated strengths and recurring weaknesses.
However, Schmidt will be buoyed by the performances being put out by the Wallabies players he sent back to the provinces, as the men he selected in gold continue to be the clear standouts in their Super sides.
Hunter Paisami, Lukhan Salakai-Loto, and Seru Uru give Schmidt timely reminders
Only Paisami was chosen in Schmidt’s Wallaby squad for the Fiji Test, and although many believe it will change when he announces the squad for the Lions, it was clear that Uru and Salakaia-Loto were on the outer, after both had injury-impacted seasons.
Being short on game time, the two forwards needed big performances in this match to put themselves in the picture for a Wallabies call up, and that they did.
Uru’s workrate would’ve impressed Schmidt, carrying 18 times, five more than the next busiest carry, who was Irish No.8 Jack Conan.
It is clear now, after two games, that Farrell expects his men to empty the tank every time they step onto the pitch, and it’s come up trumps for them in each of their matches, as the Lions regularly outwork their opponents.
While Uru was working tirelessly, he overplayed his hand at times and his tendency to concede unforced penalties reared its head again, as he pushed a ball back with his hand in the scrum.
Salakaia-Loto made all his four carries felt, regularly attracting two or more defenders, and with the news of Will Skelton tweaking his calf in Wallaby camp, Schmidt may call on LSL’s bulk and brawn before too long.
His skill at lineout time was also on full display, reminding everyone why he featured so heavily under Schmidt last year.
Despite both Uru and LSL proving their worth, it was Paisami who shone the brightest, making the equal highest linebreaks (2), beating the most defenders of anyone on the park (6), and dominating contacts in defence.
It was Paisami’s best performance in a Reds’ jersey ever, and that would’ve sent Schmidt a reminder not to count him out of the race to start the first Test against the Lions in the No.12 jersey.
Maro Itoje is locked and loaded for the first Test against the Wallabies
Itoje was named Lions captain for a reason; he’s an elite player who has relentless form, and he never takes a backward step.
He showed his quality yet again in Brisbane as he grew into the game, demanding more from his players in the 79th minute as he pointed to the sideline when he could’ve easily asked his playmaker to kick it out, as the margin stood at 47-12.
This is a testament to Itoje and his mindset, as well as the attitude expected from coach Farrell.
While many were hyping Joe McCarthy’s stellar performance against the Force on Saturday, and likewise applauding Ollie Chessum’s efforts in the two games, it’s clear Itoje is one of the few players who are locked in for the first Test.
Not only does he have a massive engine, but his skill in the lineout is also elite, and his ability to slow down ruck ball without getting penalised is proving frustrating for sides.
Who partners him remains to be seen, but between big Joe, Chessum, and the Irish duo of James Ryan and veteran Tadhg Beirne, it certainly looks like the youngest Irishmen is in pole position to join his captain in the row.
Lions’ rush defence is a worry for the Wallabies
What makes the Lions so lethal is their individual elite talent, but what is making them look more dangerous now is their growing cohesion.
While cohesion in attack is important, it’s crucial in defence because defence is built on trust between players, whereas attack is built on trust in oneself.
It’s clear Farrell has instructed his men to be aggressive in the tackle and that he’s running a rush-defence, very similar to the one he runs at his national side, Ireland.
The Lions’ defence is more aggressive than the Irish version, and it is proving very difficult for the Super sides to deal with.
Defence 
88%
Tackle Completion %
86%
The mobile backrow Farrell selected against the Reds effectively slowed the Queenslanders’ ruck by a second almost every time, allowing the defensive line to get set and tee-off on the oncoming Reds attackers.
This caught the Reds regularly behind the gaine line and stopped their attack dead in its tracks.
It was clear that the young halves pairing of the Reds, Kalani Thomas and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, were at odds about how to crack the Lions’ determined defence.
Despite being such an aggressive defensive system, they have steadily improved in each of their games, tackling at 82 per cent, 85, and 86 per cent in their games against Argentina, Force and Reds, respectively.
While Thomas found good space behind the Lions’ defence in the 22m-zone to put Josh Flook away for a try, Schmidt will have his hands full instructing his Wallaby game drivers in how to unlock the Lions’ rock-solid defence.
Tackling at 86 per cent for a rush defence is a good percentage; how this will hold up against another Test side will be interesting to watch.
Lions’ kicking game continues to shine a light on Australian rugby’s Achilles heel
Whether it’s English veteran Elliot Daly, maverick fly-half Finn Russell, or rising playmaker Fin Smith, the kicking accuracy, decision-making, and kick variation of these players are all far better than anything we have seen all season from the Aussie players in Super Rugby.
This speaks to the different styles played in the two hemispheres as well as what importance is placed where in the academy and junior systems.
Kicking, as we have seen in these first two tour games, can unsettle defences, turn momentum, and relieve pressure, all of which are being done with finesse and style by the Lions’ kickers.
Kicks
1:10.4
Kick To Pass Ratio
1:10.3
One thing that Schmidt will be particularly concerned about is the Lions’ accuracy when kicking for the line after a penalty has been conceded.
Smith and Russell regularly peeled off 30-40m of territory with their kicks, something which cannot be said about the Wallabies’ playmakers to date when kicking for the line.
For the Wallabies’ calculations, it makes conceding penalties anywhere near their half a no-go zone.
Jury still out on the strength of the Lions’ scrum
The Lions selected one of their strongest scrummaging front rows against the Reds, and they still didn’t completely dominate the Reds, who served up a Test frontrow themselves.
New Reds’ recruit, two cap All Black Aidan Ross, did well to contain the Lions’ most inform tighthead prop Will Stuart of England, but Irish loosehead prop Andrew
Porter was perhaps unlucky not to get at least one more penalty scrummaging against one cap All Black Jeffery Toomaga-Allen.
There is an embarrassment of riches for the Lions at LHP, but it looks like the issues continue on the tighthead side, where both the Force and Reds have got some pay out of some staunch scrummaging.
The Lions now head into a match against a Waratahs’ frontrow of Tom Lambert at LHP and Taniela ‘Tongan Thor’ Tupou at THP; the Lions will want to send a message with a strong scrummaging performance to quell any wider speculation about the set-piece.
