If they are to beat the All Blacks they will still need to produce one or two moments of brilliance. I'm not sure they're capable. They appear too structured and not adventurous enough to capitalise.
I see some kicks from the five-eighths to the wings are coming into play. At least that's something.
Ben Te'o also has the ability to storm into contact, but there are too few offloads and no one running off his shoulder to break the line with pace and accuracy. That is vital given the way defences are these days.
We saw that with Sonny Bill Williams on Friday. He has an amazing ability to get the ball away in the tackle. Sometimes that means taking two or three players out of play with him, which creates overlaps regardless of who grabs the pass.
The All Blacks didn't necessarily have the ball in hand initially, but they controlled the game with so few mistakes. The Samoans could get someone into a gap but no one backed them up. The Lions might chip over the defensive line but, with New Zealand's back three, who'd risk that?
The Maori were nowhere near the force I thought they'd be and the Lions put them away good and proper. However, the first test will offer a better gauge of their ability.
