Rugby: Lions will use 'noise pollution' at All Blacks line-outs, admits George Kruis

Iain Henderson receives the ball from a Lions lineout against the Highlanders in Dunedin last week. Photo / Photosport.

The British and Irish Lions intend to bombard the All Blacks line-out with extreme "noise pollution" in the first test on Saturday as part of their bid to overwhelm the world champions with a pressure game.

George Kruis, the England lock who is set for a place in the Lions starting XV said the tourists would "try anything" to gain an edge against the world champions - including several of their forwards screaming at their opposite numbers during an All Black line-out.

One of the striking features of the Lions game plan during their tour of New Zealand is several of their forwards, most notably England lock Maro Itoje, screaming just as their opponents are attempting to throw the ball into a line-out.

George Kruis, who is expected to be named in the second row alongside his Saracens team-mate Itoje, for the first test at Eden Park admitted the Lions were prepared to do all that it takes to disrupt the All Blacks line-out.

"You've got to put pressure on players somehow and that's one way of putting pressure on them," said Kruis when asked about the Lions vocal assault on their Super Rugby opponents ahead of the first test against New Zealand on Saturday.

"The ideal thing is to get in the air and contest but we want to be a complete pack so we'll try everything. If we think there's anything in it, then we'll pursue it."

When the Lions last toured New Zealand, their assistant coach Andy Robinson was so concerned that New Zealand had cracked the tourists' line-out codes that they were changed in the week before the first test with disastrous consequences.

The Lions lost 10 of their line-outs as the All Blacks closed out a comprehensive victory in Christchurch as Sir Clive Woodward's side went on to lose the series 3-0.

Kruis, who will call the Lions line-out in the first test at Eden Park insisted that 12 years on the tourists have such a multitude of options at the line-out that the codes are now uncrackable.

"I hope we don't have to change our calls," Kruis added. "We've built a good platform as a base for the calls. You tweak your patterns for each game but essentially most line-outs have a base.

"Once you've analysed the opposition, you tweak it, but we've shown we're there or there abouts. We can improve on those pressure moments, which are only going to get tougher in the tests. We've played three, four, five games together now and we're starting to learn scenarios."

The evolution of the line-out calls, under-pinned by the Lions guru Steve Borthwick is such that even if the All Blacks seem to have cracked their codes, the tourists now have the ability to adapt unlike they were able to do in 2005 to mix it up.

"Everyone has systems," Kruis added. "You could learn the mechanics of the systems but there are so many different ways to call a line-out. You've got verbals, non verbals and the idea is to create a system that is tough to recognise and durable under any circumstance.

"It's like running a backs move. You might be hitting up Sean O'Brien every time but the third time you might go out the back because you know they're going to bite on him. You play on facts but it's all part of the puzzle.

"That's the plan. If you look at stats, they're the best in attack and second best in defence. We know they've got five or six good jumpers in the line and they'll always pressure your deliveries if they don't get the ball in itself. Good teams have come down here and won the ball but not provided great delivery to theirs nines and 10s. We want to be a great team and win ball and get good delivery."