Coach scorns Lions' 'yakking'

Wayne Graham

Otago coach Wayne Graham last night slammed the Lions on the eve of the tour match at Carisbrook.

The former All Black flanker hit out at the amount of talk the Lions have dished up to the referees on tour, their illegal tactics at the rucks, their negative approach to scrum and contact area and their attitude towards off-field community activities.

Graham said it had been "an eye-opener" listening to the amount of verbals the Lions had thrown at the referees in their four games on tour so far.

He was surprised how many players not involved in the direct contact area were trying to manipulate referees' decisions.

"That's definitely something we are not allowed to get away with in New Zealand, especially at NPC level," Graham said.

"There's a lot of yak from all directions on what should and should not be happening.

"I think the referees are having trouble coping with it. It's a very difficult job to maintain consistency when you've got players talking in your ear."

Graham said the Lions' negative approach at the scrum and tackled ball areas was all about disruption, claiming they will "pull every trick they know" to achieve their aim.

He described the Lions forwards as "big guys who like lying all over the ball".

"They seem to be allowed to leave their feet, which I thought was outside the laws of the game.

"Once they go to ground they don't want to get out of there. They just lie there and disrupt things."

Graham said that was an area of the game open to interpretation so both teams had to switch on to the referee's wavelength.

After Wednesday night's ordinary performance in beating Wellington 23-6, Graham reckoned no Lions players "would be guaranteed their test spot".

"They're obviously playing within themselves. The No 1 priority is to win the game, and whether it is by three or 20 points, they'll be happy."

Graham conceded conditions had been awkward but reckoned the Lions would treat the Wellington match as "one of those nights they would prefer to forget. They've still got a lot to work on".

He believed tomorrow night's Lions lineup had some good players and it looked "a reasonable side".

The size of the Lions playing squad - it started at 45 and is now at 49 - "must, from a coaching and selectorial position, be a nightmare trying to give everyone enough rugby", he said.

"One of the keys in any team is continuity, getting guys playing together on a regular basis. I don't think it's doing their cause any good swapping, changing and mixing them up."

Graham, who played in the New Zealand Universities team who beat the 1977 Lions, acknowledged the importance of the occasion and what the game will mean for the team and the city.

But the Lions' cancellation of community activities in the Otago and Southland regions drew scorn.

"Personally, in this part of the world that's not how we like to do things. It seems a long way from real life," he said.

"In 2005, professional rugby might have changed to such an extent that you lock yourself up in a hotel and prepare for the next game.

"It's a shame for the players. There must be a lot of people in that camp who must be thinking, 'What am I here for'? There's a big, wide open country out there that I'm sure some of them would love to see at some stage.

"I guess they'll have to come back after the tour to visit."