The British & Irish Lions of 2013 beat Australia in the first Test but lost the second and had to regroup before defeating the Wallabies in the decider. Alex Corbisiero, the Lions prop in 2013, recalls how the Lions turned things around in that week.
The defeat
Watching the Lions play at the weekend, it reminded me of our second Test. We were 1-0 up in the series and were playing not to lose in Melbourne, instead of going out there to win the series. Subconsciously we knew we had that first Test win in the bank and it affected our performance. We lost 16-15.
It looked the same to me last week. The Springboks were the more desperate of the two because of what was at stake. Both teams were playing this very conservative game, South Africa just got the better of those exchanges and won the key battles. It will be different this week.
The reaction
The whole squad flew to Noosa on the Queensland coast for a few days. It was a nice chance to decompress after the pressure of the tour and reset before the big game.
My experience of Noosa was different from some of the other lads because I was rehabbing my calf, trying to get back for the third Test. By the time we came back as a team I was in a really good place.
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When you are on this tour and it is moving a million miles an hour and you are focusing on rugby 24/7, you can’t underestimate the impact of having that little bit of a break to refocus and come back fresh again.
The coaches
I have heard some of the coaches say that was their most stressful week, because they had agreed to give the players time off but also wanted to make sure they were as prepared as possible. It’s a real balancing act, but at that stage in the tour the mental preparation is more important than doing more reps in training.
The training
There were six changes for the last Test, including Brian O’Driscoll being dropped, but his professionalism was unbelievable. We had that one proper session together as a team on the Thursday and the non-23, led by O’Driscoll, really went at us. That is what made us so good in the game. No one left the field thinking, “We’ve done a good job.” So everyone was still reflecting on it, working on it in the video room, and that led to us having a reactionary performance at the weekend.
The game
I’m expecting the Lions to give it everything. The Lions traditionally play their best game in the third Test, when it finally clicks and you’ve had more time to play together and prepare. It’s just, “Go out there and win and create history.”
Alun Wyn Jones summed that up so well in 2013. He was captain for that third Test, with Sam Warburton out injured. He said: “There are two futures: there is one with this jersey and one without. Once you are a Lions series winner, you can have it for ever.” We demolished them 41-16.
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That’s why I feel the Lions are going to play better today. It could be the last time they will wear this shirt, their last chance to say they’re a Lions series winner.
That “no tomorrow” attitude is why the Lions usually play their best in that third Test. That’s why I think they’re just going to be better.
It’s not like they are all of a sudden going to turn it on and play from anywhere. They have to impose themselves more physically and take some risks to try to upset the Boks.
At the scrum, if they are more aggressive and they problem-solve, with Wyn Jones coming in at loose head, they can turn around that battle. The other exchanges are doable: the aerial, the physical, the breakdown and the collisions, all that is just an intensity dial for the Lions.
I think they have to play a bit more, make South Africa ask more questions of them, and of themselves in defence. This is the last thing anyone is going to remember. If they scrape by and win, people will remember it as positive. But if they go out there and play like we did in the third Test in 2013, really attack and take the game to the Springboks, it will always be remembered.
