The moves Wallabies should make to derail Lions and take series to decider

A game plan used by Queensland 14 years ago is the one Quade Cooper believes can tear apart the Lions in Melbourne. And Wallabies coaches must make a huge call on Tom Lynagh.

The first game against the British & Irish Lions was a tough pill to swallow for the Wallabies, and Australian rugby fans.

We saw the score line get away from us, especially in that first half, with the Lions putting a lot of high balls up and applying pressure across the backfield. It was clear they’d identified certain areas to target, and they executed well.

Tom Lynagh was targeted, and I’m sure he’ll continue to be – 10s always are. If he’s defending out of position, teams will test him with kicks. If he’s at 10, they’ll send runners at him all night. It’s a pick-your-poison situation. That’s just the nature of the position, and it’s why we need to be smart tactically about where and how we use him – not as a reaction to criticism, but to give him the best chance to contribute effectively.

Tom Lynagh was made to work by the British & Irish Lions. Picture: Getty Images

If he’s selected at 10 again, do you let him front-load his tackles and stay in the line? Or do you shift him into “the tracks,” where the hooker normally defends near the 5m channel?

I lean toward that – not because he’s a liability, but because it limits his load and exposure. Especially under the new rule where escorting defenders is banned, any 10 defending in the backfield becomes a clear target under the high ball.

Beyond that, the Wallabies need to flip the script and turn this second Test into a scrap. If it’s dry, we need to increase ball-in-play time and control territory. Play fast, play messy, and run them off their feet. It can’t be another clean, structured game where the Lions control the rhythm – because they’ll dominate that every time.

Tom Curry hammers Tom Lynagh, and gives up a penalty, during the first Test against the Lions in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

And if the weather turns wet? We adjust. With the potential return of players like Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, we’ve got the power to match their size and shift the contest to a more physical, grinding battle through the middle.

That’s where the Lions did their damage in the first Test. They owned the gain line and gave Finn Russell consistent front-foot ball. When a 10 has that platform, the game slows down for him. Our inside defence was under pressure all night, and Russell picked us apart with time and space.

To change that, we’ve got to take the sting out of their legs early. I go back to 2011 with the Reds against the Bulls.

We’d just flown in from Cape Town, no time to train, and Ewen McKenzie told us, “No lineouts for the first 20 minutes.”

Ball boys weren’t even allowed to help – we chased down the ball ourselves and threw it in. The goal was simple: make it messy and make them hurt early. It worked – they were gassed before halftime.

Radike Samo runs the ball during the Super Rugby clash with the Bulls 14 years ago. Picture: AAP

That’s the mindset we need to bring. Make them uncomfortable. Force them to play outside their systems. Break their rhythm. If we can sap their energy and push them to their bench earlier than planned, we tilt the game in our favour.

This next Test is about pressure, tempo, and field position. Not possession for the sake of it, but ball-in-play in the right areas – where mistakes matter, and where we can pin them down. That’s how we turn this into a battle they didn’t plan for. And that’s how we level the series.

Originally published as The moves Wallabies should make to derail Lions and take series to decider