"This clash with the All Blacks is coming so early in the season that it's hard to get a gauge on player form, but there's a freshness to the team Andy Farrell picked that suggests he's learnt lessons from last season's defeat in the same fixture. Seven of his starting pack were Lions last summer, six of them took part in the Test series, and while there's a worry over their lack of game-time, there's a lot of experience and class up front to bridge the gap."
"Seven of his starting pack were Lions last summer, six of them took part in the Test series, and while there's a worry over their lack of game-time, there's a lot of experience and class up front to bridge the gap."
The All Blacks clash arrives unusually early, making accurate assessments of individual form difficult. Andy Farrell selected a team showing freshness, indicating adaptation after last season's defeat by the same opponents. The starting pack contains seven players who toured with the British & Irish Lions last summer, six of whom played in the Test series. Limited recent match minutes worry some observers, but collective experience and quality in the forward pack provide a means to cover possible rustiness. The blend of hardened international experience and tactical selections aims to counterbalance early-season uncertainties.
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