Ollie Phillips: Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar have points to prove in historic Lions clash with Japan
The British and Irish Lions kick off their summer against Japan this weekend and everything about it excites me.
A home Lions match is a rare treat and the fact that 16,500 fans will be back at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon makes it even more special.
A first ever match against a Japan side that lit up the World Cup means history will be made, while their opponents’ attacking game should suit the Lions nicely.
I’m intrigued to see just what approach the Lions take, given the contrasting styles among the coaching team.
While head coach Warren Gatland likes his teams to be tight and squeeze opponents, attack coach Gregor Townsend favours having the ball in hand more.
It should be interesting to get the first clues of what to expect on the tour of South Africa next month.
Opportunity knocks for Lions hopefuls
Gatland doesn’t have a full squad to pick from, with many England-based players yet to join up, but for those involved it’s a great opportunity to impress.
Equally, there are very few stars in this Lions party. Everyone is just very good, so there are hardly any shoo-ins for starting places.
I think it’s a very important game for Dan Biggar to show his credentials.
Biggar is probably going to be first-choice fly-half for the Lions tour. I’d like to see him own this game and really dictate the play.
Gatland has gone with Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki, who play together for Ireland, as centres. I feel there are places up for grabs in the midfield.
Tadgh Beirne had an outstanding Six Nations, is versatile and has a big opportunity in the back row this weekend.
Perhaps the man with most to prove is Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones.
Jones wouldn’t necessarily get in the second row on current form so he could do with reminding people what a good leader he can be against Japan.
Quins comeback was best Premiership game I’ve seen
Last weekend’s Premiership semi-finals reminded me why I love the game.
Harlequins’ incredible ding-dong against Bristol was probably the best game I’ve ever seen in the competition.
It had everything: beautiful rugby, the comeback to end all comebacks, Joe Marler arriving by helicopter after the birth of his child.
You couldn’t have scripted it and it was an amazing advert for the Premiership.
It also made a compelling case for ring-fencing the division, as two teams who have been able to concentrate on playing expansive rugby put on a show.
When Alex Dombrandt went over for Quins at 28-0 down I felt they’d been given a sniff of a chance but it was hard to imagine we’d see such a sensational turnaround.
Bristol deserve credit too. For 35 minutes they were brilliant and did everything right.
The biggest danger for Harlequins in Saturday’s final with Exeter is that they have already spent all their chips.
After the euphoria of last weekend, they have to accept that they haven’t achieved anything yet and will have to pick themselves up to face a team who have been there and done it all before.
Superior power and experience favours Exeter
You can only doff your cap at Rob Baxter and Exeter, who beat Sale in the other semi-final.
Sale were unfortunate not to have fly-half AJ MacGinty fit as he makes a big difference to their attack, but Exeter were clinical.
The final has some great individual match-ups. I love the look of Joe Simmonds v Marcus Smith and Henry Slade v Joe Marchant.
And there is a nice sub-plot involving Quins’ older players. This might be a last final for Marler and Danny Care, and a chance for Care to bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on the Lions squad.
The romantic in me wants Quins to win, but if this were a script, Exeter would be the baddie who arrives at the end to ruin it all.
Quins’ hopes probably rest on how much they can keep the game as they want it, and not the attritional battle the Chiefs prefer.
But as much as I hope they come back from 35-0 down this weekend, I think the superior power and experience of Exeter will win the day.
Bristol should never have let Quins come back in a million years and Exeter won’t make any similar mistakes.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance, experts in leadership development & behavioural change. Follow Ollie on Twitter and on LinkedIn.