While the team that played against the Qantas Wallabies in Melbourne lick their wounds over the next few days, Alex Corbisiero and Jamie Roberts will be hard at it in training hoping to convince Warren Gatland they are fit to play in the vital third Test on Saturday.
Assistant coach Andy Farrell confirmed shortly after the squad arrived in Noosa on Sunday that the duo will be training while the rest of the squad recover from the rigors of their 16-15 defeat last weekend.
Corbisiero arrived in Australia as a replacement loose head prop, yet distinguished himself in the front row on his Lions Test debut in Brisbane before picking up a calf injury that ruled him out of the second Test.
Roberts, a veteran of the opening two Tests of the 2009 series in South Africa, injured his hamstring late on in the big win over the Waratahs in Sydney on 15 June. He hasn’t played since then, but could be fit for consideration this weekend.
“There are a few boys training tomorrow, going hard tomorrow, and the rest of the squad have a couple of days off and we’ll train Wednesday and Thursday. Alex Corbisiero and Jamie Roberts will go hard tomorrow and, hopefully, will be right for full training on Wednesday,” said Farrell.
“Obviously, coming off in a Test match like that was a bit devastating for Sam Warburton, especially as a captain. You want to be there for your team-mates and lead from the front, especially in the last dying minutes of the game.
“He is disappointed about that, but he is in good spirits because he knows we have a big week ahead of us and a Test match series to win. He was in good spirits with the rest of his playing group and he eagerly awaits his results.”
Farrell has reiterated to the squad that there is a series still to be won and doesn’t believe the one point victory secured by the Wallabies will give them the edge going into the decisive third Test.
“Twenty-four hours on there is still a little bit of emotion there with the enormity of the game and what was at stake. But the reality is it’s 1-1, there are two good teams going hammer and tongs and we’re both still in the race,” said Farrell.
“I’m proud of the way we stuck at it, especially in defence when we were under pressure in those last 20 minutes. Just talking to the boys, they’re a little bit disappointed with the accuracy of how we went about things and we compounded that with a few unforced errors. It’s something we need to be better at with the game next week.
“We were lucky in the first game to get away with a win and, in the second game, we could have won. I suppose you could say after those two games 1-1 is a fair way to look at it. Now it’s all on for the last one.
“We’ve come to Noosa for a couple of days off and we’ll lick our wounds. We’ll get back to what we have to do on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and everyone is aware of the size of the task and what is at stake.
“We all realise it’s the biggest game of our lives and we’ll see what comes of that. I wouldn’t say the momentum is with the Aussies after their win – I think they will be very pleased.
“Obviously it was a do-or-die situation for them and they rose to the challenge. I thought they were deserved winners, definitely, because they rose to the challenge.
“But it was a one-point ball game that could have gone either way so I think both teams will be confident going into next week.”
