Thursday 31 October 2019 15:05, UK
Former England great Jonny Wilkinson has urged the British and Irish Lions to focus on what's relevant ahead of their second Test with New Zealand.
In the week following the All Blacks' 30-15 first Test victory at Eden Park, the build-up has been dominated by off-field issues such as the alleged targeting of Conor Murray, Warren Gatland's depiction as a clown in the New Zealand media and the Lions head coach's decision not to use his controversial mid-tour replacements against the Hurricanes.
Wilkinson, who toured as a Lion in 2001 and the 2005 3-0 series defeat in New Zealand, insists the squad must concentrate on "relevant" issues if they are to succeed.
"Rugby is a bit more than a game sometimes," Wilkinson told Sky Sports News HQ. "It creeps over that boundary and starts becoming off-the-field stuff.
"Ultimately, it's being able to play what's in front you. A lot of what is happening at the moment for the players is kind of on the brink of relevant and irrelevant.
"It's relevant in terms that it involves them but actually in terms of their goal, it has to be put aside because it's not going to help.
"You could say: 'we'll use it as motivation', but then what more motivation do you need? You need to just beat them at a rugby game and do your job.
"Is it relevant to life and people and identities? Maybe. Is it relevant to winning the game at the weekend? Probably not. So staying on the relevance in terms of training well, listening to each other, getting closer to each other and getting excited.
"Deal with the other stuff maybe when the rugby's finished."
A lot of talk has surrounded the Lions' efforts, or lack thereof, at stopping the playmaking abilities of New Zealand fly-half Beauden Barrett, but Wilkinson added there are far more areas to target on Saturday before even thinking of that.
"The interesting thing about trying to keep a number 10 quiet is that it's about the fifth link in the chain," he said. "And if the first four links are lined up, the fifth one is going to happen.
"People have got to realise that the 10 is always the guy that gets a lot of the credit, but he is about fifth or sixth down the chain. And if you go straight for the sixth link, they'll just kill you in links one to five.
"So you start with one and say you've got to beat them at the set-piece, beat them in intensity, beat them in defence.
"Beat them in pressure, speed of thought, reaction, togetherness, spirit and be quicker on the ball, and if you get to that, the 10 is quiet anyway.
"You're 10 would be killing it and theirs is trying to work out what's going on. Rugby is that way. You have to be prepared to be the most amazing unit."
