Courage and good fortune help Lions to share the spoils
Poite’s big call denies All Blacks
‘DEFENSIVELY SHOCKING, IT WAS FARRELL WHO WAS THE LIFE SAVER’
TWO Eden Park draws 46 years apart, two very different reactions. When the Lions drew 14-14 with New Zealand in 1971, it sparked jubilation as it meant the tourists had clinched a series triumph there for the very first time. Last night, though, there was no wild celebrations as this 15-15 draw, secured by Owen Farrell’s 78thminute penalty kick and protected seconds later by referee Romain Poite reneging on a penalty decision awarded to the All Blacks at the restart, left the 2017 series ending in stalemate.
By the time opposing captains Sam Warburton and Kieran Read lifted the trophy, the ground had mostly emptied out, so peeved were people that a six-week tour finished in deflating anti-climax.
They were right to vote with their feet. It is ridiculous in this day and age that there isn’t some way of determining a winner.
With the All Blacks having scored more tries than the Lions over the three matches (five to four), having a better points difference (+12) and having only ever been led by the tourists for just two minutes in the whole 240-minute saga, they will feel the more disappointed, but why there was never a provision in the first place for extra-time to be played illustrated how archaic this series concept is.
Imagine, a multi-million euro making venture that doesn’t have a way of determining a result one way or the other. Madness.
The sad consequence of this oneall result − which left fans and players of both sides in a daze after a gripping, bruising, error-strewn contest was distilled down to the dramatic closing minutes − is that it could mask what was still a monumental achievement by the Lions.
Think about it: so many countries repeatedly failed to land a telling blow on Steve Hansen’s All Blacks, only Ireland, Australia, South Africa and England managing to do so in his 69 matches in charge prior to this series.
Yet, somehow the Lions, a scratch quadrennial outfit with a terribly limited preparation window, defied the odds to share a three-match Test series. That’s an outcome which is an excellent fillip for global rugby just 26 months out from the next World Cup.
The last thing the sport needed heading towards Japan was the nauseous feeling that these All Blacks remained unbeatable. What a turn-off that would be.
However, what the Lions have highlighted is the squad Hansen is now working with might not be as potent as feared during 2016. The chances left unfinished by them in this series are indicative of a team that just perhaps has ridden the crest of the wave and might now be on a downward trajectory.
Admittedly, there was a heck of a lot of good fortune involved, Warren Gatland continuing to be more a lucky general than a smart one given some of his Test selections were arrived at more by accident than design.
But what this stalemate will do is hopefully convince warring factions that this four-nation tour concept, a carry-over from the amateur era, must be listed as a property deserving of far better care and attention.
‘I have been assured that it [my tour report] will be taken note of this time,’ insisted Gatland as the dust settled on a compelling series that no one had predicted would finish deadlocked.
‘I was asked to do one last time and I said I’m wasting my time. I said I can do the tour report in three words: preparation, preparation, preparation and just being fairly treated… we need to start negotiating with the home unions and the clubs about some adequate time for preparation.
‘Not being stupid but if we were here for a week before the first game and had a week together in the UK and Ireland, that is not a hard ask. It is reasonable and something we should fight for as hard as we can.’
Gaining parity against the backto-back world champions in their back yard should surely be a powerful bargaining chip as it was hard earned.
It would be shameful if there wasn’t now a sobering realisation among the powers that be that these Lions would have only been even better versus the All Blacks with more getting-to-know-you time together. They would be surely going home as series winners.
What bound them together against the odds was a remarkable strength of character.
It wasn’t in evidence when losing in Auckland a fortnight previously, but they got their lucky red card break last weekend in Wellington to hit back and they rolled with the multiple punches here, absorbing the concession of two first-half tries − scored by first-time starters Ngani Laumape and Jordi Barrett − by limiting the All Blacks, who lost Jerome Kaino to a 50th minute yellow card, to just three points in the second-half. That was truly courageous.
Rather than foaming at the mouth with histrionics over referee Poite’s late decision to overrule himself and cancel the offside penalty award against Ken Owens, the All Blacks ultimately had only themselves to blame for not pulling away.
Too many balls went to ground in a turnover festival, but Beauden Barrett also stank the place out with an early scuffed penalty miss while the forward pass that ruled out an early Julian Savea secondhalf try summed up their ineffective night.
For the Lions, it was revitalised Johnny Sexton, taking his cue from Maro Itoje, who led the charge. But in a tour that defied logic all through, it was Farrell, defensively shocking early on, who was the lifesaver, his four kicks, added to Elliot Daly’s boomer from inside his own half, ensuring the All Blacks couldn’t clinch this memorable series, no matter how hard they tried.