CLIVE WOODWARD
Former Lions coach
WHAT a wonderful compelling game and a memorable series of world-class Test rugby but equally what a strange ending, with both sides maybe thinking what might have been. Everything about the game felt like a World Cup final and it was interesting to hear some of the players say they thought there might be extra time. It felt like there should have been.
Ultimately, New Zealand will be the more disappointed and it was fascinating to hear Kieran Read, when asked about the late penalty Romain Poite downgraded to a scrum, insist that was not the reason they lost. Of course New Zealand didn’t lose, they drew, but in Read’s mind it was a defeat.
Being harsh, he is probably right and not just because New Zealand squandered so many try-scoring opportunities in the first half. That can happen and the Lions defence has been tigerish and aggressive all tour forcing handling errors.
No, what would have perplexed me in the end was the lack of a dropped-goal attempt in the closing minutes. The situation at 15-15 absolutely cried out for it.
Of course you want to win playing dreamy, attacking rugby and scoring memorable tries but that moment had passed. With two or three minutes left it was all about getting the win and neither Beauden Barrett — who was so impressive in all other aspects of his game — or replacement TJ Perenara took control of the situation.
The final attacks that New Zealand mounted cried out for a zigzag and some pick-and-go movement up the middle of the park to engineer the dropped-goal attempt. Throughout the game the New Zealand pack had been a different beast to that which the Lions bettered in the second Test and watching on I felt really nervous.
It only needed New Zealand to play controlled sensible rugby for 30 seconds or so and the dropped-goal opportunity would have come. Instead, they went wide, which was much easier for the Lions to defend. Dropped goals do not seem to be part of their DNA.
Generally, the match went pretty much as anticipated. New Zealand were always going to up the intensity and the Lions would have known what was coming in the first quarter especially. Survival was the key and they just about accomplished that.
To trail just 12-6 at half-time was a major result. New Zealand could have scored a couple more tries but I would also give credit to the Lions for forcing what some might see as uncharacteristic handling errors by New Zealand.
The All Blacks, having failed to get over the line last week, were taking high-risk options in midfield and, with the Lions hanging tough, the chances of handling errors was greater than usual.
The Lions’ tenacity bought them time and, after the break, they began to really contest the issue. The goal-kicking of Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly got them back on level terms and it felt a try was just around the corner. But we need to pay credit to the New Zealand defence, which was also excellent.
So a drawn match and series which, when the dust settles, will probably be looked on as the right result. It was an exhilarating tour to observe from the luxury of the sidelines and Warren Gatland did a terrific job from start to finish.
I bumped into him and his wife on Friday night at the hotel restaurant and we enjoyed a quiet 10 minutes shooting the breeze and I know just how proud he was of the squad’s efforts. He should be very proud of his efforts also.
Some are saying this tour saved the Lions as a concept. That’s not right. Everybody, barring it seems a few club owners and administrators, loves the Lions and this tour confirmed that. Never forget it is the biggest loss-leader in the game of rugby, attracting thousands of talented sportsmen and women into rugby when they could perhaps go elsewhere.
You cannot measure that in mere pounds and pence, nor can you measure the huge benefit of the massive profile it gives the sport which is still only middle ranking in world terms. The Lions and the World Cup are rugby’s flagships. Protect and enhance them at every opportunity.
It did underline, however, just how difficult a modern-day Lions tour is and lessons must be learnt. It was unacceptable in player welfare terms that the Lions be required to play a match three days after getting off the plane and some individuals probably never recovered from that in terms of pressing their Test claims.
The Lions need more time to prepare and, given the need to travel with a large squad, the tours should, if anything, be extended by two matches rather than reduced by two. Commercially that would make more sense as well. It felt very odd having the Red Army of 20,000-plus fans in New Zealand this final week and a fit squad of 45-odd players still on tour and no midweek match.
Or perhaps there should be an extra week between the first and second Tests to allow the tourists time to regroup and other players to mount a proper challenge for Test match recognition. I really felt for somebody like Jonathan Joseph, for example, who looked in good nick to me but had so little opportunity on tour.
Finally there was a big message here for northern hemisphere rugby. The All Blacks are a very good rugby side, rightly ranked No 1 in the world, but they are not unbeatable and there is no reason why one of the home unions should not win the World Cup in 2019.
Since last October, New Zealand have lost to Ireland and, with just about everything in their favour, lost one home match to the Lions and drawn another. The genie is out of the bottle, a new generation of British and Irish players will no longer be intimidated mentally by playing New Zealand.