Tourists march on but true test awaits

The British and Irish Lions have finally flexed their muscles on this tour.

Their finishing ability remains in doubt and inferior to that of the All Blacks, but they have something else, or at least their top side does — the capacity to strangle the life out of good teams with their pack.

This was probably an above-par win over a New Zealand Maori team which was good, at least on paper.

Colin Cooper’s men are likely to be disappointed with their performance, but they were so rarely on the front foot, it made stringing together phases all but impossible.

It’s difficult to remember them winning a single possession in the Lions’ 22m area in the second half.

Will this muscle-bound, high-kick, pressure style be enough to subdue the All Blacks, who put on a shock and awe display in terms of finishing power against Manu Samoa?

Perhaps, but again, the Lions probably need something more — maybe that little bit extra that coach Warren Gatland says he and his team are holding back.

The men in black last night, captained by hooker Ash Dixon, who with his back-up Hika Elliot, led the Maori in a stirring pre-match haka, patu and all, stayed with the visitors in the first half and showed some brilliance in conjuring a try for Liam Messam through a George North mistake.

But their chances were all but gone once the Lions scored a penalty try through their scrum while halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow was in the sinbin for a high tackle, and if Maro Itoje’s converted try to make it 29-10 didn’t seal it, a driving lineout maul which went almost 30m did.

Mentally that would have been difficult to recover from, and there was worse to come. It was all a bit Crusaders-like for the Maori, who wanted to play with tempo and width against a powerful opposition, but who were dealt a bad hand with the weather and compounded it with regular mistakes.

There were a few positives. Midfielder Charlie Ngatai, who has played little rugby this year, showed pace and, just as impressively, strength in the tackle, and can’t be too far from the All Blacks mix.

Loose forward Messam showed speed, too, and wing Nehe MilnerSkudder completed another step towards a return to international rugby.

The visitors will be happy with the win after limply conceding victory against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Tuesday.

It was just what they needed as they prepare to receive their reinforcements, and in No 8 Taulupe Faletau and centre Jonathan Davies, they have genuinely dangerous ball runners.

One of their main issues, however, remains their inability to finish nailedon opportunities: Davies cut through the defence in the first half and got metres from the line only for the chance to slip away in the drizzle.

It’s not the only time this tour such opportunities have been butchered and it’s difficult to see the All Blacks being so wasteful on Saturday.