All Blacks too good when it matters

LIONS TOUR Richard Loe

As is so often the case in All Blacks tests of the current era, the magic happens between the 50th and 70th minutes.

In that period last night, they kept cranking up the pressure through their fitness, and moved from 13-8 to 30-8 with two converted Rieko Ioane tries and a penalty.

Bang, that was the match.

I think the Lions threw everything they had, but that hit-out will have benefitted the All Blacks greatly.

They made mistakes, but no one had a poor game.

The most credit needs to go to the exceptional performances of Kieran Read, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock. Whichever team built the best platform would win the test and that was the All Blacks last night.

Read, as the captain returning from injury, deserves singling out.

They took him off just before the end, but the conditioning he’s done to get up to speed didn’t need any further proof. It’s not easy when you’re lacking match fitness. His return shows what a big heart and good mind he’s got. That describes most of his teammates, too.

I’d also put in a special plug for Codie Taylor picking that ball off his boot straps to score the opening try.

That one should be framed on the wall in the foyer of the front rowers’ club. It shows whatever number you’ve got on your back doesn’t matter in that team, even in the absence of Dane Coles.

Contrast that against the Lions. The Sean O’Brien try was a classy piece of work, but 30 seconds of brilliance did not translate to 80 minutes.

The Lions have a lot of ability but traditionally at home they don’t play an expansive game, so it can let them down when they try it here.

Owen Farrell, as first-five, needs to take more responsibility. He needs to put as much time and effort into his tactical game as he does with his place kicking.

If the Lions want a shot at winning the series, they are still going to have to chance their arm though. That means speeding up things rather than walking to the likes of lineouts.

They’re professionals, they know exactly what call they’re going to do, yet they slow it down. That disappoints me.