All Blacks fear pitfalls in Garden of Eden

THE All Blacks will go into Saturday’s deciding third Test against the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park as favourites‚ but they have seldom been under so much pressure.

The Lions’ series was supposed to be a straightforward coronation of the All Blacks’ status as the greatest rugby team ever.

Instead the series has turned into a dogfight that has made the mighty All Blacks appear human after years of supreme dominance.

Since losing three Tests in a row to the Springboks in 2009‚ New Zealand rugby‚ until this series at least‚ has streaked ahead of the chasing pack.

The Lions were expected to be the final confirmation that this decade’s All Blacks are the greatest of all time.

They might still be‚ but if they lose a Lions series for only a second time‚ it would seriously dent that claim.

After losing 32-29 to the Boks in Hamilton in 2009‚ which followed two earlier defeats in SA that season‚ the All Blacks set about working towards a period of world dominance that is unprecedented in rugby‚ and arguably in all sport.

They changed their approach and honed their skills in terms of tactical kicking and conditioning that saw them surge ahead.

Naturally once the gap was established‚ the chasing pack started closing it. Ireland and England‚ in particular‚ are close.

The Lions’ performances underline that closure and last week’s win was further evidence that the All Blacks are no longer invincible.

In fact‚ the Lions squandered three gilt-edged try-scoring chances in the first Test and paid the price.

Last week‚ after Sonny Bill Williams’ 25th minute red card‚ it was the Lions who dropped their intensity and lost their shape.

The All Blacks are cornered and will leave everything on the Eden Park pitch on Saturday to ensure they don’t become only the fourth NZ side to lose a home series after predecessors lost to the 1937 Springboks‚ the 1971 Lions and the 1994 French.

The All Blacks haven’t shied away from publicly confronting their own shortcomings in this series‚ the most notable being Williams’ red card. — TMG