HOW LIONS WON A FIGHT FOR RESPECT
Pride as Gatland’s men leave their mark
MISSION accomplished. That was the overriding sentiment at Lions HQ here yesterday — despite the anti- climactic series stalemate — as players, coaches and staff started coming to terms with the magnitude of their feat.
Dismissed as no-hopers, they were nothing of the sort. The British and Irish tourists arrived in New Zealand at the end of another gruelling season, hurriedly transformed themselves into a united force, fronted up to the two-time world champions and finished on terms.
Saturday’s cliff-hanger climax at Eden Park may have left all concerned feeling somewhat unfulfilled, but there was soon a clear mood shift in the visiting squad.
Initial frustration gave way to collective pride and satisfaction, stemming from a sense of just how far they had come in such a short space of time.
In that regard, it was instructive to look back at the build-up to the tour opener in Whangarei, when Warren Gatland was informed a poll had shown that 78 per cent of Kiwis were unable to name a single Lions player. His response was to say: ‘It’s our job to come here, play some good rugby and earn respect.’
They have done just that. They came to a place where the European game is not respected and made a mockery of outdated perceptions. Locals have probably learned a few more of their names, too.
Across the series, these Lions ticked various performance boxes. The opener in Auckland brought the stunning, length-of-the-field wonder-try rounded off by Sean O’Brien, which shook New Zealanders out of their conviction that those from the northern hemisphere can only play a crash-and-bash game.
In Wellington, they demonstrated mental resilience and stamina, creative intent and big-game composure just when it mattered, to come back from an 18-9 deficit and win at the death to set up a decider. And what a decider it was, living up to so much hype and hope with staggering levels of physicality and defensive gallantry and fervent competitive desperation.
The Lions could have been down and out by half time, but they clung on gamely in the face of the ‘Blacklash’ that was easy to predict but so much harder to repel. Steve Hansen’s home side claimed first-half tries through Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett, but they could have had four more.
Sam Warburton and Co were being out-played but they simply would not go quietly. Owen Farrell’s all-round performance was a long way from his European Player of the Year standards, but he kept kicking his goals to keep the Lions in the hunt. Elliot Daly’s left-foot ‘cannon’ fired the ball over from 55 metres after the break and another shot by Farrell levelled it at 12-12 on the hour.
The last quarter brought drama and controversy. The Lions were angered by the scrum penalty against them 11 minutes from time which allowed Beauden Barrett to put New Zealand ahead again. Then, after Farrell’s nerveless kick to tie the scores with two minutes to go, the match ended in recriminations over a penalty to New Zealand which referee Romain Poite awarded, then retracted.
Kieran Read was offside from the restart anyway, so it is quite fair to dismiss all the howls of indignation. To their credit, though, the All Blacks themselves were relatively gracious, having been denied yet another momentous prize.
When they cranked up the intensity a fortnight earlier, the Lions had been blown away. This time, the red line held. They would not yield. No wonder they were content with their efforts. Maro Itoje delivered another titanic performance to enhance his cult status on this tour but Wales centre Jonathan Davies was deservedly named Players’ Player of the Series. As was the case in Australia four years ago, when the Scarlet has that famous crest on his chest he is a supreme, world-class midfield asset.
Asked to reflect on the outcome, Davies said: ‘Some people might say it was a fair result and we’re disappointed we didn’t get a win, but I’m proud of what we achieved.
‘We’ve been put together quite quickly and we’ve come down to the best nation in the world and played well. WeWe’veve achieved something very special. Coming out here, people ople expected 3-0. They didn’t give us a chance. It was a great at achievement and we cann hold our heads high.’
To wade through a gruelling itinerary in the world’s premier rugby union nation and wind up with five wins and two draws from the 10-match campaign is a notable feat, but t there was still no escapingg the feeling of a comedown at the end.
Tadhg Furlong, the mightyy Irish prop, tried to make sensee of it all, saying: ‘It’s a weird one. We haven’t won, but we haven’t lost, either.
‘I’ll probably look back and think it was a great achievement, coming here and pushing New Zealand so close in Eden Park; rebounding after a first Test lost — but you’d like to see a clear winner.
‘At the end, it was like: “What do we do now?” You walk past the cup and it’s: “What happens here? Who’s going to lift it?”’
What the Lions players will do now is enjoy a last day of relaxing and sightseeing and partying, before flying home and going their separate ways. They will soon return to the relative normality of club rugby, having played their part in reinforcing the whole Lions concept, which they all cherish.
‘After nights like Saturday and last week, I can’t believe it’s come into any doubt,’ said Davies. ‘I don’t think it can be questioned. The Lions is something special.’
The players have delivered, as have the coaches, the support staff and the hordes of supporters. Now it is over to the suits to do their bit. It is up to the English clubs to recognise the bigger picture and stop trying to squeeze the life out of this glorious, box-office institution.
What the Lions have achieved represents a triumph against a system which sets them up to fail.
5 THE LIONS conceded just five penalties in the third Test, compared to the 24 they gave away in the first two games. Saturday was the only match that they were penalised less than the All Blacks in.