Brave Lions’ roar is muffled in Auckland
THEY bared their teeth, for sure, but ultimately the Lions’ roar was muffled in Auckland. The All Blacks won 30-15 to go one up in the Test series and maintain the unbeaten run they have enjoyed at home since 1994. The Lions’ anguish at time up was plain to see.
SEAN O’BRIEN scored one of the greatest tries in Lions history – but world champions New Zealand still won a pulsating first Test in emphatic fashion.
Ireland flanker O’Brien pounced four minutes before half- time, finishing off a spectacular 80-metre move that was started by full-back Liam Williams’ dazzling running.
The All Blacks, though, held firm in the face of some outstanding rugby by the visitors as they made it 39 successive games unbeaten at Eden Park.
Hooker Codie Taylor scored a first-half try, before wing Rieko Ioane added two secondhalf touchdowns, with fly-half Beauden Barrett kicking 15 points.
Full Test debutant Ioane’s first try came after a suspicion of a knock- on before skipper Kieran Read brilliantly off-loaded possession.
Owen Farrell added a penalty for the Lions, and replacement scrum- half Rhys Webb claimed a try deep into injury time that Farrell converted.
But the tourits will now head to Wellington knowing that victory is required on Saturday to keep the three-match series alive.
At times, New Zealand’s speed, awareness and attacking running lines were off the scale, yet the Lions lived with them for much of a memorable encounter.
Williams and his Wales colleague Jonathan Davies were at the attacking heart of a thrilling Lions adventure, yet the forwards were given a sometimes torrid time in the scrums, and the All Blacks finished far stronger.
The Lions almost made a dream start, inside two minutes when Davies made a superb break and found scrum-half Conor Murray in support.
Murray was hauled down just short of the line. Possession was then moved wide and wing Elliot Daly looked to have squeezed over, only to be denied by Israel Dagg’s quality defence.
The All Blacks appeared rocked, and Murray
continued to test them with high kicks, but New Zealand gradually began to find their feet.
Barrett made it 3-0 through a 14th-minute penalty. And matters soon deteriorated for the Lions, as just five minutes later, New Zealand sacrificed a kickable close-range penalty and sent possession wide at a rate of knots before Taylor scored out wide, Barrett converting.
Ten points down and struggling to cope with the hosts’ sheer pace and precision handling, alarm bells were ringing for the tourists.
New Zealand suffered some disruption when full-back Ben Smith went off for a head injury assessment, while centre Ryan Crotty departed with a leg injury. Anton Lienert-Brown took over as Farrell and Barrett exchanged penalties.
The Lions needed to stir, but no-one could have predicted their response, which came through a breathtaking score.
Deep inside his own half, Williams’ mesmeric running saw him beat a number of players and
leave New Zealand in reverse gear. Davies was then involved twice in the move, linking initially with Daly, and then giving the scoring delivery to O’Brien and sending the thousands of Lions fans wild.
Farrell could not convert, yet the Lions could have hardly made a more devasatating statement of intent, just 13-8 adrift at half-time.
The Lions almost struck another wonder score soon after the re-start. Wllliams, Davies and Daly were again heavily involved but New Zealand repealed it stoutly.
Maro Itoje replaced Alun Wyn Jones, with prop Jack McGrath and tour captain Sam Warburton also going on before Ioane’s try effectively sealed the contest.
And when Barrett completed his penalty hat- trick and Ioane claimed his second try, there was no way back for the Lions.
The wait for a Test victory over the All Blacks, last achieved 24 years ago, goes on.