Lions pack timely punch as Maori are put in their place
Maori All Blacks 10 British and Irish Lions 32 Att: 28,177
In the land of the volcanic geyser, it was fitting that it was the massed ranks of Lions fans who were erupting with joy at the final whistle, a real tourist experience. They were all too aware that this was a watershed moment, not just for individuals but for the morale of the tour seven days from the first Test. The Lions had been buffeted by off-field issues, dented, too, by the defeats that had been racking up.
The pack were outstanding, with Maro Itoje putting in a colossal shift, so too, Toby Faletau, the scrum was in its element, and half-backs Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton made best use. This was just the tonic. They may have been doubted from the outside but the soul of the side, without which nothing is possible, looks in good order.
New Zealanders do not take much notice of the feats of opponents but this was different; this was the revered Maori All Blacks, who had not just been defeated but dominated. True, with the rain teeming down, conditions suited the Lions, but they played them to perfection. Just as the Crusaders had been turned over last week by a Lions combination of forward power and unrelenting defence, so this was a victory forged deep within, through the fierceness of the forwards, the resurgent canniness of fly-half Sexton and the reliable boot of Leigh Halfpenny, who was unerring with his shots at goal, finishing with 20 points.
There was an urgent need for a lift in mood after the midweek defeat to the Highlanders. One more and the Lions would be effective write-offs. There had been a lack of vibrancy and devil as well as a serious shortfall in game management. In that regard, at least, the Irish axis proved its worth.
The injury bulletins on Owen Farrell will make selection intriguing. It was the midfield combination of Sexton and Jonathan Davies in the outside channel that initially caught the eye. Ben Te’o came strong later.
Sexton has found his mojo after an indifferent start. He bossed the play, seeking the ball, directing operations, landing one 40-metre touch-finder with a drilled one-bouncer.
Davies was alert to every possibility, tracking play. One lovely break from the Scarlets centre took the Lions into the 22 but they could not finish off the sequence.
The Lions’ execution in the red zone of attack has been suspect. The All Blacks convert from the skinniest of openings as they showed so vividly when shredding Samoa 78-0 on Friday night. The Lions will be on slim rations at Eden Park. That much is for sure. They have to do better even if their tally of two tries on the night was satisfactory, they both came from short range.
Discipline has been a constant workon, the Lions conceding penalties as they have battled to get on each other’s wavelength.
The errors have compounded matters. All the Maori points in the first half came from mistakes – a converted try and two penalties – with Itoje at fault for both penalty indiscretions. The Saracen, though, made amends with some noteworthy contributions elsewhere.
Fortunately, the Maori were just as profligate and Halfpenny did his stuff. There was far more substance to Halfpenny’s game all round. In the 45th minute, the Wales full-back linked well down the narrow side from a scrum after Maori James Lowe had dropped a steepler. Tawera Kerr-Barlow went in high and recklessly on Halfpenny and
was shown the yellow card. It was to prove costly, with the Lions scoring two tries in his absence.
The first in the 50th minute was a penalty try awarded for persistent scrum offences. Six minutes later, again from a short-range scrum, Faletau was just short but Itoje was on hand to pick up and crash over.
The Lions back three have not acquitted themselves well on this trip but Halfpenny at last corrected his part of the equation. No wing, though, is clamouring for inclusion. Quite the opposite.
Once again they fluffed their lines when George North got into a terrible muddle trying to field a grubber through from Nehe Milner-Skudder in the 12th minute. The Lions had begun well with two penalties from Halfpenny.
And then came the cock-up, North going down on the greasy surface, getting hands on it, distracted perhaps by Halfpenny arriving, losing it and the ball poked over the line by Maori scrum-half Kerr-Barlow. It was a poor try to concede and, at such a stage, just when the Lions appeared to have settled into a rhythm. North did better with a similar situation later in the game.
The Lions kept the Maori at a distance. For all their spark, and all the togetherness cemented by their Maori roots, this was still a scratch side. Nine of the 23-man squad were All Blacks, albeit several had single figure caps. There was plenty of talent on offer but the Lions kept it in check throughout.
The double whammy second-half tries put the Lions into a commanding lead. They had blown a similar situation against the Highlanders. But they were not going to repeat that mistake and closed out the game.
This was an emphatic win. It may not have had the freewheeling brilliance of the All Blacks victory on Friday night but it was just as notable. The series is live.