FARRELL’S BOOTIFUL GAME
Brilliant Lions kicking star tells the All Blacks: You’re not untouchable!
OWEN FARRELL kicked the Lions to a famous series result then told the shellshocked All Blacks: ‘Nobody is untouchable!’
A drawn series ended the run of superiority New Zealand had enjoyed over the best of Britain and Ireland, dating back 46 years.
And, while boss Warren Gatland claimed he would have preferred to “roll the dice” with extra-time rather than settle for a share of the spoils, there was no disguising the pride of these Lions. “It feels weird to be on the end of a draw, but actually this is a brilliant achievement,” said Farrell. (left). “They’re No.1 in the world, the best team. But we always thought we were going to be competitive. We came here to win. I don’t think anyone is untouchable.”
Not with Farrell kicking, they’re not. In Wellington, a week ago, he beat the 14-man All Blacks with a cleanly- struck penalty, two minutes from time.
This time there were 180 seconds left on the clock, but he was almost on the halfway line, knowing a miss would cost the Lions the whole shooting match.
“You know what the kick means, but I don’t think anything changes for you as a kicker,” he said, in his usual matter-of-fact way.
As the ball sailed through the posts, a month of jibes became stuck in the throats of the Lions’ Kiwi critics.
The tourists had been mocked as no-hopers, had been warned they would be hammered 3-0, were accused of turning back the clock with their dour rugby and were told that three-quarters of New Zealand had never heard of them.
There weren’t so many wisecracks last night, just thinly disguised All Black bitterness at a penalty awarded to them in the last minute, which