‘We won the battle of the tight five,’ says Hansen

his coaching.

‘When they can score tries like that first one, you’re thinking they should probably do that more often,’ said Hansen in a way that only highlighted his rival’s steadfast “Warrenball” ways where confrontation is king and flair only afterthought.

The giddy narrative in the final days of the build-up was how the Lions had supposedly all the aces in their tight five. How the front row would repeat the number it did in Christchurch on the All Blacks’ all-Crusaders front row, and how their engine room second rows would be the energy driving them on against a supposedly weaker unit.