Lions rumble, then roar
A happier homecoming this time, for Warren Gatland.
This time last year the proud Waikato man left Hamilton with a face as red as his Welsh lads’ jerseys after the Chiefs put them to the sword during their series against the All Blacks.
A year on, the cheeks will probably be described more as rosy, instead, after his British and Irish Lions midweekers kept the tourists’ momentum well in hand ahead of the first test at Eden Park on Saturday, after beating the Chiefs 34-6 at FMG Stadium Waikato last night.
In reality, the result wasn’t going to mean much in the bigger scheme of things, but after their confidence-building win over the New Zealand Maori in Rotorua last weekend, these Lions didn’t want to surrender any of their new-found inspiration.
This was their 10th time playing in Hamilton, and having lost on the past two occasions – to the Maori in 2005 and to Waikato in 1993 when Gatland scored a try for the Mooloo men – they made amends big time.
The Chiefs had hoped for the exuberance of youth, but in the end, they just had to tip their hat to a touring party who themselves had enough to play for with test selections on the line.
The Chiefs were dominated massively at the set piece – their scrum was shunted backwards on several occasions and their lineout faltering time and again from the moment Courtney Lawes snatched one in front of Dominic Bird on the first throw of the game. The hosts struggled to split a solid Lions defensive line, with their usual gamebreakers not there to produce the normal spark.
But if the Lions didn’t leave Hamilton with bruised egos, they’ll at least be nursing some bruised bodies. There were some punishing hits, with the crunches reverberating all round a packed stadium, which featured various pockets of red, and that ‘‘Li-ons, Lions’’ chant which will only get louder over the next few weeks.
The Chiefs held the Lions to one try in the first half and a 13-6 scoreline at the break, with winger Jack Nowell scoring the first of his two tries on 26 minutes, with the tourists having spent 10 minutes without prop Joe Marler after his brain fade no-arms late shot on Nepo Laulala.
As that was going on Chiefs winger Toni Pulu was getting a stretcher sent his way, with his unfortunate run with injury continuing, this time his knee giving way in a tackle and seeing him off after just 12 minutes.
But the second half belonged to the tourists, stamping their mark with a 54th-minute penalty try awarded by Jerome Garces after the Chiefs brought down that dangerous rolling maul, with Mitchell Brown also sinbinned for the ordeal.
With a two-converted try buffer, the Lions then produced their most expansive rugby of the tour, punishing another stray Chiefs lineout, moving the ball wide one way then the other, with Nowell producing a mighty fine finish for his double.
More was to come when standout fullback Liam Williams carved up the middle of the park and offloaded to Jared Payne for a sentimental try on the turf he used to call home.
Having conceded only seven tries in five games is a fine record for the tourists this far, but the four tries scored will give the Lions a little strut in their step as they head toward Auckland.