Lions are ‘gutted and disappointed ...’
WELLINGTON: The Hurricanes launched an extraordinary comeback by scoring two tries while British and Irish Lions lock Iain Henderson was in the sinbin and snatched a 31-31 draw in the visitors’ final midweek match of their New Zealand tour yesterday.
Wes Goosen and Vaea Fifita crossed during the man advantage for the home side, who had been 23-7 down at halftime and trailing 31-17 with 13 minutes remaining.
“It’s very frustrating, they are the Super Rugby champions and a very good side,” said Lions captain Rory Best.
“We’ll look back at mistakes that let them back into it. But to build two leads the way we did at this stage in the tour, we’ve got to look at a few positives as well.
“You cannot fault the effort but we needed to be maybe a little more clinical at times.”
The Lions had spent much of the first half defending but managed two opportunistic tries with winger Tommy Seymour finishing off a length-of-the-field movement after Greig Laidlaw had made an intercept with the Hurricanes hot on attack.
George North also scored after the hosts failed to field a high kick from flyhalf Dan Biggar and the ball bounced kindly for the Lions winger, who crossed under the posts.
The Hurricanes did not help themselves as they turned the ball over just when they appeared to be getting momentum or gave away silly penalties inside their own half, allowing Biggar to knock three over to give his side a 23-7 lead at the break.
The home side struck back after the resumption of play with Laumape finishing off a wellworked backline move that ended with the All Blacks squad member smashing over the top of Biggar.
Jordie Barrett and Biggar traded penalties before Seymour grabbed his second try with scrumhalf Te Toiroa-Tahuriorangi yellow carded for a high tackle as the visitors built their 14-point advantage.
Henderson was then given a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Jordie Barrett, allowing Goosen to cross before Fifita smashed over following a sustained buildup.
Biggar had the opportunity to win the game with a long range drop goal attempt after the fulltime hooter but it fell well short.
“We wanted to put on a performance today and it’s frustrating because I think we gave away a few soft penalties early,” said Hurricanes captain Brad Shields.
“But look, a massive game and an awesome occasion and I think the boys loved every minute of it. ”
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd thought Henderson’s tackle on Barrett deserved an “orange” card, while his Lions counterpart Warren Gatland reckoned it warranted just a penalty.
Both, however, agreed the incident when Henderson upended Barrett in a midfield ruck in the 65th minute was the major talking point of the game.
“I was a bit horrified when I was listening to the mike and he (referee Romain Poite) was talking about nothing,” Boyd told reporters. “Clearly he (Barrett) was tipped beyond the horizontal and the starting point for that is yellow.
“The penalty around that I understand is where you land, it has nothing to do with intent.
“It was probably an orange in my mind so somewhere between a yellow and a red.”
Gatland, who did not address the fact his side scored eight points while Hurricanes scrumhalf Te Toiroa-Tahuriorangi was sinbinned in the second half, had a different interpretation.
“Disappointed we ended up with a yellow card,” he said.
“The referee was initially going to give it as a penalty but he made the decision to look at other angles and changed his decision to a yellow card.
“It was the big moment of the game. It was going to be a penalty to us and we had all the territory and possession so it was a massive swing in the game.”
With Henderson off the field, the home side came roaring back and after Goosen and Fifita’s tries, with the 38 690-strong crowd urging the 2016 Super Rugby champions on, they pressed hard to try to score the winning try.
The Lions, however, managed to hold them out and had the opportunity to win the game only for Biggar to miss his drop goal attempt.
“They’re gutted. They’re disappointed,” Gatland said of his players. “They know they let an opportunity slip to win the match and ended with a draw. They’re disappointed in that.”
Boyd, while also frustrated with the result, said he felt his team had played the better rugby.
“If you were a complete neutral – and I am a neutral,” he said with a grin, “it was four tries to three and two of their tries were off an intercept and a dropped high ball.
“When I reflect on the game the Hurricanes had the better of it, but neither side will be happy with the draw.”