Sam: Now let us win the series
Wellington boot of Farrell leaves the fans singing in rain
SAM WARBURTON urged his Lions to make history on Saturday after the dramatic 24-21 win over New Zealand squared the series.
The Lions ended the All Blacks’ eight-year unbeaten home run yesterday with a late penalty from Owen Farrell, after Sonny Bill Williams was sent off.
And the skipper wants the tourists to finish the job in Auckland, saying: “I didn’t even celebrate after the final whistle.
“I just thought we are evens now. I will genuinely only be happy if we get that Test series win.
“We can’t stress how important the Lions is for players. It is the absolute pinnacle of our careers.
“It’s great that we managed to put that performance into the jersey and hopefully that will keep the Lions going for at least another four years.
“Whatever happens we will come back with some credibility but I want to get the job done and bring the series home.”
THE circumstances were unique, with Sonny Bill Williams’ sending-off and the Lions still almost contriving to penalise themselves into oblivion, but in the end they climbed their Everest. They beat New Zealand in New Zealand to level the series.
Whatever happens on Saturday at Eden Park in the Third Test – and if it is anything like as dramatic as yesterday’s game it will be a decider for the ages – that golden outcome means this Lions tour has been a success.
A scratch team put together five weeks ago has taken on the back-to-back world champions in their own backyard in what was billed as mission impossible and defeated them.
It was scarcely possible to take in the magnitude of that achievement but as the tumult died down, and the Red Army roaring ‘Lions, Lions’ moved downtown from the Westpac Stadium, a warm glow was left behind on the wettest of evenings.
For one night at least Britain and Ireland ruled the rugby world.
It took a comeback from 18-9 down in the last quarter to pull it off but tries from Taulupe Faletau and Conor Murray set the stage for Owen Farrell to deliver the coup de grace with a 78th-minute penalty.
“We’re very proud to be in this group,” said Murray. “I think we stuck together and showed a lot of character to stay in the fight. To beat the All Blacks, having been in a difficult position for most of the game, just showed how much we cared.
“It’s awesome we’ve levelled the series and we go into next week with a bit of a pep in our step.”
The key incident was the red card dished out by French referee Jerome Garces to Williams, who became the first All Black to be sent off in a home Test, for a shoulder charge to the face of Anthony Watson in the 25th minute.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said: “It was one of those that could have been a yellow or a red and Jerome decided it was a red, so you just have to live with it. There’s no point whining. Sonny didn’t use his arms, so he put himself at risk. He connected with Anthony’s head, so off you go, boy.
“The loss of Sonny Bill obviously had a big impact but regardless of that the Lions played well enough to win it and deserved to win it.”
The contrast in the physical contest to the First Test was absolute. The Lions pack was aflame, with Maro Itoje and Sean O’Brien inspired. Stung by the questioning of their pride by coach Warren Gatland before the game and aware of how close to the edge of the cliff they were in this series, they operated on the edge of reason. New Zealand were hammered relentlessly in the collisions but the Lions were also hammered by Garces for their indiscipline.
Itoje topped the tackle count but he also contributed to the 13 penalties the Lions coughed up.
“There was a reaction,” said Itoje. “Guys here don’t like losing and we don’t like it in the manner we did last week. But 13 penalties is way too much. It’s something we spoke about and didn’t fix, so we will have a hard look at ourselves and try to reduce it.” The indiscipline could so easily have cost the Lions but Beauden Barrett could not match Farrell’s accuracy and his three misses proved crucial. Farrell only missed once and when the game was in the melting pot he delivered. Farrell converted Murray’s 69th-minute try, following a powerful burst by Jamie George, to level the scores and then punished Charlie Faumuina for tackling the raging Kyle Sinckler in the air with a 30-metre penalty which sent the Lions fans into delirium.
The sides do it all over again on Saturday in Auckland, although a disciplinary hearing today will decide whether Williams can be involved.
Emotions are sure to be running high. Sinckler and TJ Perenara had to be separated at the final whistle and were still at it as they left the field.