New Zealand 30 – 15 Lions

All the hype and optimism of the Northern hemisphere’s media corps could not will into being a victory against the All Blacks. The cynics will tell you they warned you so, but the parapet is short and those few who stand above it are likely to be shot down; it is a gamble and a leap of faith to back the underdog. And today saw that faith shaken in an earth shattering collision of wills where the truth was revealed after months of speculation; the Lions were outplayed and outshone. It was a good start from the visitors, drawing off the electric atmosphere of a packed Eden Park. Davies and Daly combined well in the early minutes which fed hopes of an upset. As the first half wore on, it became more and more apparent that the All Black pack were wrestling control of the game away from their Lions counterparts. One moment of magic (that could easily have seen Liam Williams isolated, turned over and try conceded) saw the Welsh fullback break through the waves of black to combine with former team mate Davies, to gift O’Brien a simple try. But it would not be enough and after the break the All Blacks ruthlessly tightened the screws with Ioane finishing a brace of clinical tries to put the first test to bed.

Backs

Liam Williams – 8
A superb counter attack from the former Scarlets man that goes down as one of the best test tries in Lions history. Good in defence and blistering in attack (2 Clean Breaks, 3 defenders beaten). A pity his schoolboy error in failing to take the high kick led to the second Ioane try.

Anthony Watson – 8
Cut out a ‘Barrett special’ crossfield kick to deny a certain try. Stepped well and looked sharp and dangerous. His best performance of this tour.

Jonathan Davies – 8.5
Didn’t put a foot wrong. Involved in the Liam Williams’ break and generally assisted in attack. Carried well and offloaded with excellent skill. The best centre on the field. 85 metres off 9 runs, 5 clean breaks, 3 defenders beaten.

Ben Te’o – 7
Did exactly what was required of him. Played the percentages and carried over the gainline in small margins and kept Sonny Bill fairly quiet. The tackle in the second half epitomised his effort.

Elliot Daly – 7.5
Created some much needed space in the Williams’ counter attack by cleverly drawing his man. Showed the same astuteness throughout the game. Almost went over early on but for a superb Israel Dagg tackle and generally chased down kicks.

Owen Farrell – 6.5
Had a reasonable first half but couldn’t wrestle control of the game away from Barrett and Cruden. Seemed to get lost. Missed a conversion but overall kicking from hand was good.

Conor Murray- 6.5
As with his fly-half, they were forced on the back foot by brilliant All Black game management and didn’t have the chance to launch any coordinated attacks. Rhys Webb came on late in the second half to gift the Lions a try with a darting run from close. Box kicking was good, but targeted by the All Blacks. Probably could have distributed to Daly following Davies’ early break.

Pack

Mako Vunipola – 6
Failed to make as big an impact as his previous performances have promised. Scrum could have been better. Tireless clearing out too.

Jamie George – 6
Misses out on Most Tackles by one to Faletau (21). Lineout was good, but loose work could have been better.

Tadhg Furlong – 6
Similar to Vunipola, Furlong did not have the desired impact. Made very little ground on the charge from a stalwart All Black defence.

Alun Wyn Jones – 5.5
The ItAWJ debate should have been put to bed with this performance. His usual fiery self was doused by a determined and clinical All Black pack.

George Kruis – 5.5
Had the ball ripped away from him in contact which led to a threatening All Black counter. Lacked the physicality and skill to deal with his counterparts.

Peter O’Mahony – 6.5
Although the majority of the pack struggled to make an impact, O’Mahony took the reins and led by example. Not the impact he’d have liked, but nevertheless put in a positive performance, securing lineouts and carrying well.

Sean O’Brien – 6.5
Some good jackaling but stifled by the All Black back-row. Good in the loose and broke at one point.

Toby Faletau – 7
Strong ball carrier and great in defence (21 tackles), the in-form number 8 had to use all his talent to try and match an immense Kieran Read. Sadly, not enough but commendable effort.

Replacements

Ken Owens – 5.5
Came on in the dying stages, and couldn’t find a way in. First lineout was rushed. Replaced George 68’

Jack McGrath – 6
Scrum did not get any better when he replaced Vunipola 52′

Kyle Sinckler – 6
A very visible break from being there at the right time. Whilst we all love to see a prop bounding down the wing, he should have released the quicker Daly. Nevertheless, continues to look in form. Replaced Furlong 58’

Maro Itoje – 6.5
Added spark to the pack battle which was quickly fizzled out. An improvement on AWJ but the All Blacks took his introduction in their stride. Replaced Alun Wyn Jones 48′

Sam Warburton – 6
Usual Warburton average game. Made a nuisance of himself and gave a good account at the breakdown. Replaced O’Mahony 53’

Rhys Webb – 6.5
Sparky as per. Made use of some tired legs to poach a try. Had he been on for longer, his impact would have been worn down by Cruden and Read. Replaced Murray 67′

Jonny Sexton – 6
For all the Sexton-Farrell connection hype, it didn’t work particularly well. Much the same muchness as Farrell regarding game management. Replaced Te’o 57′

Leigh Halfpenny – N/A
Came on for a tired Williams to ensure no late All Black breaks. Replaced Williams 72′

Worthy mentions

Kieran Read – 9
Possibly the best number 8 performance I’ve seen in a long time. Ruthless in attack (62 metres off 19 runs) and a menace at the breakdown. His ability to collect loose ball from the scrum and keep the move alive with a slick flick up was the reason Ioane scored. Replaced by Scott Barrett 77′

Beauden Barrett – 8
Good game management and some exceptional skill. Kicked well at the posts but couldn’t evade a dogged Lions defence, astute to his ability to break through the 9-10 channel.

Aaron Cruden – 8
Brilliant from Cruden, like quicksilver. Nimble footwork and a handful. Even threw his comparatively small weight around and turned over at one point.

Last thoughts and collated results
Overall team rating – 6.54
First XV rating – 6.73

Individual nation ratings

Scotland player rating – N/A
England player rating – 6.55
Wales player rating – 6.71
Ireland player rating – 6.25

Gatland claimed the All Blacks didn’t play champagne rugby and I’d agree with him. I don’t quite see why that matters – it’s not as if the Lions can claim they’re not averse to getting the job done however ugly (ahem, Crusaders). Quite simply, the All Blacks were very clinical with basic ball skills; epitomised by Taylor’s try. Their execution was fantastic and the game was won entirely by their belief in their ability. Barrett’s retreating pickup, or his retreating risky pass to the wing, sum up how this All Black team play. They don’t play it safe and they don’t need to worry about mistakes because they make so few. This was a good Lions’ performance, with Liam Williams and Jonathan Davies playing some superb rugby which is reflected in the Welsh overall rating. I wonder if Kiwi Scarlets coach, Wayne Pivac, has anything to do with that, blending the best of Northern Hemisphere backline technical skill and Southern Hemisphere space creation. The first test rings true with the wise words of Joe Marler in an interview – ‘the thing about the All Blacks is… they’re very good’. Of course, this was tongue in cheek, but that is literally the only thing of value you can say. The Lions played well, but the All Blacks played better.

By Dave Beach