The British & Irish Lions gave their detractors in New Zealand some food for thought after notching up a 12-3 win over the Crusaders in Christchurch.
It was a much-needed success, given that the touring side had been on the end of some stinging criticism in the past week, writes Paul Radley.
Crisis? What crisis?
When the extended tour squad and staff beat a path from the stands to pitchside to celebrate the win with the playing XV at full time, their faces told a story.
It spoke of relief. Relief that they had not doubled up on defeats against provincial sides, having lost to the Blues on Wednesday.
And belief, too. So they lost to the lowest-ranked New Zealand side in midweek. Now they have beaten the top-ranked one, which should give them the belief they can compete in the Test series after all.
“I wouldn’t say we are back on track,” Alun Wyn Jones, the Lions captain, said in his post-match TV interview. “I don’t think we were off track.”
Best form of defence
No southern hemisphere side have beaten the Crusaders this year. The Canterbury franchise have won their 14 Super Rugby league fixtures by an average margin of nearly 18 points. Yet all they could muster against the Lions was a solitary penalty goal.
To say it was a great defensive effort by the tourists is too simplistic. The Lions missed 11 tackles over the 80 minutes, but it was their dominance of possession that was the difference.
Key to that were the loose forwards and half backs. Sean O’Brien was only playing as the Lions preferred caution over the fitness of Sam Warburton, the tour captain.
The blindside flanker, in concert with his Irish compatriot Peter O’Mahony in the back row, was one of the game’s defining forces, though.
Farrell and Sexton
Johnny Sexton’s troubled start to the tour has mirrored that of his team. The two indifferent performances the Irish fly-half gave in the opening matches were black marks, which many felt might have cost him the No 10 shirt for the Tests.
And his replacement, Owen Farrell, had a typically masterful game in navigating the Lions to the win against the Crusaders.
However, circumstance dictated that Sexton benefited from Farrell’s excellence, rather than suffered because of it.
A first-half injury to centre Jonathan Davies gave Sexton and extended run alongside Farrell in the Lions backline. They dovetailed superbly both in attack and defence.
Scrum downed
In the 21st minute, the home scrum monstered the Lions eight. Both sides came up fighting, but it was a moral win for the Crusaders. And New Zealand, too.
Not just from a metaphorical point of view. The Crusaders will provide the majority of the All Blacks tight five when the Test matches start.
And yet that success was more or less the only thing the home pack had to celebrate all even. The Lions forwards won numerous scrum penalties.
Maybe that was down to the interpretation of the European referee, but the New Zealanders will have to adapt when the real business starts.
Haka-d off
The Lions have played three times so far on tour. They have already seen infinitely more hakas than that, though.
The challenge of the war cry is part of the fabric of New Zealand rugby. But its effect might already be being diluted, just as the Lions coach Warren Gatland predicted.
The disinterested countenance of Mako Vunipola, as he scratched his ear looking totally over it, before kick off against the Crusaders suggests the ritual may already be reaching overkill.
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
