To paraphrase Dickens: “It was the best of tests, it was the worst of Tests.”
It was hard to decide whether you were witnessing one of the greatest tests of all times or one of the worst, such was the haphazard nature of this crazy match.
When Sonny Bill Williams was rightly red carded after just 24 minutes on a wet night in Wellington you expected the Lions to grind out a victory against the 14-man All Blacks. But instead it was the world champions who went against type, keeping it tight, picking and driving and kicking the Lions into submission.
Fly half Beauden Barrett knocked over seven penalty goals and he missed another three which would have given the home team the Test and the series. But the Lions kept the All Blacks try less, for the first time since 2014, and they also brought to an end an undefeated streak in New Zealand that stretched back 47 Tests to September 2009.
The curious thing was the Lions only had to play for two and a half minutes to do it – all coming in the last quarter of the match. Two minutes was all it took to grab two tries – a strong finish by Toby Faletau and a quick snipe by Conor Murray – and the other thirty seconds was for replacement prop Kyle Sinckler to fortuitously win the penalty that Farrell converted to win the Test.
Lions’ Anthony Johnson tackles All Blacks’ Israel Dagg.
For the rest of the match the Lions were pretty dreadful, doing everything they possibly could to lose– even though they were up against just 14 men. They gave away 13 penalties – seven in a row in the second half – with Maro Itoje and Mako Vunipola both guilty numerous times, Vunipola also earning a yellow card for a mindless clear out on Barrett.
If the shocking discipline wasn’t enough of an advantage to give to the All Blacks, the Lions also lost two lineouts, one scrum, missed 11 tackles, conceded 11 turnovers, made six handling errors, kicked over the dead ball twice and had just 39 per cent of possession and 42 per cent of territory.But somehow the tourists found a way to win against a disjointed All Blacks that truth be told looked out of sorts even before SBW was sent off.
The red card will be the key talking point of the match and credit must go to Jerome Garces for following World Rugby’s directions about head contact and standing his ground to send off one of the most famous rugby players in the world in one of the most eagerly awaited tests in years. Many other refs would have bottled it but Garces had no hesitation although he instantly made himself the most hated man in New Zealand – and the Kiwis have long memories, just ask Wayne Barnes.
Sonny Bill William getting his marching orders.
In the same situation would Craig Joubert also have shown red? Referee’s assistant Jaco Peyper, who refereed the first Test, started to try to talk Garces down to yellow but the Frenchman was having none of it.
The credit for the victory must go to the Lions players, many of whom were outstanding – Faletau, Sean O’Brien and Jamie George – and Courtney Lawes and Sinckler coming off the bench had a notable impact.
But most credit much go to the recently maligned Lions coach Warren Gatland who risked it all on an attacking approach starting Johnny Sexton and Farrell together, which eventually paid off in the final hectic minutes. Gatland also put his faith in two of his Wales stalwarts – Alun Wyn Jones and captain Sam Warburton – and both delivered for their coach.
Wyn Jones was vastly improved on his limp first Test effort and Warburton did exactly what he was asked to do – disrupt the breakdowns and slow the All Blacks ball down. Never have I seen such slow ball for the All Blacks and often scrum half Aaron Smith was forced to wait up to five seconds to clear the ball. That hesitation made New Zealand easier to contain.
It was a great result for rugby and a result the tour desperately needed. The interest (and ratings) in the decider next week will now skyrocket. And now the Lions must do it all again and defeat the All Blacks at a venue where they have haven’t lost for 23 years.
After this madcap Test good luck to any one picking a winner.
