The British and Irish Lions have got their New Zealand tour off to a winning start by defeating the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians by 13 points to 7 at a packed Toll Stadium in Whangarei.
While most would have expected the end result, very few would have predicted a slender margin of just six points between the Internationally experienced Lions and the Kiwi selection.
From the outset, the Barbarians showed their intentions, a short kick off regathered and the Lions were immediately under pressure as the Barbarians attacked at every opportunity, Bryn Gatland prominent with his kicking game and directing his side around the park as the Lions struggled with cohesion and the early pace.
It seemed likely the Lions would eventually take control and they seemed to be on the road to achieving this with Jonny Sexton knocking over a penalty to get the Lions on the board, but the Baabaas has other ideas.
Tremendous play and sustained pressure saw captain and hooker Sam Anderson-Heather crashing over from close range to score the first try of the match for the Barbarians, duly converted by Gatland.
The Lions certainly had their opportunities in the first half but just lacked a bit of polish, failing to finish off their chances, held up over the line several times despite the best efforts of Toby Faletau and Kyle Sinckler, easily the Lions’ best players from the first half and so unbelievably, the Barbarians had the halftime lead of 7 points to 3.
After the break, the Lions demonstrated more urgency, knocking over a penalty early by halfback Greg Laidlaw and then sustained pressure finally saw the courageous Barbarians defence breeched with winger Anthony Watson crashing over.
It seemed likely the Lions would start to pull away from the plucky home side, establishing a 13 points to 7 lead but the Barbarians had other ideas as they continued to trouble the Lions who couldn’t quite gel this evening but looked relatively comfortable in defence despite the best efforts of the Barbarians.
In the end, 13 points to 7 remained the final score and the Lions got the result they wanted, but were far from convincing.
Credit to the Barbarians here who were tenacious against their vaunted opposition and after just stepping off the plane on Wednesday, the hit out and a few extra days will do them wonders as they look to their next match against the Blues in Auckland this coming Wednesday.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The majority or Super Rugby capped, or in current squads.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's disingenuous to compare Mitre 10 Cup to lower level UK comps. Given the quality of Aus and NZ players playing in the Premiership, it's probably closer to the better Mitre 10 Cup teams. Most of these players could be playing Premiership or Championship if they wanted.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Why is it xenophobic? The person doing the chest thumping is a kiwi and it's about kiwis. It's not xenophobic to mention nationality if it's relevant.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Really? I guess they could if you ignore the fact that the Pro12 and Aviva Premiership Grand Finals only were played on May 28 our time. I guess only James Haskall, Elliot Daly, Jack Nowell, Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony, CJ Stander, Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies and Ken Owens who wasn't named in the final for Scarletts. I suppose they should have just come over early with around 10 players missing. And of course had Saracens won against Exeter the week earlier it would have been more. Likewise had Leinster defeated Scarletts it could have had quite a few unavailable.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
a team with a butcher, a nurse , tradies etc What rubbish. Nothing stops the kiwi chest thumping. Looking at the pack only 2 had no Super Rugby experience at all. Most were capped since 2014, or in current full time squads but uncapped. One of the two was Peter Rowe, and the other was a NZ Maori rep from 2016. Half of the backs are from Super Rugby squads with the other half in Mitre 10 Cup teams with most also having NZ 20s experience. Whilst not an experienced Super Rugby team, it's disingenuous and rubbish to make out like they are a bunch of amateurs. They had no more experience than many of the players who actually played against the Lions for Aus Super Rugby teams in the 2013 games, due to resting key players to focus on Super Rugby. At this time players like Adam Coleman, Ollie Atkins, Sam Talaikai, Lopeti Timani, Richard Aho, Jed Holloway, AJ Gilbert and Ben Volavola were all equally inexperienced. People like to paint the NZ Baa Baas as on par with the combined country team that played the Lions in 2013, but the fact is they are vastly more experienced than they were actually.
Dean
Guest
It was just a warm up game for the sleepy Lions so I wouldn't go reading too much into it.
soapit
Guest
why should they have come earlier? there will always be a first game and they still got the win
cuw
Guest
the best players in the mitre 10 are in super rugger obviously. but some of the ba ba side are from super rugger - like Boshier , Goodhue , gatland to name a few . even the Irishman Jager :)
cuw
Guest
had the ba ba players been a little more clinical , they could have had a famos victory. it also showed , why some of these guys are not in super rugger teams. i think one problem for the Lions will be the lack of cohesion among players from different places , who have not played much together for a some time. they also looked a like a ba ba side , who just got together for a week :)
Jacko
Guest
Yes i expected the lions to win by 30 and I am left wondering what the score would have been if the Abs were playing a team from the lower level UK comps.
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Thing about brick walls is they don't move very fast :)
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
And a couple of 18 yr olds as well including the tight head prop... The Lions will improve of course but geez they should have done better than this. Jetlag shouldn't been too bad cos they came vi Oz to mitigate that... being such a short trip from the UK to OZ !
Whakaata
Guest
As Quin says above, the boys in stripes aren't even the best players in their respective ITM Cup teams. The Lions will have deservedly sore egos.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Looks like history is about to repeat if that is the standard.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes I thought the Blues and Saders would win the other three would lose for that reason so my use of the word 'easiest' is obviously a little cryptic.
Rt
Guest
This was a terrible terrible display. Sure it was the teams first run together and sure they haven't been together for very long but c'mon this BaaBaa's side has really let NZ rugby down! Unbelievable, hard to take that loss!
Jeffrey
Guest
taylorman, The Blues will be the second hardest Super team the Lions will play as they will have all their ABs available. It's just a shame that Manu will not be available as I think the Lions will look to dominate the Blues scrum. I don't rate Ofa and have been very dissapointed with Hodgeman so far, as he was a guy I thought would make it to the Abs a couple of years ago. But the Blues should be able to compete and even better the Lions in other areas of the game so it will be a fascinating watch.
Quin
Guest
A side of FULL INTERNATIONALS vs a side of part timers, even with trying to prove their (Lions) worth, as a team and individuals they were / are man for man many levels above their opposition. These NZ Baabaas players weren't even the best players from their provinces let alone best players in NZ heartland rugby.
Quin
Guest
The Lions could have sent out players much earlier yet they chose not to. Jet lag is no excuse for the reasons you have raised and for reasons I also have raised. This game was the perfect opportunity for the tourists to stamp their intentions.
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
The thing the overrides all of the excuses is that this team is a side made up of full internationals - all of them thinking they're the best in their position and are in NZ to make the test side .... so what you nearly always see in these early lead up matches is the type of games akin to the old probables v possible - everyone sort of trying to impress and you get disjointed performances ... that's until the test side starts to emerge (which Gatland probably already has penciled in) and then you'll see decent performances and rubbish ones and often discontent from the midweek outfits