The Lions played the Maori in Hamilton last night and suffered their first defeat, going down 19-13.
The Lions came into this game with a massive pack, perhaps close to their top 8. They disrupted the Maori scrum and lineout but were unable to convert their advantage at set piece. The Maori forwards, led magnificently by Jono Gibbes and Marty Holah, played merry hell at the breakdown and as a result the Maori enjoyed a majority of possession.
The Maori played with skill and invention and huge amounts of passion. The Lions were without the services of their prop Andrew Sheridan who was sin binned for ten minutes for throwing a punch right under the nose of the referee. Sheridan missed his target but referee Walsh saw the infringement and the Lions went ten crucial minutes without Sheridan.
The Lions were not very impressive in this match. With the size of their pack and their edge in the set pieces they should have been able to dominate this game. True, their defence was mostly outstanding, but they showed little on attack until the game was almost gone.
In the papers today Lions coach Woodward is talking up his team’s chances agains the All Blacks in two weeks. To find positives in this performance by his team, though, is to draw a long bow.
Disclaimer: We had a power line go down in my street at minute 60 of last night’s game, so I didn’t see the end until this morning.
I was there mate and it was a great match to be at: In the final ten minutes the Lions were attacking to the corner right in front of us. It was the best atmosphere I have felt at a match: lots of Lions fans and lots of Maori fans, lots of passion. I think I signed up for the Ngati Wikitoria at the entrance way.
When the match was over no one left the ground. We let the Maori perform a haka and do the complete lap, before anyone left, Lions and Maori supporters combined.
The Lions forwards were negated and the backs didn’t seem to have a clue what to do: they seemed to be waiting for instructions. Over managed, over coached perhaps. A bit of individual brilliance from Dawson and O’Driscoll helped, but it was nowhere near a cohesive team effort.
I think its all over for the Lions. they’ve got Jonny to come into the side, but out of that Maori side, only Hayman ,MacDonald and Gear are in the AB’s, and the last two will probably be on the bench.
I had said the Lions would lose this game, and it is a blessing in many ways… This early in a tour players tend to internalise and perform along their own agenda to make that final push for test selection- just look at the breakdown and lack of cohesion hitting rucks… BUT it should serve as a wake up call and is more of a benefit to the Lions than the ABs. The ABs are still waiting on seeing a Lions team firing on all cyclinders in test match readiness, this inhibits their planning as well as makes them favourites- never easy in a southern hemisphere test series. For Woodward it means he now can ask for more from the players… nothing should fire up a profesional more than a loss and possibly sitting in the stands for future games!
Congrats to the Maori- if the Lions learn one lesson it should be that 15men passionate and hungry will outperform and outlast any other team.
I saw the game on Saturday (thanks to Waxy O’Connors pub in Ft Lauderdale), and was most impressed that the Maoris did not let up at all for the whole match. I’d rather expected (from reports on the first couple of games) that the opposition would not be able to match the Lions fitnness in the second half. Boy, was that a wrong assumtion. The Maoris played with an intensity and cohesion that hopefully the All Blacks will be able to match. If they do, it’ll be all over for the Poms. It looked to me as if the Lions were rather tentative, especially in the backs, although their defence was pretty solid (had to be, as I think the Maoris had something like 70% field advantage and similar possesion). Great game, played in good spirit (except for the thrown punch attempt) and I would have loved to be in Hamilton, they looked they had a great time in the stadium (freezing, tho’!) Thanks for the report, Pat.