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West gives Lions the Auckland blues

By Jack Davies
Blues’ Ihaia West.

Ihaia West’s spectacular try five minutes from time handed the British and Irish Lions another stark warning of the challenge that lies ahead on their tour of New Zealand, as they were beaten 22-16 by the Blues in Auckland on Wednesday.

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Having produced a nervy 13-7 victory over the Provincial Barbarians in their opener at the weekend, the Lions needed a win over the bottom club in Super Rugby’s New Zealand Conference to ease any pressure that may begin to build.

Warren Gatland’s men trailed at the interval despite an improved first-half display – a CJ Stander try sandwiched between scores for the excellent Rieko Ioane and Sonny Bill Williams – but failed to muster much of a response after the break.

A Liam Williams yellow card hampered their chances of recovery and, while Leigh Halfpenny managed to kick the Lions back in front, West’s touchdown was a worthy match winner.

The result puts pressure on the Lions’ trip to face the Crusaders on Saturday, and Warren Gatland could now face tougher questions than the one to which he took umbrage earlier this week.

It was the Lions who applied the early pressure and Jared Payne was unfortunate not to open the scoring when, after punting a loose pass forward, he lost a race with the ball for the dead ball line.

The Blues soon had their visitors stretched and a wonderful looping pass from Augustine Pulu released Ioane down the left to send the home side in front.

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Stephen Perofeta, on his maiden Blues start, was wayward from the tee but was on hand to deny Payne a try at the other end soon after – the Ireland centre’s boot deemed to be in touch as he dived for the line.

In contrast to the boos and heckles that greeted every Lions decision to take the three points in Whangarei at the weekend, the tourists were cheered for their ambition when opting to kick for the corner at Eden Park.

And that bravery was rewarded when Stander touched down from the back of a powerful maul, with Halfpenny adding the extras before sending over a penalty to put the Lions 10-5 in front.

Ioane had a second try chalked off for offside, while a head injury to Dan Biggar allowed Jonathan Sexton a chance to improve on his below-par display against the Barbarians.

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As the heavens opened, a high tackle by Stander on Steven Luatua gave Perofeta the chance to close the Blues within two.

The fly-half’s kick bounced back off the posts but Williams pounced on the loose ball after Jack Nowell had pushed it back over his own try line, sending the Blues in at half-time with a 12-10 lead.

 

Ioane went over again shortly after the interval but, like Payne in the same corner earlier in the match, was shown to have had a foot dragged into touch when the decision went to the TMO.

West – on for Perofeta – split the posts for the first points of the second half and the Lions were dealt a further blow when replacement Liam Williams was sin binned for challenging Matt Duffie in the air twice in quick succession.

Williams returned to the action with the Lions having reduced the deficit to two thanks to a Halfpenny penalty, before the full-back edged the tourists in front with another kick from distance.

But the joy was short-lived as, after a couple of fantastic offloads, West carved a route through the Lions defence to surge clear and cross under the posts, giving himself a simple conversion.

The Lions wasted a late lineout as the clock struck 80, sparking wild celebrations among the Blues players.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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