The Lions showed that they had put disappointment from their first test defeat behind them, with a brilliant attacking display at the venue of the second test against the Hurricanes in Wellington. However it wasn’t enough to secure victory but a breathtaking 31 all draw.
The first half was very clever from the Lions as they accumulated points steadily to build a well deserved 23-7 lead at halftime. Two converted tries from Tommy Seymour and George North as well as three penalties from Dan Biggar helped deliver a performance the Lions can be proud of.
Unfortunately Robbie Henshaw left the field holding his arm, perhaps meaning the end of his tour. Henshaw’s injury forced a reshuffle with Leigh Halfpenny to full back, Jack Nowell back onto the wing and North moving to inside centre. North in particular handled the change in position well as he ran a superb line for his try.
The Hurricanes got off to the perfect start after the break when All Black hopeful, Ngani Laumape went over to throw the game wide open. The momentum was firmly with the Canes but was halted when Te-Toiroa Tahuriorangi was sin binned for repeated high tackles. The Lions then capitalised by rebuilding their first half lead courtesy of a further Biggar penalty to go with Seymour’s second try to once again go 14 points clear.
Like the Hurricanes, the Lions also struggled to cope with being reduced in numbers as Iain Henderson was shown a yellow for a dangerous tackle on Jordie Barrett. Both Wes Goosen and Vaea Fifita crossed in quick succession to wipe out the Lions lead. The final 10 minutes was back and forth as both teams looked to win the game but the score stayed locked at 31 apiece.
In terms of looking forward to the second test on Saturday both Henderson and Courtney Lawes had productive games and will give Warren Gatland options for combinations in the locking department. Elsewhere in the backs, North and Halfpenny have certainly put the pressure on Elliot Daly and Liam Williams for their spots in the test team. Whether anything changes remains to be seen.
Clockwise left to right:George North, Iain Henderson, Leigh Halfpenny and Courtney Lawes could have all played their way into a possible test spot.
