And that is just about that from me. Do join me on Saturday for the Crusaders for the Lions. Cheerio!
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Match report
Gerard Meagher on what the result means for Gatland
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Warren Gatland reacts
It was a big improvement since Saturday, we were close but the number of penalties hurt us,” says Gatland. “It cost us momentum in the game. There were a lot of positives, some of our set-piece was good. We’ll hopefully address that in the next few days.
“We’ve played some positive stuff. You have to try and continue and create momentum and we lost that with the penalties. And you have to stop their offload game and defensively we’ll work on that as well.
“We’ve been really concentrating on ourselves. We know how tough the Blues are to beat here. We were pretty unlucky with that try before half time.
“We did put them under pressure, our set-piece was really good, the last lineout was a shame but we scrummaged well and for most part the lineout was good.
“If we can halve that penalty count it will make a huge difference. I don’t think there’s a huge difference between the Super Rugby sides and the All Blacks. It’s going to give us great preparation, making sure we improve. Winning games by 60 or 70 points isn’t preparation for a Test match.”
The Blues captain James Parsons backs the Lions to keep improving as the tour goes on but saying, “we thought it would be like playing a South African side” is hardly a compliment.
Reaction from Ken Owens
Owens is asked where the Lions lost the game and his first word is “Discipline.”
“At the moment it’s our error count that is letting us down. Defensively we brought some good line speed. Our attacking shape was definitely better. It’s disappointing but we’re going in the right direction.
“You want to win every game. Unfortunately we haven’t done that. We’re going to have to be harsh on ourselves, pick ourselves up and get our tour back on track.”
Full time! Blues 22-16 Lions
Not what the doctor ordered for the Lions, who were carved apart a couple of times there. West’s try was wonderful, as was Ioane’s in the first half. The Lions were dominant at the set-piece but it wasn’t enough, and you get the feeling it won’t be as this tour continues.
Their penalty count was too high as well but they seemed to earned their shot at redemption at the death there. Best’s lineout misfired though. I have only seen it once but it looked like he snatched at it and he has form in that regard. The Lions’ failure to take advantage there will perhaps disappoint Gatland mosts.
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80 mins: The Blues are running down the clock now, one-out rugby, keeping hold of the ball and there’s 30 seconds to go. It’s a penalty to the Lions though! Sexton kicks to the corner …
Best with the throw … and it’s lost! The game is up for the Lions.
What a win for the Blues!
79 mins: West finds a conservative touch, very conservative so the Blues will have a lineout on their 22. The Blues go to the tail and Luatua takes it. Bristol have some player on their hands.
77 mins: The Lions come again and are up to the 22. Williams gets thumped backwards but Nowell is wriggling on the right. Laidlaw is on and he takes the Lions up to give metres short, under the posts but the Lions have coughed up the penalty and that may have been the chance.
Try! Blues 22-16 Lions (West)
75 mins: No penalty at the scrum this time but Sexton goes high … Collins takes an excellent catch and just seconds later the Blues have scored a remarkable try. SBW made the initial break up the middle and then offloads to West, who arcs his way under the posts. Wow. West converts and the Lions need a converted try.
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72 mins: The Lions keep the ball in hand, safe in the knowledge the Blues have already knocked it on. The Blues have it but the Lions have turned it over and Sinckler and Itoje are loving it.
Penalty! Blues 15-16 Lions (Halfpenny)
71 mins: Halfpenny is on target again from the right, on the 10-metre line. And the Lions lead with less than 10 minutes to go.
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69 mins: Owens’ lineout to Lawes is not straight but the Blues have to withstand the scrum. Best is on for Owens. Penalty to the Lions … Marler and Sinckler enjoyed that one.
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67 mins: Daly kicks on the run, it’s nearly good but the rolling ball goes out of play. Gauzere was playing advantage though. Daly takes the penalty and Williams is back for the Lions.
Penalty! Blues 15-13 Lions (Halfpenny)
66 mins: Halfpenny makes no mistake … and it’s back to two points. Williams is back shortly, the Lions can take a lot of heart from that. Provided they don’t panic they should be OK.
64 mins: The Lions are going wing to wing here but the Blues are comfortable enough. SBW makes a great tackle, let’s not forget how little union he’s played since the 2015 World Cup, but the Lions have a penalty in front of the posts.
63 mins: The Lions have it just inside the Blues half. Daly is trying to get clear down the left. Stander carries up the middle for a couple of yards.
62 mins: A bit of respite for the Lions with another scrum penalty. Let’s not forget that the Blues really do have a habit of losing leads in the last quarter.
60 mins: The Lions are in a scrap here. They need to dig deep and pull something out. Ioane thinks he’s over in the corner again but it’s pulled back for a forward pass. That’s his third disallowed try of the night. Steve Hansen is in the crowd and will be mightily impressed.
58 mins: West goes for the corner and the Blues will go for the jugular. Pulu fizzes a pass in the Lions 22. The Lions are defending resolutely but they have knocked it on. Scrum to the Blues.
Yellow card! (Liam Williams)
57 mins: Pulu launches to the skies and Duffie and Williams collide in the air again. Duffie comes off worse again and Gauzere will have a look at it. Williams does hit him again but it looks a very fair contest … laws are laws though and it’s a yellow card for Williams for a repeated infringement.
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56 mins: Itoje makes a dent in midfield and the Lions are at the Blues 10-metre line. Henshaw grubbers and the Blues will be under pressure with a lineout not far from their own line but they are defending well.
55 mins: It’s not a great kick from West but the Blues take the lineout and West looks for the cross-kick which is well-defended by Halfpenny.
54 mins: The Lions have a penalty, they’re playing advantage and Sexton goes high … ooooh, Williams appears to have taken Duffie in the air. A penalty and no more but that’s still costly for the Lions.
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54 mins: Changes for the Lions.
O’Mahony, Marler and Sinckler on for Haskell, McGrath and Cole.
Penalty! Blues 15-10 Lions (West)
52 mins: Penalty to the Blues, given away by Itoje. Too many penalties against the Lions so far. The Blues will go for goal but Perofeta has gone off so it’ll be his replacement Ihaia West to take it. And it’s on target.
51 mins: Nowell’s day is going from bad to worse. Webb finds him from the scrum but he knocks on so it’ll be a Blues scrum on the Lions 22, out on the left.
50 mins: Parsons sneaks up the blindside and keeps going and going. Perofera kicks in behind so it’s an early touch for Williams and the Lions scamper. The Blues have it back though and Rieko Ioane gets around Nowell and finds brother Akira. If his offloads goes to hands it’s a try but it doesn’t. A let-off for the Lions.
48 mins: Lawes takes it, Henshaw has a strong carry and the Lions are making ground until Haskell is stopped in his tracks. Henshaw comes up with a clever kick though and the Blues have a lineout deep in their own half.
Payne limps off so Liam Williams is on.
47 mins: Webb and Halfpenny bring the ball out of their 22. Webb goes aerial to Rieko Ioane, who is brought down by Cole. Pulu fires a pass into touch … a rare mistake from him.
45 mins: the Blues come again through SBW, then Pulu and Luatua but the No8 has knocked it on. Scrum to the Lions.
44 mins: Ioane has wry smile. He’s some player already and he’s 20. Owens to throw in. Itoje takes it and Webb clears to touch. It’s a strong start from the Blues though.
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43 mins: The Blues are just short. Parsons goes close, but Rieko Ioane is over in the corner. It’s a ridiculous pick up on the half-volley and finish in the corner. We’re going upstairs again … that looks a wonderful tackle from Nowell …
No try, and the Lions can breathe.
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41 mins: We’re back under way at the Blues are on the front foot again with a penalty to the corner. The Lions will be hoping to start with confidence like in the first half but they are on the back foot early in the second.
Half-time! Blues 12-10 Lions
Well it has been much better by the Lions but for the second match in a row they go in at half-time behind. Whereas they would have got a rocket on Saturday however, it’s more of a case of keep doing what they’re doing really, but cutting out the penalties.
Rhys Webb has been superb at No9, kicking well and ensuring the Lions keep the ball when needs be – something they have been much better at throughout. And they have been on top at both the scrum and the set-piece, Stander’s try coming from a driving maul after a lineout.
The Blues have, in glimpses, shown their class. Rieko Ioane’s try was blistering and while Perofeta is having an up and down match, Pulu is impressing for them at scrum-half. The Blues do have a habit of letting leads slip however and considering their set-piece dominance and the heavy rain, the Lions have reasons to be confidence despite trailing at the break.
A spot of half-time reading for you … and you may need to finish it after the match, but read all about Andy Bull’s trip to New Zealand before the 2015 World Cup, where he encounters an 18-year-old Rieko Ioane.
Try! Blues 12-10 Lions (SBW)
40 mins: Sexton goes to the skies and Collins takes it, just about. Perofeta goes high but Halfpenny deals with it well. SBW finds Rieko Ioane on the left but Henshaw defends well. The Blues are pressing before half-time though – and that’s a blatant high tackle from Stander.
Perofeta will go for goal … it hits the upright and SBW has got his hand to the ball and thinks he’s scored. It looks like it’s a knock-on from a Blue just before though …
Try, yes or no is the question … Nowell gets his hand to the ball and so does Faiane.
It’s given! Wowsers. That could be huge. It was some finish from SBW.
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39 mins: The Blues have a penalty but Perofeta misses touch. Pulu almost gathers his chip over the top but Owens does well to get his hands on it. It is sheeting down at Eden Park now.
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37 mins: The offside is back where the original kick was taken, so well down inside the Blues 22. It’s a scrum and Nowell has a scamper but the Blues have turned Itoje over. There’s a bit of afters, Akira Ioane and Cole are involved but nothing doing really.
36 mins: We’ve not seen much of SBW but that’s a superb offload but the Lions defend well and Webb punts downfield so Rieko Ioane kicks … it’s kept in-field by Biggar who loses the ball in the tackle. Ioane streaks clear but Gauzere wants to check for offside. The tackler was a mile offside though so no try.
Sexton is on for Biggar, who is off for a HIA.
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34 mins: Better from the Blues but Halfpenny pounces on Perofeta’s grubber and Daly clears. Collins comes forward once more.
33 mins: The Blues foul up the lineout again and Tipuric earns the Lions the ball back. Webb clears and Collins comes forward again for the Blues, who have another penalty in their own half. Perofeta finds another good touch, this time on the left, but the Blues need their lineout to fire.
32 mins: Even more pleased with a penalty at the scrum. Faumuina penalised – McGrath gets the better of the All Black on that occasion. The Lions are hammering through the middle but are penalised for cross so Perofeta will go for the corner again. Not quite so aggressive this time.
29 mins: Hugely aggressive from Perofeta but Daly can’t quite keep it in so the Blues have a lineout five metres out … Parsons goes to the front to Bristol bound Luatua but the Lions defend his pop pass and hold up the maul. Scrum to the Lions, they’ll be pleased about that.
27 mins: Biggar finds touch so we’ll have a lineout to the Blues near halfway. Biggar has been solid so far, Webb inside him has been excellent but the Blues have a penalty after the Lions are pinged for taking the man in the air.
26 mins: Akira Ioane has been relatively quiet but he has a carry before Perofeta tries to collect his chip ahead. Daly mops up and Biggar goes to the skies.
Penalty! Blues 5-10 Lions (Halfpenny)
25 mins: A penalty is awarded. Halfpenny will go for goal, no brainer really, he can’t miss. And he doesn’t.
24 mins: Lawes has a strong carry and the Lions now have a scrum, about 15 metres out, right in the middle of the pitch. A very promising position … what can they make of it?
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22 mins: We’re back with a scrum bang on half way. Webb to put in. Biggar kicks but Collins does well to cover but Webb finds an excellent touch. Duffie takes it quickly but pressure from Daly means the Lions have a lineout on the Blues 22.
There’s a brief passage in play so here’s a chocolate analogy …
@gerard_meagher The Blues are the flakiest of the NZ franchises but the look as hard as a Toblerone is to bite into.
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) June 7, 2017
20 mins: The Lions clear from the restart through Webb but Collins makes ground. The Blues are stopped in their tracks though when Lawes wallops Perofeta.
Try! Blues 5-7 Lions (Stander)
19 mins: Owens goes to Itoje again. Stander has it at the back of the maul … and he’s over. That’s an overdue score for the Lions. Halfpenny slots the conversion comfortably.
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17 mins: Owens goes to Itoje but the Blues hold the Lions’ drive out. Webb has a dart and gets close. The Lions are just a few mertes out. Cole is the next to have a crack, and they have another penalty. Corner again? Yep.
15 mins: Haskell has a bust up the field. It’s scrappy but the Lions have the ball near the Blues’ 22 again. And they have a penalty. Biggar kicks for the corner. Ooooosh.
14 mins: Halfpenny fields deep and hits Collins, who produces a better kick to skid the ball into touch and put the Lions under pressure with a lineout on their 22. Tipuric takes Owens’s throw.
12 mins: The Lions disrupts the lineout but Biggar was on the scene too quickly so the Blues can clear.
11 mins: Is that a try? The Lions go through the hands from left to right and Payne may be over in the corner … Gauzere is going upstairs. Perofeta is the defender, it’s not a try as far as I can see but it’s not my call …
No try, Payne’s left foot was in touch before grounding the ball. Encouraging for the Lions nonetheless. Itoje showed good hands, Halfpenny came into the line and Daly’s pass to Payne was well-timed.
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10 mins: Blues are under pressure after Perofeta fumbles Pulu’s pass backwards. They have the ball but only a couple of metres from their line. It’s cleared but Halfpenny brings forward and the Lions are up to the 22.
Try! Blues 5-0 Lions (Rieko Ioane)
9 mins: Wow! That’s a second look at Rieko Ioane’s pace and that’s the first try of the match. It comes from a lovely short pass from Faumuina and an even better long one from Pulu and Ioane has too much pace for Nowell. Perofeta’s conversion is nowhere near.
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6 mins: Perofeta kicks wide to Duffie, who almost wriggles clear down the right. Moala has a strong carry and the Blues are on the Lions 22.
5 mins: Woof. A first look at Rieko Ioane and he has plenty of gas. That all came from another SBW turnover. Needless to say the Blues will be lethal with quick turnover ball. It’s a Blues scrum inside the Lions half.
4 mins: Ooooof. That was close. Payne is almost over after stabbing a loose ball forward. He runs out of room but this is a much better start from the Lions. Perofeta then tries a cheeky restart … bad idea.
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2 mins: The Lions are going through the phases and they’re inside the Blues 22. 11 phases and counting. Stander runs through Gibson, Lawes has a go but the Blues are defending well. And have turned Haskell over – it was SBW with the intervention.
Peeeeeeeeeeep!
1 min: Biggar kicks off, Collins takes it and Pulu clears. Nowell has a dart, then Owens and Nowell again. The Lions have already seen considerably more of the ball than in the first 10 minutes last time.
First, a minute’s silence for the victims of the attacks in London and Manchester. Impeccably observed.
And now time for the Blues’ haka. Lively.
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Maro Itoje looks, in rugby parlence, “up for it”. Jared Payne too – a former Blue of course.
Pointless bit of trivia for you while we wait for the Blues to perform their first haka in their 21-year history.
Elliot Daly and Jared Payne become the fourth and fifth players to play for and against the Lions today. Name the other three and there’s a pound in the post for you …
As I was saying, the heavens have opened at Eden Park …
Nearly time for kick-off in Auckland... #LionsNZ2017 pic.twitter.com/Q99HcTc7XD
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) June 7, 2017
Huge amount of good things about Sky Sports’ coverage of this tour but not sure about this van business. On the whole it strikes me as there’s a preoccupation with making sure the Lions look like they’re having fun, less so on making sure they’re having fun.
But I’m looking from afar and was up very early … how about Ken Owens, eh? Lions debutant and captain, having recovered from injury. Big match for Ken.
Hmmm. You can see what he means but Will Greenwood, in highlighting the difficulty of this tour, reckons there are eight “unofficial Tests” for the Lions as well as the series v the All Blacks.
There are only seven matches on top of the Test series and Alex Payne subtlely has a dig – “thanks to the part-time maths teacher”. You see what Greenwood is getting at though.
It’s raining in Auckland by the by.
Hello!
And welcome to the second match of the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. The matches are coming thick and fast – it was four days ago that the Lions were limping home in Whangarei – and as a result Warren Gatland has made a full XV changes to his side to face the Blues.
Gatland has been getting agitated in the buildup to this match. He has been confronted with questions about “Warrenball” and Rob Howley has since countered by claming the Lions will unleash “Rugby Chaos”. That might not be the best idea – taking the New Zealand Super Rugby teams on at their own game is a bootless errand – but you get the feeling Howley had learned his lines in an attempt to deflect attention from Warrenball.
The Lions would be far better off today keeping the basics right. They failed to do that on Saturday and were pretty poor as a result. Failure to do so today would probably mean defeat to a Blues side with firepower out the back. Sonny Bill Willams (for typiing ease SBW from this point on) stands out while Rieko Ioane is a star in the making and George Moala is no mug either. At fly-half, with Piers Francis joining up with England, it’s a first start for Stephen Perofeta – Pero-future to those who expect big things of him.
Justin Tipuric and James Haskell, and of course Courtney Lawes, will be tasked with smashing Perofeta at every opportunity as part of a Lions side that has a slight midweek feel to it. That is not to say however, that standout performances will go unnoticed by Gatland and things can only get better really. The head coach has saved some of his big guns for the Crusaders on Saturday but the Lions cannot afford to lose this one before heading south.
Kick-off is 45 minutes away, and here are your teams.
Blues: M Collins; M Duffie, G Moala, SB Williams, R Ioane; S Perofeta, A Pulu; O Tu’ungafasi, J Parsons (capt), C Faumuina, G Cowley-Tuioti, Scrafton, A Ioane, B Gibson, S Luatua.
Replacements: H Faiva, H Hodgman, S Mafileo, P Tuipulotu, K Pryor, S Nock, I West, TJ Faiane.
British & Irish Lions: L Halfpenny; J Nowell, J Payne, R Henshaw, E Daly; D Biggar, R Webb; J McGrath, K Owens (capt), D Cole, C Lawes, M Itoje, J Haskell, J Tipuric, CJ Stander.
Replacements: R Best, J Marler, K Sinckler, Henderson, O’Mahony, Laidlaw, J Sexton, L Williams.
Referee: P Gaüzère (France).
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Gerard will be here shortly. While you wait, here’s what the Lions’ assistant coach Rob Howley had to say prior to the Blues game:
I don’t know what Warrenball means. Have we played that over the last few years? I’m not too sure. We need to hold back on certain elements and make sure we put our players under the same fatigue and chaos in training that the All Blacks will do.
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