And that’s about it from me. Do join me for the first Test on Saturday, it’s shaping up as one not to be missed.
Cheerio!
Updated
Warren Gatland reacts
“We always said that we felt we’d get better the longer the tour went on,” says Gatland. “It was a really important result for those players who had been in front in the first two midweek games and let them slip.
Asked what pleased him most, he says: “No tries [against], we squeezed them and then we score a few good tries. We’re starting to finish a little bit and that’s from time together.
“We’re in pretty good shape. There’s not a lot of time but we feel like as a group we’re getting better and better. We know we’ve had to dig deep on occasions and that’s been a huge benefit for us.”
Here’s the match report from our man on the ground …
It’s important to keep things in perspective – this was a very youthful Chiefs side - but the improvements made by the Lions, the more time they spend together are clear. The combinations are really coming together and a couple of lovely tries sends them to Auckland with plenty of confidence.
Full time! Chiefs 6-34 Lions
A comprehensive win in the end for the Lions, their first in midweek, with a couple of lovely tries to put the gloss on it. Again, it was a victory based on set-piece dominance and their rapid line speed against a young Chiefs side without their internationals.
Nowell and Daly both shone on the wings, Lawes, Haskell and Cole all performed well. It’s unlikely anyone will squeeze into the starting XV but there may be a place on the bench for Daly, Nowell or even Williams who was impressive at full-back.
Of the six call-ups, only Dell made it on to the pitch – and that was only to cover while Marler was in the sin-bin. Somewhat curious.
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80 mins: The Lions have turned it over though and Biggar wallops up field. The Chiefs come again though and win the penalty. There’s some afters involving Best and Messam … we’re back underway with the Chiefs still knocking on the door. Cole makes the turnover though and Williams hacks the ball out. Cole showing his stamina there.
79 mins: The Chiefs are nothing if not stubborn and are continuing to come from deep. Elliot makes a bit of ground and they have the penalty. It’s taken quickly, Messam carries them up to near the Lions 22.
78 mins: Payne is off so Daly is back on … Lawes produces another monstrous tackle on the left. Elliot carries for the Chiefs but Haskell has pinched the ball. Williams chips, but knocks on.
77 mins: Nanai-Williams breaks the line, near his line. He’s shackled but the Chiefs have a scrum after the ball pings around on the ground.
75 mins: Stevenson breaks the first tackle but can’t get clear near the Lions 22. Th Lions have turned it over though … Williams bursts up the middle and Seymour gets away. Surely another one – nope. Seymour ran a great line but his pass to Payne on the left was dreadful and went to ground.
73 mins: It’s in and out and Seymour comes in off the left wing. Cole and Lawes with strong carries but Laidlaw has been caught in possession.
72 mins: Lawes takes the lineout and Tipuric spots a gap and nearly gets away. It’s a bit scrappy over on the left touchline, the Chiefs have knocked it on though so it’s another Lions scrum.
70 mins: The Lions’ scrum has been dominant today and they’ve won another penalty so Biggar can kick clear to touch. Cole will have enjoyed that.
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69 mins: Donald takes the Chiefs into the 22 but Haskell – who has been excellent defensively - forces the knock-on. Cole is down with an injury meanwhile … the replay shows it was a pretty horrible attempt at a tackle from Brown, who can consider himself lucky to still be on the pitch.
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68 mins: The Chiefs have made a lot of ground after the ball goes into the scrum and out – Messam is on and he carries over halfway. It’s a penalty and the Chiefs go quickly.
67 mins: The Chiefs have a scrum to get us going again … but it’s going to be reset.
66 mins: Brown is back on for the Chiefs as Stevenson tries to go from deep again. Play is stopped as Alaimalo goes to ground with an injury.
Try! Chiefs 6-34 Lions (Payne)
65 mins: Eventually the ball is kicked though, it’s a short one and Nowell picks it off, fires the ball to the onrushing Williams who arcs towards the right-hand corner and finds Payne supporting him … try!
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63 mins: Stander carries up the middle, then Best … Cole carries but Biggar knocks on so the Chiefs can breathe again. They’re going through the hands though, edging towards the halfway line.
62 mins: There’s a Lions scrum over on the left, inside their own half, and it’s a Lions penalty. Biggar punts to touch.
61 mins: Seymour comes on for Daly – is that possibly a sign that Daly has done enough to suggest he warrants a place on the bench on Saturday?
Try! Chiefs 6-27 Lions (Nowell)
60 mins: It’s loose though and Tipuric pounces on it and Daly gets free on the left, he fires a pass into Payne, who finds Henshaw. He’s tackled, but it’s quickly recycled and Nowell dances his way over! That’s a fantastic try, the sort that has proved elusive for the Lions so far on this tour!
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58 mins: The Chiefs have another penalty, this time Stander is the culprit. Lawes is coming back on shortly as Donald finds another touch, quite conservative but it’s a Chiefs lineout deep in the Lions 22 nonetheless.
57 mins: Biggar clears to touch after the restart but Tiatia fires in a quick lineout and the Chiefs have a penalty – Best with hands in the ruck. Donald wastes little time firing the ball to touch so it’s a Chiefs lineout on the Lions 22.
Try! Chiefs 6-20 Lions (penalty)
55 mins: Best goes short with the lineout and Stander comes on the short side. He can’t get there but Stander was able to pop the ball back inside so the Chiefs took it out – as you were, another Lions lineout after some handbags. Best foes short to Tipuric again … the maul gets over the line, Henderson can’t groud the ball … but it’s a penalty try!
Brown is shown a yellow card for his troubles too.
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52 mins: Best finds Lawes this time and the maul makes a few metres. The Lions have advantage and we’ll come back for it. Biggar goes for the corner as Lawes goes off for a HIA, on comes Alun Wyn Jones. Interesting that it’s Jones and not Cory Hill coming on …
51 mins: Laidlaw shows and goes and Donald gives away the penalty at the ruck. Donald isn’t happy about it but Biggar has the chance to go for the corner nonetheless. Marler’s head is being bandaged but it looks like he’s playing on.
49 mins: Stevenson tries to hack the ball clear though and the Chiefs are looking dangerous on the counterattack until Christie loses it forward. The Lions have it and regroup but that was a demonstration of what the Chiefs are capable of with quick turnover ball. Biggar eventually clears with Marler receiving treatment.
47 mins: The Lions put plenty of pressure on the Chiefs’ scrum before Donald clears as far as Williams. Henderson carries, then Lawes. Stander makes a few metres on the left before Williams is hit hard. Henshaw comes off a short line … Lions racking up the phases again.
45 mins: Biggar finds touch but again Best’s lineout is not straight.
44 mins: The maul rolls on for a few metres before Laidlaw goes to the skies. Williams has it on the left but holds on to it rather than look outside to Daly. Biggar then goes high, Tiatia take it but the Chiefs are pinged for blocking. That was precisely the kind of thing the Lions have been talking about this week so they’ll be very pleased Garces has picked up on it.
43 mins: Tiatia runs hard at the heart of the Lions’ defence but Stevenson’s wide pass has too much on it and it flies over Fa’auli’s head. Best has an early chance to make amends and hits Lawes …
Peeeeeeeep!
41 mins: Donald gets us going again. The Lions have a lineout but Best’s throw is not straight. A frustrating start to the second half. Chiefs scrum.
It hasn’t been completely error-free from the Lions though and a few needless penalties have been given away. They’ll want to tidy that up and take their chances in the second half …
Half-time! Chiefs 6-13 Lions
A positive half for the Lions, summed up best perhaps by the fact that they will be a bit disappointed to only be seven points up at the break. Daly and Nowell – both encouraged to stake a claim for the Test squad – are doing exactly that on each wing, Nowell coming up with the only try of the match so far.
The Lions’ dominance is based on the defence and their set-piece dominance but with the weather set fair they are playing some decent stuff too. Williams has knocked a couple on but he was instrumental in the buildup to the try. Lawes has picked up from where he left off – disrupting the Chiefs lineout which is misfiring badly.
The Chiefs can’t really get their running game going – a task made all the harder when their set-piece is creaking and the Lions are defending so ferociously.
Updated
Penalty! Chiefs 6-13 Lions (Donald)
40 mins: Christie gets away temporarily but then flings a loose pass back to to Donald. The Chiefs have the penalty though and Donald will go for goal. It’s another in front of the posts and Donald makes no mistake.
39 mins: Bird knocks the lineout back to Christie but he’s smothered by Stander. Donald reis to chip but the Lions collect and come left through Williams. The Chiefs are awarded a penalty at the breakdown though – Marler the guilty party.
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37 mins: Sanders picks up, Biggar makes the tackle but it was not legal so Donald clears.
36 mins: It’s a good touch and Best hits Henderson. Here comes the drive … it’s creeping towards the corner, but they can’t quite get there, the Chiefs hold it up. Scrum time again, the Chiefs to put in five metres from their own line.
34 mins: Donald is hit hard by Biggar and spills it, the end result after a scrappy sequence is a Lions penalty. It’s within range but Biggar goes for the corner …
32 mins: Nowell steps inside to make a few yards, then Lawes carries strongly, and Haskell … he can’t offload to Laidlaw though and the move breaks down when Williams spills a long pass from Payne. Another scrum.
30 mins: Nanai-Williams spills it for the Chiefs this time, so it’s another scrum for the Lions. Just inside their own half, on their right.
29 mins: Lions lineout and Biggar pops a fine inside pass to Daly … the Chiefs force the knock-on though with a fine tackle from Bolshier.
28 mins: Stevenson brings the Chiefs down the left but the ball is loose and Lawes dives on, the Lions comes down their left, Payne grubbers before Christie clears well.
Try! Chiefs 3-13 Lions (Nowell)
26 mins: The lineout goes to pieces again though. It’s knocked on so we’ll have a Lions scrum. It’s in an out, Laidlaw goes right, Williams gets a bit of space and Nowell makes ground down the right. It’s worked back towards the left – Biggar steps back inside but he’s a couple of metres short. The Lions have advantage but they don’t need it – Nowell pounces over the ruck and splashes over!
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24 mins: Daly tries to get free but Lawes is hit hard and knocks it on. Back comes Marler and Haskell, off goes Dell. The Chiefs clear but Williams carries the ball back … Henshaw’s attempted grubber goes straight out though.
23 mins: Christie tries to get away after the Chiefs gather the restart at the second attempt. The Lions’ defence is formidable though and a knock-on gives the Lions a scrum on the Chiefs’ 22.
Penalty! Chiefs 3-6 Lions (Donald)
22 mins: It’s another one in front of the posts and Donald sends it through the middle.
21 mins: It’s a Chiefs lineout on the 22, this one is clean and Fa’auli has another hard carry. Lawes is pinged and the Chiefs will go for goal.
19 mins: Stander takes the restart but Laidlaw’s clearance is charged down. The Chiefs approach the 22 as Donald grubbers for Stevenson … but Williams covers well.
Penalty! Chiefs 0-6 Lions (Biggar)
18 mins: It is comfortable for Biggar and the Lions double their lead.
17 mins: Tipuric takes the lineout near halfway … the maul’s going backwards but Laidlaw slips Daly away on the left. He throws the dummy but Alaimalo does not bite. The Chiefs’ lineout misfires again though and the Lions earn other straightforward looking penalty, should be comfortable for Biggar.
Updated
15 mins: Payne is packing down at flanker, but the Lions win the scrum penalty. Payne and Dell will both have enjoyed that immensely.
14 mins: Donald finds another great touch deep in the Lions’ 22. The Chiefs’ lineout has been ropey so far but they’ve taken this one cleanly. The Lions have disrupted the maul though and held it up – Stander with some fine work there.
It’s a scrum so Allan Dell is on temporarily for Haskell – the first of the six reinforcements to get some game-time.
13 mins: Henderson rips the ball but Garces is having a look at a potential tackle without the ball by Marler … it doesn’t look great. It’s on the tighthead Laulala. And it’s a yellow card.
It was late, it was with the shoulder, it’s the right call. The replay of the Pulu’s break shows it was Lawes who brought him down with the tap tackle. More fine work from the Northampton and England lock. It looks like Pulu is going to have to go off as a result …
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12 mins: Laidlaw clears with a box-kick, it’s not great in terms of distance though. The Chiefs are a touch fortunate to keep hold of the ball on their lineout but Pulu almosts gets through on the left. The ball goes to ground but the Chiefs are still coming.
Penalty! Chiefs 0-3 Lions (Biggar)
10 mins: It’s in front of the posts, Biggar can’t really miss, and he doesn’t.
9 mins: the phases are racking up, as Nowell pops up on the left, slowly the Lions are edging closer. Standers barges up the middle, then Haskell … the Lions have the advantage, Williams drops a poor pass from Biggar but back we’ll come for the penalty.
7 mins: Henshaw runs straight, then Daly tries to wriggle through on the right. Nowell has a go, gets through the first tackle and offloads to Haskell. They’re up to the 22, out on the left.
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6 mins: Stevenson puts a pretty rank kick out on the full after a nice take and carry from Alaimalo. The end result is a Lions lineout on the Chiefs’ 10-metre line.
5 mins: Scrum to the Lions near halfway after Tipuric held the carrier up, ably supported by Henderson. Laidlaw puts in, Stander is told to use it and out it comes eventually. The Lions lost a bit of ground there though.
3 mins: Donald finds a excellent touch, but Lawes pinches the lineout and Biggar clears to touch … just. Really good from Lawes, picking up from where he left off.
2 mins: The Chiefs have advantage, Donald produces a delightful kick to the corner, but we’ll come back for the penalty. It was for Christie being taken in the air, I think by Henshaw.
Peeeeeeeeeeep!
1 min: Biggar gets us up and running, and it’s a great chase from Daly who smashes Christie. Donald clears well though so a Lions lineout on halfway.
Here the players come, Lions first, led out by Best. And here come the Chiefs – Donald is their captain on the day.
Time for the Chiefs’ haka … with no little feeling, led by Elliot. Here we go …
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Jerome Garces is the man in the middle tonight. He takes charge of the second Test in Wellington so how he officiates the scrum, among a number of other things, will be fascinating. Jaco Peyper and Romain Poite are running the lines – the referees for the first and third Tests respectively.
Captain. An OBE no less.
4 - @RoryBest2 has won 4 turnovers for @lionsofficial in 105 mins of action, an avg of one every 26 mins, no player has won more. Captain. pic.twitter.com/oO5kWx5Sfv
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) June 20, 2017
The Chiefs may be missing a fair few players today but Toni Pulu is on their side, here’s a rather special try he scored earlier this season against the Stormers.
It’s going to be a full house at the FMG Stadium …
Warm up underway 💪 under 30 minutes until kickoff! #CHIvBIL #LionsNZ2017 pic.twitter.com/mNo2wZ7AXZ
— Chiefs Rugby (@ChiefsRugby) June 20, 2017
Gatland confirms that it is still possible for players to force their way into Saturday’s 23, and reveals Alun Wyn Jones is on the bench to protect his Test back row. He’s also desperate to see his side prevail today.
“A win is the most important thing for this side, we’ve been in front in the midweek games and we haven’t been able to finish it off so the main thing is to get a W on the board,” says Gatland.
Defeat for the Lions today would hardly be a fatal blow to their Test series chances but there is still plenty on the line today. Win and Gatland is justified in calling up the six players that he did and the confidence that has come with the resounding victory over the Maori continues. Defeat and it will be another half-a-step backwards after one forwards on Saturday.
Gatland is in his home today of course so there’s no extra motivation needed for him.
Some pre-match reading for you now, with Andy Farrell pledging that ‘we’re going to have to take ourselves to a place we’ve not been to before’ …
Preamble
Hello!
And welcome to the sixth match of the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
We’re just four days away from the first Test in Auckland, so today’s match has a ‘dirt trackers’ feel to it but with two defeats from their two midweek matches so far, the Lions would dearly love a victory today to boost momentum heading to Eden Park. With all six recent call-ups on the bench, there’s every chance that only one of today’s matchday 23 – Warren Gatland has 45 players at his disposal – will make it into the Test squad.
It is not impossible however for one or two to put their hands up and it is the back three of Liam Williams, Elliot Daly and Jack Nowell who are perhaps best placed. George North is not at the top of his game at present and so look out for a flying first half from one of that trio and perhaps an early withdrawal. What part Alun Wyn Jones plays from the bench will also be indicative of how Gatland intends to use the Wales captain on Saturday.
The Chiefs meanwhile, are without their All Blacks which means no Sam Cane, no Anton Lienert-Brown, no Brodie Retallick, no Aaron Cruden and no Nathan Harris while most of their players who turned out for the Maori All Blacks - namely Damian McKenzie, Charlie Ngatai, James Lowe and Tawera Kerr-Barlow are also missing. Liam Messam is on the bench however, as is Hika Elliot while at fly-half is Stephen Donald, the 2011 World Cup hero. The prop Nepo Laulala and the second-row Dominic Bird do have All Blacks caps however while Samoa’s Tim Nanai-Williams – cousin of Sonny Bill – is at centre.
Kick of is just over 45 minutes away, and here are your teams in full.
Chiefs: S Stevenson; T Pulu, T Nanai-Williams, J Fa’auli, S Alaimalo; S Donald (capt), F Christie; S Fisiihoi, L Polwart, N Laulala, D Bird, M Allardice, M Brown, L Boshier, T Sanders.
Replacements: H Elliot, A Ross, A Moli, L Messam, M Karpik, J Taumateine, L Laulala, C Tiatia.
British & Irish Lions: L Williams; J Nowell, J Payne, R Henshaw, E Daly; D Biggar, G Laidlaw; J Marler, R Best (capt), D Cole, I Henderson, C Lawes, J Haskell, J Tipuric, C Stander.
Replacements: K Dacey, A Dell, T Francis, C Hill, S Warburton, G Davies, F Russell, T Seymour.
Referee: J Garces (France).
Updated
Gerard will be here shortly. Whilst you wait, catch up on why Peter O’Mahony is fast emerging as the surprise frontrunner to lead the British & Irish Lions in Saturday’s first Test against New Zealand …
… and why Paul Rees thinks Maro Itoje must start for Warren Gatland against the All Blacks:
