Draw Drama As Lions Sensationally Tie Series Against The All Blacks

Draw Drama As Lions Sensationally Tie Series Against The All Blacks
10:53, 08 Jul 2017

The British & Irish Lions have dramatically drawn 15-15 with New Zealand in Auckland to tie the three Test series.

Brutal, brilliant, climatic and with a touch of controversy, the Lions gave it everything to avoid the All Blacks blackout and snatch a share of the spoils. It was a tense game, one of ultra-fine margins that ebbed and flowed from start to finish.The All Blacks dominated the early proceedings but couldn’t get on the scoreboard. Beauden Barrett missed a penalty right in front and then Julian Savea dropped the ball with the try-line in sight. The home team should have 8-0 up after just four minutes.

But the Lions weathered the storm and marched downfield. They had an overlap on the right but Barrett intercepted Farrell’s pass. He broke downfield for 60 metres, was tackled and offloaded but Watson intercepted the ball back and the visitors recovered.

The All Blacks finally broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when Barrett kicked to his younger brother Jordie, who smartly tapped the ball back to Ngani Laumape for the first try. Barret’s kick from the sideline was good to make it 7-0.

Indiscipline from the All Blacks allowed Farrell to make it 7-3. New Zealand’s hands kept letting them down as they uncharacteristically made knock on after knock on in the Lions’ half. The men in red stuck in the contest and in the 32nd minute Farrell nailed another kick to make it 7-6.

It was tense and physical, much like a boxing match with the All Blacks searching for a knockout punch and the Lions trying to stay on their feet, survive and wait for the bell.

Just before half-time the Kiwis struck again and it was Laumape who made it happen. His brilliant offload went to Anton Lienert-Brown who threw a cut-out pass to Jordie Barrett to score out wide. A try in classic All Black fashion, right when they needed it. Brother Beauden missed his conversion from the sideline so it stayed at 12-6 at the break.

The stats showed how dominant New Zealand had been in the first half but how they failed to make that count properly on the scoreboard. They had 61% of the territory and had made 116 metres more than the Lions, with less possession, but had accrued eight handling errors to just four from the Lions. At times they were their own worst enemy.

The second half started with Elliot Daly taking a long-distance shot at goal from the halfway line. His kick was good and the buffer between the two teams was back to three points. In the 44th minute Savea was in for a try but the pass to him was forward and ruled out. Then five minutes later Jerome Kaino hit Alan Wyn-Jones to the face and he was sin-binned.

Like in the second Test with Sonny-Bill Williams, this was a huge moment. On 59 minutes Farrell leveled the scores at 12-12 with a goal, after Brodie Retallick was penalised for a high tackle. It was all left to play for. A massive 20 minutes left to decide history.

In the 66th minute the All Blacks forced a penalty from a scrum and Barrett put them ahead again 15-12. The tension went up another notch. Hooker Jamie George had several poor lineout throws and was substituted. The Lions started to cough up mistakes, with Liam Williams knocking on.

With seven minutes left the All Blacks had a scrum on the Lions 22 metre line. But Warren Gatland’s side wrapped up Israel Dagg and courageously won the ball. They wouldn’t lie down. Then in the 76th minute the Lions won a penalty 47 metres from New Zealand’s line.

Farrell, a man with nerves of steel, stepped up and kicked it. It was 15-15 with less than three minutes left. But then disaster struck. Ken Owens was offside from the kick off after Williams’ knock on, and the All Blacks had the ball. Romain Poliate originally ruled a full penalty, then controversially changed his mind to give a scrum. Kiwi captain Kieran Read questioned it, but the call stood.

It was a crucial decision, with the Lions bravely holding on in the final 90 seconds to draw the game.

It was a fantastic contest but the ending left you feeling a bit hollow and empty, with no final winner after six weeks of battle and toil. The Lions can go home though standing tall after matching it with the world’s best.

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