Advertisement

Lions 2017: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15 - All Blacks win First Test

Lions coach Warren Gatland will be looking to overcome his native New Zealand
Lions coach Warren Gatland failed to overcome his native New Zealand

World champions New Zealand powered to a 30-15 win against the Lions in the First Test at Eden Park.

Rieko Iaone was the home hero with two tries. Read how the match unfolded below.

FINAL SCORE: New Zealand 30 The Lions 15

READ MORE: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15 – Full match report

READ MORE: Lions 2017 – Gatland insists problems can easily be fixed

READ MORE: Lions 2017 – skipper O’Mahony says Lions must be more clinical

READ MORE: New Zealand v British & Irish Lions First Test player ratings

READ MORE: Lions 2017 – Story of the First Test

80min: Last play of the game. The Lions have an attack – a 5m lineout.

But they are driven back.

TRY FOR THE LIONS

Rhys Webb wriggles through after a break from Davies. Farrell kicks the extras and it’s 30-15 – and it’s all over.

The tempo of the match has slowed as the All Blacks grind the Lions down. Warren Gatland’s men are getting forward but do not look like scoring again.

70min: TRY NEW ZEALAND

Ioane makes the most of Williams spilling the ball and roars over the line from 40m. Game, set and match. Barrett from the left. Will he kick the extras? Of course he does. It’s 30-8 now.

Ten tour-defining moments left now. The Lions will not want to be swamped as they do not deserve that.

68min: The All Blacks defend a 5m lineout and clear. That’s probably it now.

65min: Itoje steals New Zealand lineout ball to ease the pressure and from the resulting next lineout the Lions win a scrum on halfway. It’s now or never for the tourists. It’s never.

Nothing is going to hand for the Lions now as the home side are squeezing the life out of this match.

The All Blacks have not only not lost a Test match at Eden Park for 23 years, they have not lost a series to the Lions for 46 years. Neither of those records look likely to end today or this month.

And they are now hammering at the door for the match-winning score. Relentless. They are 5m out. They have a penalty advantage.

60min: Barrett slots the penalty over and they now lead by 15 points. That’s three scores.

Rieko Iaone goes over for the All Blacks
Rieko Iaone goes over for the All Blacks

57min: Last throw of the dice for the Lions? Jonathan Sexton is on and Farrell moves to the centre. The playmaker needs to deliver.

54min: TRY NEW ZEALAND? It’s gone upstairs. TRY AWARDED to Rieko Ioane. New Zealand back in control. Barrett adds the conversion from out wide and it’s 20-8.

53min: Lots of changes being made by both teams now as fatigue sets in. And it’s still anyone’s game.

On comes Sam Warburton for Peter O’Mahony – skipper for skipper.

47min: Maro Itoje replaces Alun Wynne Jones for the Lions

The quality has not lessened and it’s all the Lions. Watson’s snaking run following a Williams offload makes huge ground but then it’s knocked on.

Anthony Watson weaves his way through
Anthony Watson weaves his way through

43min: What a counter attack from the Lions. Davies glides through and they get within 5m of the line. They win a penalty but go for the line out. But it leads to nothing…

The second half is under way…

A breathless end to end passage of play brings the half to a close. What a game and there are just five points in it. Has there been a better half of rugby played at Test level this year? Possibly not.

It’s half time. Go suck those lemons.

36min: TRY TO THE LIONS

Fantastic 50m break from deep by full back Liam Williams. Beats three men, offloads to Daly who feeds Davies. The ball is fed to Sean O’Brien who crashes over. Farrell misses the conversion but the Lions now trail just 13-8.

32min: Back come the All Blacks and they win a kickable penalty. Barrett fancies this. But Ryan Crotty goes off injured beforehand. Barrett slots the penalty and it’s 13-3.

30min: Penalty Lions – up steps Owen Farrell. He scores and it’s now 10-3.

It’s starting to come for the Lions. Furlong is unlucky to have adjudged to have knocked on then Daly fumbles under pressure – but they now have a line out in the All Blacks 22.

27min: Ben Smith has to go off wth a head injury and Aaron Cruden replaces him. The All Blacks have to shuffle their pack.

In the last 10 minutes New Zealand have had 84 per cent of the possession. They also have 100 per cent of the lead as the Lions are being forced into conceding penalties.

The All Blacks now look in control. their ball handling is leaving the Lions grasping at air and they are camped in the Lions 22.

18min: TRY NEW ZEALAND. Cody Taylor powers over in the corner, the hooker gathering a pass off his toes. Barrett adds the conversion. It’s 10-0 to the home side.

Cody Taylor scores the first try of the series
Cody Taylor scores the first try of the series

13min: Up steps Barrett around 22m out… he scores and New Zealand lead 3-0.

11min: For the first time the All Blacks are looking threatening and it needs a fantastic catch out wide from Anthony Watson to stop a certain try. The ball is cleared but the world champions thunder back and they get a penalty.

We are now almost nine minutes into this match and it has been incredible so far. Every tackle is being made, every pass going to hand. Top quality stuff.

5min: If there is a better moment of play from anyone in this entire series that Beauden Barrett’s one-handed scoop off the floor under pressure from Daly I will be surprised. Running towards his own line he not only gathers cleanly he turns Daly and charges forward.

Elliot Daly just missed out on scoring a try
Elliot Daly just missed out on scoring a try

3min: Sloppy from the Lions as they are offside with the All Blacks pinned back 5m from their own line and the ball is cleared.

2min: The Lions have started like a train and Jonathan Davies breaks through the line. The ball goes out wide and Elliot Daly crosses the line. Try review.

NO TRY – Daly’s foot was in touch.

8.35am: We’re off. Referee Jerome Garces blows the whistle…

8.30am: The teams are out and the national anthems are done. Now for the Haka…

The Haka
The Haka

8.20am: 15 minutes to kick off. New Zealand have not lost a Test match at Eden Park since 1994. That’s 23 years in old money.

AND… whoever wins the opening Test of a three-match series has an 88 per cent chance of winning that series. That’s what on stake this morning.

So the talking will soon stop and world champions New Zealand will take on the British & Irish Lions.

Welshman Liam Williams and England’s Elliot Daly are surprise inclusions in the back three, beating Leigh Halfpenny and George North to full-back and wing spots.

Wales flanker Sam Warburton, made tour captain by head coach Warren Gatland, is on the bench.

Instead Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony, who was not a regular pick for Ireland in this year’s Six Nations after losing his place following a long-term knee injury, skippers the side.

Lions team: L Williams (Wales); A Watson (England), J Davies (Wales), B Te’o (England), E Daly (England); O Farrell (England), C Murray (Ireland); M Vunipola (England), J George (England), T Furlong (Ireland); AW Jones (Wales), G Kruis (England); P O’Mahony (capt, Ireland), S O’Brien (Ireland), T Faletau (Wales).

Replacements: K Owens (Wales), J McGrath (Ireland), K Sinckler (England), M Itoje (England), S Warburton (Wales), R Webb (Wales), J Sexton (Ireland), L Halfpenny (Wales).

For New Zealand, wing Rieko Ioane wins his third cap while Ryan Crotty, recovered from a rib injury, partners Sonny Bill Williams in the centre.

New Zealand team: B Smith; I Dagg, R Crotty, SB Williams, R Ioane; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).

Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden/L Sopoaga, A Lienert-Brown.