Nightmare score, but Manawatu dreams are still alive

Manawatu 6 Lions 109

It was four nights on from the controversial first Test against the New Zealand All Blacks, when Brian O'Driscoll's treatment at the hands of captain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu cast a shadow over the home side's brilliant demolition job of the tourists.

Mealamu also saw his hand bitten by Lions lock Danny Grewcock and the Leicester man was handed out a two-month ban for his troubles, ending his tour. Since then claim and couter-claim had sallied back and forth between the two camps as to who had done what and who had been dealt an injustice.

Yet the incidents might as well never have happened as far as the Kiwis who helped make up the 17,100 crowd which packed into the FMG Stadium yesterday were concerned. Instead, they celebrated a rare chance for their NPC division two side to take on a touring side.

"We're just extremely grateful to be given this opportunity, to put these young fellas up against awesome athletes, well resourced and great ambassadors for their countries," coach Charlie McAlister said.

"Sure we got toasted big time; they were too big, too strong and too quick in all facets of play, but there was a real buzz in the dressingroom afterwards when they came in to us with their jerseys. Man, they should have given them before the game."

Captain and hooker Nathan Kemp, the only Manawatu player with Super 12 experience having played eight times for the Auckland Blues, said it was a magical moment for his team when the Lions walked into their dressingroom bearing gifts.

"They were awesome," Kemp said. "They initiated it and just came in with those jerseys, but some of our guys went back and came back in with shorts and socks as well, I think they were trying to get as much gear as they could.

"They weren't (acting) bigger than us; they just came in and sat down and talked to us and wanted to know about us and they're really good guys. This was all pretty new to someone who is used to playing in front of a crowd of 1,000. But the reality check will be when they all go back to work tomorrow."

McAlister, who played rugby league with Lions coach Mike Ford at Oldham in the early 1990s, said the Lions' visit would have a much wider impact on the Manawatu province as a whole.

"This is bigger than big for the region and for our kids and for our community," he said. "The kids at primary and intermediate schools over the last few days, we've been visiting two or three of them and it's been just huge for them.

"That's the fabric of our country and going into schools and being humbled by four or five-year-old kids signing their school song, it's been kind of emotional because they have been giving everything they've got.

"For the region as a whole, it's extremely gratifying to get this support and for the boys they are chuffed - not at getting their butts kicked but for the experience. It's something to tell their mums and dads although they might tell a few fibs about how awesome they were."

McAlister said he hoped the one-sided nature of the contest would not dissuade the Lions or any other touring sides from visiting Manawatu in the future.

"If they're going to try and keep the game in the communities at their roots and as part of the fabric this country is built on then it would be cool if they kept at least one or two games against clubs in the second division. It would keep young guys' dreams alive of playing for their province in the top division.

"The Lions coming here have given a massive profile to the schools and the programmes and it's been great to see all the people come together tonight in the community. I guess we were their doormat."