Blackwash beckons for beleaguered tourists

New Zealand 48 Lions 18

Unfortunately, hope is all these British and Irish tourists have left after being subjected to a scintillating display of 15-man rugby from the All Blacks for the second week in a row.

That the Lions offered so much more in Saturday’s second Test defeat on a dry track in Wellington than they had when meekly surrendering in the rain-soaked opener at Jade Stadium, Christchurch, will only compound their misery. For this was the best our islands could muster and it was still woefully short of measuring up to Graham Henry’s mighty side.

Fly-half Dan Carter was the star of a stellar All Blacks outfit, scoring a record 33 points against the Lions, including two outstanding tries, but Richie McCaw was also at the height of his powers in the back row. And the home side was led in warrior style by the much put-upon Tana Umaga, who will have enjoyed immensely his hometown, first-half try to erase, for Kiwis at least, the memories of that spear tackle on his counterpart Brian O’Driscoll.

In truth, every All Black that took the field was a cut above his opposite number, not least in the way they off-loaded in the tackle. When even as taciturn a coach as Henry admitted that he was “not sure they can play any better than that”, you know you have witnessed something spectacular.

Not even Lions head coach Clive Woodward could argue with that, admitting the Lions were beaten by much the better side. Yet after seeing his side concede more points than any other Lions team, Woodward still insisted it had been “an excellent trip,” before adding, obviously, “apart from the two Test matches.”

This from the man who, just over a fortnight ago in Dunedin, defended his decision to axe player activities at local schools by saying he was not here for a community tour, he was here to win matches.

For an honest opinion, free of contradiction, you are better off speaking to Gareth Jenkins. Jenkins was defiant, rallying the troops for a tough challenge tomorrow against Auckland, the Lions’ last and strongest midweek opposition and beyond to the final Test back at Eden Park this Saturday.

“The two games we have left on tour are the most important as far as we are concerned. There is a huge amount of motivation left in the side.

“We are playing against a damn good team. A team that has a lot going for it, and I think we can get closer to them. Whether we can beat them, time will tell but coaches and players want to have another go at them, and we will aim to ask more questions of them, Jenkins said.

The Lions can certainly take credit for a rampaging start. After the sorry first Test performance it seemed appropriate but the Lions surprised everyone when they took the lead, skipper Gareth Thomas’ cutting inside and heading straight under the posts. For a while the All Blacks were rocked, scrum-half Dwayne Peel scything through their midfield only to be undone under the posts by a rash dive over the top of a ruck from Paul O’Connell.

Enter Carter, who steadied the New Zealand ship with two penalties to get the home side back in contention at 7-6 before unleashing his creative side in the 18th minute with a breathtaking run upfield after Thomas had spilled the ball in a tackle and given up possession.

Carter off-loaded to Umaga and the captain dived over the line to put his side in front for an 11-7 lead that would never be relinquished.

The fly-half continued to combine the sublime with the metronomic, scoring two second-half tries of his own before slotting all but one of his 10 goal attempts.

By half-time the All Blacks were in control at 21-13; seven minutes after the restart they were home and dry at 31-13 thanks to a penalty, try and conversion, all from Carter.

Lewis Moody, who in an otherwise accomplished back row performance alongside second try scorer Simon Easterby and Ryan Jones, categorically failed in trying to contain the Kiwi fly-half, summed up the frustration of playing against the 23-year-old.

“The phase play came through him,” Moody said, “and the way they played in the second half was down to his performance. When he didn’t attack with ball in hand he was belting it 80 metres down the pitch, which is soul destroying.”

The one glimmer of light for the Lions is that Carter will not be taking part next weekend. He was replaced in the final few minutes of Saturday’s game after injuring his shoulder and he will join Crusaders team-mate and foil at inside centre Aaron Mauger on the sidelines in Auckland, after the No 12 limped off in the first half with a hamstring problem.

It hardly makes the Lions favourites. Full-back and goal-kicker Leon MacDonald looks set to start at No 10 with Mils Muliaina slotting back in at No 15 and Ma’a Nonu taking Mauger’s place in midfield - hardly a lightweight replacements’ bench.

The Lions have fitness problems of their own, with Jonny Wilkinson nursing a numbed shoulder problem called a “stinger” and rated just a 50-50 chance of playing by Ian McGeechan. Gavin Henson, too, is a doubt after suffering a “bit of a concussion”, according to Woodward, during the first half of the game.

The head coach is still determinedly optimistic as this tour heads into its final week.

“We’re going to prepare first for the Auckland game and we’ve got to make sure we win on Tuesday night in a difficult game and then we’ve got to focus on the weekend and see if we can this Test match.

“We’ve got a week to go in New Zealand and we’ll try to enjoy it.”

Some hope.

NEW ZEALAND: Tries: Umaga, Sivivatu, Carter 2, McCaw. Cons: Carter 4. Pens: Carter 5. New Zealand: Muliaina, Gear, Umaga, Mauger, Sivivatu, Carter, Kelleher, Woodcock, Mealamu, Somerville, Jack, Williams, Collins, McCaw, So’oialo. Replacements: Marshall for Kelleher (62), Witcombe for Mealamu (75), Gibbes for Jack (75), Lauaki for Collins (62), MacDonald for So’oialo (48). Not Used: Nonu, Johnstone.

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Tries: Thomas, Easterby. Cons: Wilkinson. Pens: Wilkinson 2. British & Irish Lions: Lewsey, Robinson, Thomas, Henson, S. Williams, Wilkinson, Peel, Jenkins, Thompson, J. White, O’Connell, O’Callaghan, Easterby, Moody, R. Jones. Replacements: Horgan for Henson (70), S. Jones for Wilkinson (60), Byrne for Thompson (78), Rowntree for J. White (55), M. Williams for O’Callaghan (74). Not Used: Corry, Dawson.

Attendance: 34,000

Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia).