No more hiding places

AS a consequence of their first defeat on tour to the Maoris last Saturday, it has been a difficult week for the Lions.

In New Zealand there are no hiding places and that is why the overwhelming feeling within the camp on the final whistle against Wellington was one of relief. When Gareth Thomas scored the match-clinching try with four minutes to go, cameras immediately flashed on coach Clive Woodward. His broad smile said it all. However on reflection he will no doubt realise that Wednesday’s game raised more questions than answers.

Given the poor performance up front against the Maori pack, it was inevitable that the Lions forwards would stand up and be counted. They simply had to. From the kick off they dominated to such a degree that, by half time, the Lions enjoyed a 90% territorial advantage. With a back line of near test quality, it must be a major concern to the management that despite their clear superiority the Lions scored just two tries. One wonders what Graham Henry made of it all.