Gatland thrilled with ‘best ref’ Joubert for second Test

Australia 21 British & Irish Lions 23

The Lions got out of jail at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, narrowly avoiding defeat because of poor place-kicking by the Wallabies, not least Kurtley’s Beale’s unfortunate penalty miss with the final action of the game.

For all the exhilarating play and forward power the Lions showcased at times in this epic contest, Gatland will know that if his side had gone down in this first of a three-Test series, not only would they have a colossal task to claw their way back into it, they would only have themselves to blame for needing to do so.