Lions gathering momentum with win against the Chiefs

A meaningless match? Try telling that to this British & Irish Lions matchday squad which yesterday gave their comrades a morale-boosting victory to take into this Saturday’s first Test against New Zealand.

For the first time on this tour, the Lions have put together back-to-back victories and it could not have come at a better time for Warren Gatland as he gets down to the business of trying to become the first visiting Test coach to secure a victory over the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park since 1994.

This had been a journey around the North and South Islands characterised by two steps forward on a Saturday followed by one back a few days later. Yet now the shutdown of the Maori All Blacks last Saturday in Rotorua by the putative opening Test team has been backed up with further progress to give the Lions some genuine momentum heading towards that first of three appointments with the world champions.