Forwards front up in Wellington

Warren Gatland and his coaches had looked their Lions forwards in the eyes and demanded they put things right after a tame, ineffective performance as a collective in the opening Test had handed New Zealand the series initiative.

On Saturday night in Wellington, the shift in attitude was patently obvious in the first minute of the second Test, as Alun Wyn Jones and Mako Vunipola drove back an All Black ball carrier with alarming ferocity.

It set the tone for a night at Westpac Stadium when a wounded Lions pack stood up and were counted, restoring pride to the red jerseys numbered 1-8 seven days after a chastening experience at Eden Park.