The Lions 2013
- Thread starter Rosco
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
LOL
Amazing! I celebrated so hard my Aussie wife is in a huff. Worth it though!
quote]
LOL
I was thinking the same, but thankfully we found it in abundance.
MOTM in the deciding Test turns out to be someone who wasn't even in the original selection. Corbisiero - magnificent.
Gotta love rugby.
Gotta love rugby.
He was fantastic mate and well deserving of his MOTM award. He became so important once we'd lost Healy and Jenkins and boy did he deliver.
Well we did in a way.
Had Gatland been able to pick Warburton, we wouldn't have had the right back row on the pitch.
Make up your mind, you had Tipuric in at 7.
Sam was MOTM in the 2nd test match - Hence why you suddenly went quiet on this subject.
I'll take nothing away from O'Brien today mind, he was a giant.
More a slow learner than a chump
Australia 16 Lions 41: Warren Gatland stayed true to his beliefs and united four nations into a winning force
Mission accomplished, series won, the entire concept of the Lions has been validated. That is the only important fact after the record-breaking win over the Wallabies.
In it together: the Lions players celebrate their series win Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By James Corrigan
1:38PM BST 06 Jul 2013
Yes, they will bang on about Warren Gatland being vindicated, about his faith in his Welshmen bearing fruit, about the selection gamble paying off spectacularly. What a load of nonsense.
There were 23 matchday heroes on the pitch celebrating at the end and not even half of them came from west of the Severn Bridge.
This was a collective British and Irish effort and anyone who stills doubts that did not recognise the contributions of Alex Corbisiero, Jonny Sexton, Sean O’Brien, Geoff Parling and others in Sydney and elsewhere on the tour.
They were integral to this stunning success and that’s why this was one of the Lions' greatest days, if not the greatest in the context of all the anachronism accusations. Lions history didn’t just want this - it demanded this.
Of course, it was red-shirted glory which felt familiar to any recent Six Nations viewers. It had to be with Leigh Halfpenny kicking like a metronome and making defenders look like garden gnomes as he set up two Lions tries. it had to be with George North making ever bigger strides to becoming, unquestionably, the most destructive runner in world rugby.
It had to be with Jamie Roberts punching man-sized holes in an Asutralian defence which suddenly buckled in incredible fashion, with Toby Faletau and the newest of captains fantastic Alun-Wyn Jones going well beyond the call of duty in the loose.
It had to be with Adam Jones smashing the opposing scrum to smithereens.
Yet do not underplay Corbisiero’s influence in that regard. The platform to this victory was so obviously the set-piece and in the young Englishman, Jones was at last given an ally who could not only live up his to his power but actually complement it. Australia had nowhere to go but backwards.
Naturally, the home side fought back. Australia always do. But their resistance was built on opportunism and did not, truly, have a hope if the Lions focused on their strengths.
As the minutes counted down to that decisive final quarter alarm bells were sounded in certain quarters about the lack of Lions leaders on the field.
It was a thinly-veiled reference to Brian O’Driscoll. Ultimately, the great man wasn’t required. He could only look down from the stands and see the present and future of British and Irish rugby so emphatically grasp its immortality.
For Gatland this was sweet. There were some ridiculous slurs made on this fine coach in the build-up and he would have evry right to put up two fingers to the naysayers.
It wasn’t about picking his favourites, about nationality, about looking tough in dropping a legend, about a one-dimensional gameplan.
It was about beating Australia and if anybody knows how to do pull that off it is a canny Kiwi. One dimensional? How silly that charge seemed as the red sea came in so many waves.
The Lions committee should be proud of themselves for picking Gatland, just as he should be proud for ignoring all the petty, parochial bickering, for staying true to his beliefs and for uniting the four home nations into a winning force.
That’s what makes the Lions special. And after the siege of Sydney, rugby union can confirm that the British and Irish Lions are still very, very special.
Mission accomplished, series won, the entire concept of the Lions has been validated. That is the only important fact after the record-breaking win over the Wallabies.
In it together: the Lions players celebrate their series win Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By James Corrigan
1:38PM BST 06 Jul 2013
Yes, they will bang on about Warren Gatland being vindicated, about his faith in his Welshmen bearing fruit, about the selection gamble paying off spectacularly. What a load of nonsense.
There were 23 matchday heroes on the pitch celebrating at the end and not even half of them came from west of the Severn Bridge.
This was a collective British and Irish effort and anyone who stills doubts that did not recognise the contributions of Alex Corbisiero, Jonny Sexton, Sean O’Brien, Geoff Parling and others in Sydney and elsewhere on the tour.
They were integral to this stunning success and that’s why this was one of the Lions' greatest days, if not the greatest in the context of all the anachronism accusations. Lions history didn’t just want this - it demanded this.
Of course, it was red-shirted glory which felt familiar to any recent Six Nations viewers. It had to be with Leigh Halfpenny kicking like a metronome and making defenders look like garden gnomes as he set up two Lions tries. it had to be with George North making ever bigger strides to becoming, unquestionably, the most destructive runner in world rugby.
It had to be with Jamie Roberts punching man-sized holes in an Asutralian defence which suddenly buckled in incredible fashion, with Toby Faletau and the newest of captains fantastic Alun-Wyn Jones going well beyond the call of duty in the loose.
It had to be with Adam Jones smashing the opposing scrum to smithereens.
Yet do not underplay Corbisiero’s influence in that regard. The platform to this victory was so obviously the set-piece and in the young Englishman, Jones was at last given an ally who could not only live up his to his power but actually complement it. Australia had nowhere to go but backwards.
Naturally, the home side fought back. Australia always do. But their resistance was built on opportunism and did not, truly, have a hope if the Lions focused on their strengths.
As the minutes counted down to that decisive final quarter alarm bells were sounded in certain quarters about the lack of Lions leaders on the field.
It was a thinly-veiled reference to Brian O’Driscoll. Ultimately, the great man wasn’t required. He could only look down from the stands and see the present and future of British and Irish rugby so emphatically grasp its immortality.
For Gatland this was sweet. There were some ridiculous slurs made on this fine coach in the build-up and he would have evry right to put up two fingers to the naysayers.
It wasn’t about picking his favourites, about nationality, about looking tough in dropping a legend, about a one-dimensional gameplan.
It was about beating Australia and if anybody knows how to do pull that off it is a canny Kiwi. One dimensional? How silly that charge seemed as the red sea came in so many waves.
The Lions committee should be proud of themselves for picking Gatland, just as he should be proud for ignoring all the petty, parochial bickering, for staying true to his beliefs and for uniting the four home nations into a winning force.
That’s what makes the Lions special. And after the siege of Sydney, rugby union can confirm that the British and Irish Lions are still very, very special.
Australia 16 Lions 41: match report
Read a full match report for the third Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday, July 6 2013.
Winning feeling: the Lions celebrate defeating Australia and clinching the series Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Gavin Mairs, at the ANZ Stadium
1:16PM BST 06 Jul 2013
Comments
The British and Irish Lions clinched their first tour series victory for 16 years as a stunning display of power and elan clinched a resounding victory over Australia in the decisive third Test in Sydney today.
The decision by Lions head coach Warren Gatland to lace his side with powerful ball-carriers in his forwards and backs paid rich reward as the tourists ran in tries by Alex Corbisiero, Jonathan Sexton, George North and Jamie Roberts.
Absolute dominance in the scrum enabled Leigh Halfpenny to also kick five penalties but it was the full-back's counter-attacking brilliance that stole the show, setting up tries for both Sexton and North.
The initial damage was done in the first half - a try by Coribisero and four penalties and a conversion by Halfpenny seeing the Lions race into a 19-3 lead.
Sixteen of those 19 points came from the Lions' ability to put unrelenting pressure on the Wallabies' scrum, with Ben Alexander spending 10 minutes in the sin bin for repeated offences.
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The revival brought Australia back to within three points of the Lions. But the pressure merely provoked the tourists to respond with their best attacking rugby of the tour as Sexton, North and Roberts crossed to write a glorious new chapter in Lions history in front of a stadium record crowd of 83,720, after three successive tour defeats.
The Lions could not have hoped for a more explosive and rewarding start.
Will Genia knocked on the kick-off from Sexton, gifting the Lions an attacking scrum. From a free-kick, Mike Phillips fed Tommy Bowe who took it to within a metre of the line and, when it was recycled, Sean O'Brien and then Alun-Wyn Jones carried strongly, with Corbisiero side-stepping and then reaching to score in the first minute.
Australia came storming back, with Israel Folau and Genia sniping and almost weaving their way through. But then the Lions landed a massive psychological blow when the Wallabies' attack was halted by thunderous double tackle by Jones and Richard Hibbard on George Smith.
The Lions were able to clear their lines with a kick by Jonathan Davies, and when Joe Tomane attempted to run the ball back, another big hit by Dan Lydiate won a penalty on the half-way line and Halfpenny continued the tourists' spectacular start by landing a beautifully-struck kick.
The 10-point advantage was cut immediately, however, when the Lions conceded a penalty from the restart and Leali'ifano converted. But even though Smith was able to return to play, having been cleared of concussion, two huge scrums by the Lions culminated in two more successful penalties as the tourists raced into a 16-3 lead after just 15 minutes.
The collisions kept going the Lions way. A turn-over by Hibbard, a huge tackle by North on Folau and another turn-over won by Davies denied Australia's attempts to play their way back into the game.
The pressure began to show. A sliced clearance-kick by Kurtley Beale put the Wallabies under more pressure and when O'Brien intercepted an attempt to run the ball from deep, a superb line by Jones created great front-foot ball. Although the move broke down when Bowe knocked on, the Aussie situation deteriorated further when, from the scrum, the Lions won another penalty and Ben Alexander was shown a yellow card. Halfpenny slotted his fourth penalty to leave Australia in dire straights.
Moments later, Australia lost their most potent attacking threat when Folau was forced to retire with a hamstring injury and the Lions ruthlessly dominated possession, at one stage going through 27 phases.
Yet the Lions were unable to convert this pressure into more points, and Australia, desperate for any sort of foothold in the game, dragged themselves back into the contest.
It took a brilliant tap-tackle by Geoff Parling to bring down Jesse Mogg, Folau's replacement, and, after kicking a couple of penalties to touch, the Wallabies broke through in the final minute of the half when O'Connor glided by Sexton with a double side-step to score under the posts.
Leali'ifano's conversion reduced the deficit to nine points, and ensured they went into the interval with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
The sense of an Australia revival continued as Leali'fano landed his second penalty two minutes after the restart. And when Beale gathered his own chip over the blitz defence, the Lions conceded another penalty from a driven line-out and Leali'ifano converted to take Australia's burst of scoring to 13 points in six minutes.
Now errors were creeping into the Lions game. A line-out was lost by a poor throw from Hibbard and then, after some hard driving by his replacement Tom Youngs, a pass by Mike Phillips was almost intercepted by Ben Mowen.
In their moment of vulnerability, the Lions turned to their scrum for comfort, another huge shunt winning another penalty and Halfpenny added his fifth pen in the 51st minute.
Back came Australia, with Genia forcing a half-break, but then Sexton relieved the pressure again with a high-risk chip that sat up for North, with Davies showing great strength in support.
And the momentum swung firmly back to the Lions when a perfectly-timed pass by Bowe put Davies into space and a stunning break and offload by Halfpenny put Sexton over for a superbly-crafted try. Halfpenny's conversion put the Lions 13 points in front, forcing Australia once again into a desperate rearguard action.
James Horwill turned down a simple kick at goal, when Smith tapped a penalty, but Bowe won the turnover and moments later Smith was forced to concede a penalty when he got isolated in attack.
The hammer blow came when Halfpenny again set off on another jinking break up the touchline and his pass sent North scorching to the line for the Lions' third try.
The Lions then turned the screw when Roberts sliced through the lagging Wallabies' defence, from a line-out, to touch down for his side's fourth try to the elation of the estimated 40,000 Lions supporters in the stadium.
Read a full match report for the third Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday, July 6 2013.
Winning feeling: the Lions celebrate defeating Australia and clinching the series Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Gavin Mairs, at the ANZ Stadium
1:16PM BST 06 Jul 2013
The British and Irish Lions clinched their first tour series victory for 16 years as a stunning display of power and elan clinched a resounding victory over Australia in the decisive third Test in Sydney today.
The decision by Lions head coach Warren Gatland to lace his side with powerful ball-carriers in his forwards and backs paid rich reward as the tourists ran in tries by Alex Corbisiero, Jonathan Sexton, George North and Jamie Roberts.
Absolute dominance in the scrum enabled Leigh Halfpenny to also kick five penalties but it was the full-back's counter-attacking brilliance that stole the show, setting up tries for both Sexton and North.
The initial damage was done in the first half - a try by Coribisero and four penalties and a conversion by Halfpenny seeing the Lions race into a 19-3 lead.
Sixteen of those 19 points came from the Lions' ability to put unrelenting pressure on the Wallabies' scrum, with Ben Alexander spending 10 minutes in the sin bin for repeated offences.
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- Australia v Lions, third Test: as it happened
06 Jul 2013 - Gatland stayed true to his beliefs and united four nations
06 Jul 2013
The revival brought Australia back to within three points of the Lions. But the pressure merely provoked the tourists to respond with their best attacking rugby of the tour as Sexton, North and Roberts crossed to write a glorious new chapter in Lions history in front of a stadium record crowd of 83,720, after three successive tour defeats.
The Lions could not have hoped for a more explosive and rewarding start.
Will Genia knocked on the kick-off from Sexton, gifting the Lions an attacking scrum. From a free-kick, Mike Phillips fed Tommy Bowe who took it to within a metre of the line and, when it was recycled, Sean O'Brien and then Alun-Wyn Jones carried strongly, with Corbisiero side-stepping and then reaching to score in the first minute.
Australia came storming back, with Israel Folau and Genia sniping and almost weaving their way through. But then the Lions landed a massive psychological blow when the Wallabies' attack was halted by thunderous double tackle by Jones and Richard Hibbard on George Smith.
The Lions were able to clear their lines with a kick by Jonathan Davies, and when Joe Tomane attempted to run the ball back, another big hit by Dan Lydiate won a penalty on the half-way line and Halfpenny continued the tourists' spectacular start by landing a beautifully-struck kick.
The 10-point advantage was cut immediately, however, when the Lions conceded a penalty from the restart and Leali'ifano converted. But even though Smith was able to return to play, having been cleared of concussion, two huge scrums by the Lions culminated in two more successful penalties as the tourists raced into a 16-3 lead after just 15 minutes.
The collisions kept going the Lions way. A turn-over by Hibbard, a huge tackle by North on Folau and another turn-over won by Davies denied Australia's attempts to play their way back into the game.
The pressure began to show. A sliced clearance-kick by Kurtley Beale put the Wallabies under more pressure and when O'Brien intercepted an attempt to run the ball from deep, a superb line by Jones created great front-foot ball. Although the move broke down when Bowe knocked on, the Aussie situation deteriorated further when, from the scrum, the Lions won another penalty and Ben Alexander was shown a yellow card. Halfpenny slotted his fourth penalty to leave Australia in dire straights.
Moments later, Australia lost their most potent attacking threat when Folau was forced to retire with a hamstring injury and the Lions ruthlessly dominated possession, at one stage going through 27 phases.
Yet the Lions were unable to convert this pressure into more points, and Australia, desperate for any sort of foothold in the game, dragged themselves back into the contest.
It took a brilliant tap-tackle by Geoff Parling to bring down Jesse Mogg, Folau's replacement, and, after kicking a couple of penalties to touch, the Wallabies broke through in the final minute of the half when O'Connor glided by Sexton with a double side-step to score under the posts.
Leali'ifano's conversion reduced the deficit to nine points, and ensured they went into the interval with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
The sense of an Australia revival continued as Leali'fano landed his second penalty two minutes after the restart. And when Beale gathered his own chip over the blitz defence, the Lions conceded another penalty from a driven line-out and Leali'ifano converted to take Australia's burst of scoring to 13 points in six minutes.
Now errors were creeping into the Lions game. A line-out was lost by a poor throw from Hibbard and then, after some hard driving by his replacement Tom Youngs, a pass by Mike Phillips was almost intercepted by Ben Mowen.
In their moment of vulnerability, the Lions turned to their scrum for comfort, another huge shunt winning another penalty and Halfpenny added his fifth pen in the 51st minute.
Back came Australia, with Genia forcing a half-break, but then Sexton relieved the pressure again with a high-risk chip that sat up for North, with Davies showing great strength in support.
And the momentum swung firmly back to the Lions when a perfectly-timed pass by Bowe put Davies into space and a stunning break and offload by Halfpenny put Sexton over for a superbly-crafted try. Halfpenny's conversion put the Lions 13 points in front, forcing Australia once again into a desperate rearguard action.
James Horwill turned down a simple kick at goal, when Smith tapped a penalty, but Bowe won the turnover and moments later Smith was forced to concede a penalty when he got isolated in attack.
The hammer blow came when Halfpenny again set off on another jinking break up the touchline and his pass sent North scorching to the line for the Lions' third try.
The Lions then turned the screw when Roberts sliced through the lagging Wallabies' defence, from a line-out, to touch down for his side's fourth try to the elation of the estimated 40,000 Lions supporters in the stadium.
Sydney Morning Herald:
Tourists rely on old-fashioned pride, power and technique to maul hosts
These Lions tours are based on tradition, values that hark back to another era. So it was apt that on Saturday night when the Wallabies were soundly beaten, old values were at the heart of it. Pure power, matched with technique at the scrum, and a huge appetite for the collision. The better team won because it was more closely connected with the game's unchanging principles.
It started with a calamity. The Lions kicked deep right and the Wallabies were caught asleep.
Will Genia looked at Kane Douglas and the second-rower looked back. In between the indecision, a ball was falling to the ground. Genia lurched forwards but it was too late. A knock-on, a scrum, and a Lions try.
Advertisement<iframe id="dcAd-1-4" src="http://ad-apac.doubleclick.net/adi/...icle;pos=3;sz=300x250;tile=4;ord=6.5015994E7?" width='300' height='250' scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"> </iframe>
It was the start of a horrible trend. Almost immediately, referee Romain Poite was being instructed by assistant referee Craig Joubert to keep an eye on the side of Ben Alexander. The English prop Alex Corbisiero, who Alexander did not have to face at Twickenham last year, was bringing all manner of misery to the Brumbies man. Not that the problems were restricted to that side. Benn Robinson didn't escape the referee's whistle either.
Poite's tone became almost pleading with Wallabies captain James Horwill as the penalties mounted. The message was: you are leaving me no choice, a yellow card is coming.
Lions scrum coach Graham Rowntree said beforehand he trusted the Frenchman would reward the dominant scrum. It was prophetic. Poite reached for his pocket and Alexander was gone. His name will be added to a list of Wallabies props who have been cruelly exposed.
They do not call the set-piece a platform for nothing. From it, the Lions repeatedly launched their big ball carriers - Alun Wyn-Jones and Richard Hibbard were ubiquitous. Irishman Sean O'Brien soothed restless Irish fans angered by Brian O'Driscoll's absence with an immense shift, crashing into bodies. Dan Lydiate also did his work at the breakdown, and Toby Faletau completed the dominant back row. George Smith simply could not get into the game. An early sickening head clash did not help.
Then the Wallabies started to hint at a fightback. Shunning penalty goals, they eventually got James O'Connor into a dangerous area from a lineout. Dancing feet produced a try. It did not disguise the truth of the situation. His selection at No.10 has not worked.
In the second half, more pressure at the scrum. Alexander's replacement Sekope Kepu was acquainted with the grim feeling of moving backwards. The Wallabies talked about running the Lions off their legs, but their own were being sapped.
Corbisiero was heroic, in and out of the dark places, offering himself as a ball carrier and keeping the door shut around the fringes as much as you can against a player such as Genia. And when Robinson knocked on close to the line, it was Corbisiero who was on hand to help clear the lines. At that stage, the Lions led by 13 after Jonny Sexton's well-constructed try. George North's five-pointer came a few minutes later. It was beginning to resemble a slaughter; and that was confirmed when Jamie Roberts powered through a huge gap to lift the scoreboard to the 41-mark. Hats off to the tourists. They leave with significant respect earned by a mixture of power and skill in the big moments.
There is another truism in this industry that does not change. Coaches that do not win enough games - or the significant games - get the call that they do not want but eventually expect. Big decisions, then, lie ahead for Australian rugby.
Tourists rely on old-fashioned pride, power and technique to maul hosts
These Lions tours are based on tradition, values that hark back to another era. So it was apt that on Saturday night when the Wallabies were soundly beaten, old values were at the heart of it. Pure power, matched with technique at the scrum, and a huge appetite for the collision. The better team won because it was more closely connected with the game's unchanging principles.
It started with a calamity. The Lions kicked deep right and the Wallabies were caught asleep.
Will Genia looked at Kane Douglas and the second-rower looked back. In between the indecision, a ball was falling to the ground. Genia lurched forwards but it was too late. A knock-on, a scrum, and a Lions try.
Advertisement<iframe id="dcAd-1-4" src="http://ad-apac.doubleclick.net/adi/...icle;pos=3;sz=300x250;tile=4;ord=6.5015994E7?" width='300' height='250' scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"> </iframe>
It was the start of a horrible trend. Almost immediately, referee Romain Poite was being instructed by assistant referee Craig Joubert to keep an eye on the side of Ben Alexander. The English prop Alex Corbisiero, who Alexander did not have to face at Twickenham last year, was bringing all manner of misery to the Brumbies man. Not that the problems were restricted to that side. Benn Robinson didn't escape the referee's whistle either.
Poite's tone became almost pleading with Wallabies captain James Horwill as the penalties mounted. The message was: you are leaving me no choice, a yellow card is coming.
Lions scrum coach Graham Rowntree said beforehand he trusted the Frenchman would reward the dominant scrum. It was prophetic. Poite reached for his pocket and Alexander was gone. His name will be added to a list of Wallabies props who have been cruelly exposed.
They do not call the set-piece a platform for nothing. From it, the Lions repeatedly launched their big ball carriers - Alun Wyn-Jones and Richard Hibbard were ubiquitous. Irishman Sean O'Brien soothed restless Irish fans angered by Brian O'Driscoll's absence with an immense shift, crashing into bodies. Dan Lydiate also did his work at the breakdown, and Toby Faletau completed the dominant back row. George Smith simply could not get into the game. An early sickening head clash did not help.
Then the Wallabies started to hint at a fightback. Shunning penalty goals, they eventually got James O'Connor into a dangerous area from a lineout. Dancing feet produced a try. It did not disguise the truth of the situation. His selection at No.10 has not worked.
In the second half, more pressure at the scrum. Alexander's replacement Sekope Kepu was acquainted with the grim feeling of moving backwards. The Wallabies talked about running the Lions off their legs, but their own were being sapped.
Corbisiero was heroic, in and out of the dark places, offering himself as a ball carrier and keeping the door shut around the fringes as much as you can against a player such as Genia. And when Robinson knocked on close to the line, it was Corbisiero who was on hand to help clear the lines. At that stage, the Lions led by 13 after Jonny Sexton's well-constructed try. George North's five-pointer came a few minutes later. It was beginning to resemble a slaughter; and that was confirmed when Jamie Roberts powered through a huge gap to lift the scoreboard to the 41-mark. Hats off to the tourists. They leave with significant respect earned by a mixture of power and skill in the big moments.
There is another truism in this industry that does not change. Coaches that do not win enough games - or the significant games - get the call that they do not want but eventually expect. Big decisions, then, lie ahead for Australian rugby.
New Zealand Herald:
Rugby: Lions dazzle in finale
By Wynne Gray in Sydney
Australia 16
Lions 41
Sydney went scarlet last night as the Lions and their supporters swamped the harbourside city. The Lions erased 16 years of touring torment to take the series from the Wallabies with last week's tormented soul, Leigh Halfpenny, the points scoring hero for the tourists.
His metronomic goal kicking and incisive bursts from fullback delivered all sorts of late problems as the Lions scythed and bludgeoned their way to a 41-16 victory.
Victory vindicated coach Warren Gatland's decision to flood the side with Welshmen and omit elder statesman Brian O'Driscoll for their final tilt at glory.
The Lions began strongly, were dragged back to a slim three point lead before bursting clear with three tries in the last 25 minutes.
`Warrenball', the Welshcentric style which had been so effective for the Six Nations champions was a triumphant template for this final inquisition as the Lions management and players gathered on the touchline in jubilant celebration for the final few minutes.
Glory or distress, the emotions were explicit, there was no middle ground for this decider in 80 minutes of frothing tribal conflict in Sydney's western suburbs.
The opening survey was to assess team tactics. Had the Lions moved away from the type of narrow bludgeoning power they used to try and break the Wallabies in Brisbane and Melbourne? Would the Wallaby pack stay with the revamped visiting unit and was the backline in any more unison than they had been in the previous contests?
The 83,702 crowd was left to ponder whether much rugby would break out after the errors and limited construction in their two previous meetings.
The answer was immediate and encouraging. Will Genia dropped the kick-off and the Lions' prop Alex Corbisiero ploughed across after phase play from the scrum. As jubilation engulfed the visitors, the clock showed just 78 seconds. That shock start got worse for the Wallabies when veteran flanker George Smith was knocked out in a fearful fourth minute collision with Richard Hibbard.
Smith wobbled off after the Wallabies had kicked for touch rather than goal. That decision backfired badly although Smith, surprisingly, returned five minutes later.
In his absence, Halfpenny and Christian Leali'ifano kicked penalties before Halfpenny nailed several more as the Wallaby scrum wobbled and incurred referee Romaine Poite's regular wrath.
By the opening quarter, the Lions were 16-3 ahead and in total dominance as the Wallabies wavered between adventure and regrouping. Their scrum dramas threatened to derail them as Ben Alexander was sinbinned for dropping his tighhead side.
Nothing more, surely, could happen to the hosts. They were under the hammer from a Lions side which had not had to play too much rugby but the test was sliding out of the Wallabies grasp and they were a man down. Soon they lost another. Wing Israel Folau tweaked his hamstring and was replaced after 26 minutes leaving the Wallabies with Nick Phipps as their solitary back replacement.
Spectators had starting hitting ANZ Stadium and the warm social notes four hours before kick-off as bands played in the bars which circle the exterior of the sports arena in Sydney's west. Trains rolled out of Central Station with rival supporters in full voice, chiding and amusing each other with their songs, ditties and taunts. It was the lengthy preface to the main act.
Lions goalkickers Halfpenny and Owen Farrell went through their training routines an hour before kick-off as Genia worked on his box kicks and Stephen Moore went through his lineout throwing drills on the other side of the field.
For all that attention, the Wallabies were not able to play much rugby until late in the half. It came from an unlikely source_their scrum. When Alexander's time was up in the bin, Sekope Kepu came on and seemed to keep his tighthead side more intact. With seconds left until the break, the Wallabies scrummed down 10m from the Lions line and had to win the ball.
It went out to James O'Connor and this time he let his nifty feet do the talking as he swirled past Jonathan Sexton, Sean O'Brien and Mike Phillips to score.
Some of the first half darkness had lifted. Leali'ifano's conversion left the Wallabies only nine points adrift and asking questions of the Lions' stamina and conviction.
Their lead was cut again by two penalties from the ice-cool Leali'ifano soon after the break as the Lions infringed at ruck, maul and breakdown.
Their redress came once again through their scrum which bunted the Wallabies back and allowed Halfpenny to claim his sixth penalty before Sexton tried a little bit of adventure, chipping out of his 22. It nearly worked but Sexton was in for the Lions second try when Jonathan Davies, a controversial pick ahead of Brian O'Driscoll, edged into a gap and offloaded perfectly, after a TMO check, to the Irish five eighths.
As the final quarter began, the Wallabies needed two converted tries to claim the series. That deficit might have clouded their judgment when they tapped a penalty from 5m and the Lions cleared.
Halfpenny made them pay even more. He gassed them, made a break and offloaded for North to score before massive centre Jamie Roberts completed the try-scoring avalance and the victory.
Rugby: Lions dazzle in finale
By Wynne Gray in Sydney
Australia 16
Lions 41
Sydney went scarlet last night as the Lions and their supporters swamped the harbourside city. The Lions erased 16 years of touring torment to take the series from the Wallabies with last week's tormented soul, Leigh Halfpenny, the points scoring hero for the tourists.
His metronomic goal kicking and incisive bursts from fullback delivered all sorts of late problems as the Lions scythed and bludgeoned their way to a 41-16 victory.
Victory vindicated coach Warren Gatland's decision to flood the side with Welshmen and omit elder statesman Brian O'Driscoll for their final tilt at glory.
The Lions began strongly, were dragged back to a slim three point lead before bursting clear with three tries in the last 25 minutes.
`Warrenball', the Welshcentric style which had been so effective for the Six Nations champions was a triumphant template for this final inquisition as the Lions management and players gathered on the touchline in jubilant celebration for the final few minutes.
Glory or distress, the emotions were explicit, there was no middle ground for this decider in 80 minutes of frothing tribal conflict in Sydney's western suburbs.
The opening survey was to assess team tactics. Had the Lions moved away from the type of narrow bludgeoning power they used to try and break the Wallabies in Brisbane and Melbourne? Would the Wallaby pack stay with the revamped visiting unit and was the backline in any more unison than they had been in the previous contests?
The 83,702 crowd was left to ponder whether much rugby would break out after the errors and limited construction in their two previous meetings.
The answer was immediate and encouraging. Will Genia dropped the kick-off and the Lions' prop Alex Corbisiero ploughed across after phase play from the scrum. As jubilation engulfed the visitors, the clock showed just 78 seconds. That shock start got worse for the Wallabies when veteran flanker George Smith was knocked out in a fearful fourth minute collision with Richard Hibbard.
Smith wobbled off after the Wallabies had kicked for touch rather than goal. That decision backfired badly although Smith, surprisingly, returned five minutes later.
In his absence, Halfpenny and Christian Leali'ifano kicked penalties before Halfpenny nailed several more as the Wallaby scrum wobbled and incurred referee Romaine Poite's regular wrath.
By the opening quarter, the Lions were 16-3 ahead and in total dominance as the Wallabies wavered between adventure and regrouping. Their scrum dramas threatened to derail them as Ben Alexander was sinbinned for dropping his tighhead side.
Nothing more, surely, could happen to the hosts. They were under the hammer from a Lions side which had not had to play too much rugby but the test was sliding out of the Wallabies grasp and they were a man down. Soon they lost another. Wing Israel Folau tweaked his hamstring and was replaced after 26 minutes leaving the Wallabies with Nick Phipps as their solitary back replacement.
Spectators had starting hitting ANZ Stadium and the warm social notes four hours before kick-off as bands played in the bars which circle the exterior of the sports arena in Sydney's west. Trains rolled out of Central Station with rival supporters in full voice, chiding and amusing each other with their songs, ditties and taunts. It was the lengthy preface to the main act.
Lions goalkickers Halfpenny and Owen Farrell went through their training routines an hour before kick-off as Genia worked on his box kicks and Stephen Moore went through his lineout throwing drills on the other side of the field.
For all that attention, the Wallabies were not able to play much rugby until late in the half. It came from an unlikely source_their scrum. When Alexander's time was up in the bin, Sekope Kepu came on and seemed to keep his tighthead side more intact. With seconds left until the break, the Wallabies scrummed down 10m from the Lions line and had to win the ball.
It went out to James O'Connor and this time he let his nifty feet do the talking as he swirled past Jonathan Sexton, Sean O'Brien and Mike Phillips to score.
Some of the first half darkness had lifted. Leali'ifano's conversion left the Wallabies only nine points adrift and asking questions of the Lions' stamina and conviction.
Their lead was cut again by two penalties from the ice-cool Leali'ifano soon after the break as the Lions infringed at ruck, maul and breakdown.
Their redress came once again through their scrum which bunted the Wallabies back and allowed Halfpenny to claim his sixth penalty before Sexton tried a little bit of adventure, chipping out of his 22. It nearly worked but Sexton was in for the Lions second try when Jonathan Davies, a controversial pick ahead of Brian O'Driscoll, edged into a gap and offloaded perfectly, after a TMO check, to the Irish five eighths.
As the final quarter began, the Wallabies needed two converted tries to claim the series. That deficit might have clouded their judgment when they tapped a penalty from 5m and the Lions cleared.
Halfpenny made them pay even more. He gassed them, made a break and offloaded for North to score before massive centre Jamie Roberts completed the try-scoring avalance and the victory.
Well done to the Lions. Glad the Aussies didn't win as I'd have to listen to bleating in work for 6 months about how great they are when, really, they're decidedly mediocre.
The talk here during the week was that Deans was getting sacked win, lose or draw. Hopefully, that will happen soon. Had he picked the right team, they still could have won this. They have been fairly unlucky with injuries in this series, so have the Lions, but the Aussies have nothing like the same pool to pick from. Ewen McKenzie will get the job now and they'll improve straight away.
All in all, a decent test series, enjoyed it. And the better team won.
The talk here during the week was that Deans was getting sacked win, lose or draw. Hopefully, that will happen soon. Had he picked the right team, they still could have won this. They have been fairly unlucky with injuries in this series, so have the Lions, but the Aussies have nothing like the same pool to pick from. Ewen McKenzie will get the job now and they'll improve straight away.
All in all, a decent test series, enjoyed it. And the better team won.
Lions 2013: players and coaches will never forget this moment, says Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan
Absolutely magnificent. What a tremendous occasion. And what an incredible performance from the British and Irish Lions. Not only did they win this final, deciding Test in Sydney, but they won it with style. It really was a privilege to be here to witness it.
Happy memories: the 2013 Lions celebrate winning the final test against Australia Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Sir Ian McGeechan
6:33PM BST 06 Jul 2013
28 Comments
It was a performance that I think will have much wider implications. For a start I think it will mean that the Lions have huge respect and credibility around the rugby world. We got so close four years ago in South Africa, losing the series 2-1 having played some great rugby, but in the end it is the winning that is so important.
That is what this group of British and Irish Lions has done, and it means that the Lions are in a very strong position going forward. We have got some problems to sort out in our backyard before the tour of New Zealand in four years’ time, but this win will now strengthen the Lions concept massively.
I don’t like using the word ‘brand’, as many people do about the Lions. I would rather describe it as just a fantastic rugby journey that you go on with the Lions – whether you are a player, a coach or a member of the public. And this journey was one of the best.
Even Australia, while naturally disappointed at the series loss, are over the moon about the success of the tour, in terms of what it has brought to rugby union over here. It has revitalised the game in the country.
What we have now got to do in terms of the Lions is get ourselves in the best possible condition for what is going to be a huge challenge in going to New Zealand. The responsibility for that lies with the four home countries and their administrators, as well as those in New Zealand.
As for the game itself, the Lions had to win it twice really. They were 19-3 up after 25 minutes and it seemed as if it was all over. The forwards were superb, especially the scrummaging, and they set the platform to ensure that after an excellent early score from Alex Corbisiero, the Wallabies were really on the back foot and Leigh Halfpenny’s boot made no mistake in getting us to that 19-3 lead.
But the Australians never lack for tenacity in those situations and they managed to pull it back to 19‑16. In fact, they came back so strongly that you were left thinking: ‘Crikey, have we lost all the momentum here?’
But it was then that the Lions’ backs really stepped up. That 20‑minute period when the score went from 19‑16 to 34‑16 was a spell when the Lions played some quite superb rugby. We won the game because we got hold of it in that time. And we played some attractive, flowing rugby. That reflects very well on us in the eyes of the southern hemisphere.
And what about Warren Gatland’s selections? Everyone was questioning whether Brian O’Driscoll should have played, including me. But Warren knows the players and, as I said before the game, that’s the thing about selection as Lions head coach – everything you do is about making Lions decisions to win a Test series. That is what Warren did and you cannot be any more vindicated than he was here. And it was not just because of the win, but because of the quality of it, too.
I thought Alun Wyn Jones led superbly by example. And I also thought Sean O’Brien, for an hour, was quite incredible. The back row as a unit really worked well together, with O’Brien and Toby Faletau carrying so effectively. So it meant that we got on the front foot at the scrum and line out, ensuring that those guys carrying the ball really could then make some big inroads. It also meant we could dictate the tempo and force Australia to concede ground, something we had not been able to do consistently in the first two Tests.
When we did get hold of the ball our backs actually looked a far better division than Australia’s. The tries scored were of a very high quality. To do that in Australia, where their back play is always seen as being such a strength, is a fantastic statement for the players and coaches to make. It was not all about brute strength.
How will Warren feel now? It will take a while to sink in, I think. You enjoy the night and the moment. But I think there will be a greater feeling of relief than anything; relief that they have completed the job.
I think Gats and the other coaches have done a fantastic job on this tour. And we should not forget the support staff. That is important. Lions tours are not just about the Test teams. Lions environments are reflected by the midweek teams and the dedication of the support staff. That has been hugely demonstrated on this trip.
In a week’s time it will sink in. In a month’s time people will still be talking about it, and you might go to other countries or get emails from other countries, and it will be then that it starts to hit you how big an impact you have had over four countries. It is nice to think that you go to these places later and you get a genuine welcome to be there. That’s what winning with the Lions does.
I will leave Australia with the memories of what it meant here. I will think of James Horwill in tears after they had won the second Test. It just shows the strength of the Lions. I know I am biased but it is that special rarity value.
We are not back in Australia for another 12 years. But hopefully we have made an impression that will last that time. We have now got a real opportunity to have a competitive series against New Zealand but, as I said, that is a responsibility that everyone must share.
Absolutely magnificent. What a tremendous occasion. And what an incredible performance from the British and Irish Lions. Not only did they win this final, deciding Test in Sydney, but they won it with style. It really was a privilege to be here to witness it.
Happy memories: the 2013 Lions celebrate winning the final test against Australia Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Sir Ian McGeechan
6:33PM BST 06 Jul 2013
It was a performance that I think will have much wider implications. For a start I think it will mean that the Lions have huge respect and credibility around the rugby world. We got so close four years ago in South Africa, losing the series 2-1 having played some great rugby, but in the end it is the winning that is so important.
That is what this group of British and Irish Lions has done, and it means that the Lions are in a very strong position going forward. We have got some problems to sort out in our backyard before the tour of New Zealand in four years’ time, but this win will now strengthen the Lions concept massively.
I don’t like using the word ‘brand’, as many people do about the Lions. I would rather describe it as just a fantastic rugby journey that you go on with the Lions – whether you are a player, a coach or a member of the public. And this journey was one of the best.
Even Australia, while naturally disappointed at the series loss, are over the moon about the success of the tour, in terms of what it has brought to rugby union over here. It has revitalised the game in the country.
What we have now got to do in terms of the Lions is get ourselves in the best possible condition for what is going to be a huge challenge in going to New Zealand. The responsibility for that lies with the four home countries and their administrators, as well as those in New Zealand.
As for the game itself, the Lions had to win it twice really. They were 19-3 up after 25 minutes and it seemed as if it was all over. The forwards were superb, especially the scrummaging, and they set the platform to ensure that after an excellent early score from Alex Corbisiero, the Wallabies were really on the back foot and Leigh Halfpenny’s boot made no mistake in getting us to that 19-3 lead.
But the Australians never lack for tenacity in those situations and they managed to pull it back to 19‑16. In fact, they came back so strongly that you were left thinking: ‘Crikey, have we lost all the momentum here?’
But it was then that the Lions’ backs really stepped up. That 20‑minute period when the score went from 19‑16 to 34‑16 was a spell when the Lions played some quite superb rugby. We won the game because we got hold of it in that time. And we played some attractive, flowing rugby. That reflects very well on us in the eyes of the southern hemisphere.
And what about Warren Gatland’s selections? Everyone was questioning whether Brian O’Driscoll should have played, including me. But Warren knows the players and, as I said before the game, that’s the thing about selection as Lions head coach – everything you do is about making Lions decisions to win a Test series. That is what Warren did and you cannot be any more vindicated than he was here. And it was not just because of the win, but because of the quality of it, too.
I thought Alun Wyn Jones led superbly by example. And I also thought Sean O’Brien, for an hour, was quite incredible. The back row as a unit really worked well together, with O’Brien and Toby Faletau carrying so effectively. So it meant that we got on the front foot at the scrum and line out, ensuring that those guys carrying the ball really could then make some big inroads. It also meant we could dictate the tempo and force Australia to concede ground, something we had not been able to do consistently in the first two Tests.
When we did get hold of the ball our backs actually looked a far better division than Australia’s. The tries scored were of a very high quality. To do that in Australia, where their back play is always seen as being such a strength, is a fantastic statement for the players and coaches to make. It was not all about brute strength.
How will Warren feel now? It will take a while to sink in, I think. You enjoy the night and the moment. But I think there will be a greater feeling of relief than anything; relief that they have completed the job.
I think Gats and the other coaches have done a fantastic job on this tour. And we should not forget the support staff. That is important. Lions tours are not just about the Test teams. Lions environments are reflected by the midweek teams and the dedication of the support staff. That has been hugely demonstrated on this trip.
In a week’s time it will sink in. In a month’s time people will still be talking about it, and you might go to other countries or get emails from other countries, and it will be then that it starts to hit you how big an impact you have had over four countries. It is nice to think that you go to these places later and you get a genuine welcome to be there. That’s what winning with the Lions does.
I will leave Australia with the memories of what it meant here. I will think of James Horwill in tears after they had won the second Test. It just shows the strength of the Lions. I know I am biased but it is that special rarity value.
We are not back in Australia for another 12 years. But hopefully we have made an impression that will last that time. We have now got a real opportunity to have a competitive series against New Zealand but, as I said, that is a responsibility that everyone must share.
Lions 2013: Warren Gatland and his team have proved more than worthy of their place in rugby history
All hail the history makers then. Not only have the British and Irish Lions won their Test series in Australia, but they have done so with one of the great Lions performances.
Giant among men: Warren Gatland has sealed his place in coaching history Photo: PA
By Steve James
7:54PM BST 06 Jul 2013
14 Comments
To think that there were many still questioning the very concept of the British and Irish Lions right up until the first whistle in Sydney yesterday. Sadly, they were mostly the same fools drowning in the parochial myopia that coach Warren Gatland had botched his selection by favouring too many Welshmen.
Well, the Lions are alive and well, and so too is Gatland. His reputation is not just enhanced, it is sublime. He dropped an icon in Brian O’Driscoll, but in doing so he was just trying to discover an iconic team. He rather did that.
That the fuss over O’Driscoll descended into rabid anti-Welsh rhetoric was unseemly and nonsensical. Gatland does not do bias. He is one of modern-day rugby’s most perspicacious selectors. Take just this one example that was so important today. No one else had even thought of converting Jamie Roberts from a fullback/wing to an inside centre when Gatland threw Roberts into that position against South Africa in Pretoria in 2008. He knew then what he wanted from his centres. He knew today, too.
But please now can we now expunge from the Lions lexicon the word ‘anachronism’ that annoyingly appears before every tour. It is grossly unfair that, seemingly, the Lions have to fight for their very existence in every match. Yes, matters such as domestic scheduling need to be reconsidered in order to give the squad the best possible preparation period but, in this hour of triumph, even they seem piffling.
In that respect, the remarkable travelling support has told its own tale of relevance, but, while the last (losing) tourists to South Africa in 2009 restored on-field credibility after the calamity of the 2005 New Zealand whitewash, this group of 2013 have now without quibble firmly established the brand in the professional era. The Lions work, and they will work.
That said, the arduousness of his task should never be underestimated. The fiendishly difficult process of melding players from four nations and playing away from home against high-quality opposition makes it the toughest of propositions.
As Martin Johnson, the captain of the 1997 Lions, has said: “There is no other team like it.” But that also means that there is no other challenge like it. Gatland and his team rose to that challenge.
With huge courage, he stuck to his principles and methods. Those carping about his style of play were forgetting that everyone knew what was to come when he was selected as head coach. He has been successful with Wasps, Waikato and Wales thanks to his adherence to the tenets of set-piece dominance, gain-line physicality and a kicking game that is both powerful and shrewd. When executed with accuracy it is mighty hard to stop, and, as happened today, once the superiority has been claimed, it can lead to some thrilling back play later. The right to go wide earned, and all that.
Plans were not always executed with accuracy in the first two Tests. That is why Gatland made changes for this one. He selected players whom he considered more capable of effecting his ideals. Vindication was served red-clad and steaming.
This is the first series victory since South Africa were conquered by Johnson’s team in 1997, and only the third series win in 10 previous tours. That tells you everything about this momentous achievement. Of course, it will be mentioned that Australia is the easiest tour. And it is – the Lions have only actually lost one series there, in 2001 – but that does not make it easy.
Rugby immortality now awaits this group. As Wales centre Scott Gibbs said after 1997: “To have the term, Lions series winner, can help define your career and change your life. It is something to be proud of when you join an elite group of people who have managed to do that.”
Indeed it is. This class will discover that, and rightly so. The captains, Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones, join an illustrious roll call fellow Welshman John Dawes – skipper of the 1971 win in New Zealand (when the four-Test series was won 2-1, with the last match drawn), Willie-John McBride – leader of the 1974 success in South Africa (a 3-0 win with, again, the last Test drawn), Scottish flanker Finlay Calder (who captained in 1989), and Johnson himself.
The celebrations will be raucous and lengthy. When the Lions won the series in Durban in 1997, Neil Back, Tom Smith and a few others were not content with the extensive revelries afterwards. Returning to their seafront hotel, they took their duvets and a few crates of beer down to the beach. Unsurprisingly when they awoke the next morning, there were no duvets and no beer. But there was a Lions series win to savour. As, joyously, there is again.
The men who made the Lions roar
Adam Jones
The scrummage remains a mystery to many, but not to Jones, whose mastery of the art saw off England for Wales in the Six Nations and now Australia for the Lions.
Alex Corbisiero
It might have been done in Melbourne had he been there. Mako Vunipola was not as bad as some said, but he was not as punishing as Corbisiero was here.
Leigh Halfpenny
Apparently he could do everything except counter attack. Well, it looked like a counter attack for George North’s try today. Player of the series by miles.
Alun Wyn Jones
The hothead has matured. Led from the front in Sydney’s ANZ Stadium today with a display of raging intensity, as well as some delightful offloads.
Sam Warburton
It was still his tour and, had the inspirational flanker lasted 10 more minutes after a monumental display in Melbourne, it might have been over then.
All hail the history makers then. Not only have the British and Irish Lions won their Test series in Australia, but they have done so with one of the great Lions performances.
Giant among men: Warren Gatland has sealed his place in coaching history Photo: PA
By Steve James
7:54PM BST 06 Jul 2013
To think that there were many still questioning the very concept of the British and Irish Lions right up until the first whistle in Sydney yesterday. Sadly, they were mostly the same fools drowning in the parochial myopia that coach Warren Gatland had botched his selection by favouring too many Welshmen.
Well, the Lions are alive and well, and so too is Gatland. His reputation is not just enhanced, it is sublime. He dropped an icon in Brian O’Driscoll, but in doing so he was just trying to discover an iconic team. He rather did that.
That the fuss over O’Driscoll descended into rabid anti-Welsh rhetoric was unseemly and nonsensical. Gatland does not do bias. He is one of modern-day rugby’s most perspicacious selectors. Take just this one example that was so important today. No one else had even thought of converting Jamie Roberts from a fullback/wing to an inside centre when Gatland threw Roberts into that position against South Africa in Pretoria in 2008. He knew then what he wanted from his centres. He knew today, too.
But please now can we now expunge from the Lions lexicon the word ‘anachronism’ that annoyingly appears before every tour. It is grossly unfair that, seemingly, the Lions have to fight for their very existence in every match. Yes, matters such as domestic scheduling need to be reconsidered in order to give the squad the best possible preparation period but, in this hour of triumph, even they seem piffling.
In that respect, the remarkable travelling support has told its own tale of relevance, but, while the last (losing) tourists to South Africa in 2009 restored on-field credibility after the calamity of the 2005 New Zealand whitewash, this group of 2013 have now without quibble firmly established the brand in the professional era. The Lions work, and they will work.
That said, the arduousness of his task should never be underestimated. The fiendishly difficult process of melding players from four nations and playing away from home against high-quality opposition makes it the toughest of propositions.
As Martin Johnson, the captain of the 1997 Lions, has said: “There is no other team like it.” But that also means that there is no other challenge like it. Gatland and his team rose to that challenge.
With huge courage, he stuck to his principles and methods. Those carping about his style of play were forgetting that everyone knew what was to come when he was selected as head coach. He has been successful with Wasps, Waikato and Wales thanks to his adherence to the tenets of set-piece dominance, gain-line physicality and a kicking game that is both powerful and shrewd. When executed with accuracy it is mighty hard to stop, and, as happened today, once the superiority has been claimed, it can lead to some thrilling back play later. The right to go wide earned, and all that.
Plans were not always executed with accuracy in the first two Tests. That is why Gatland made changes for this one. He selected players whom he considered more capable of effecting his ideals. Vindication was served red-clad and steaming.
This is the first series victory since South Africa were conquered by Johnson’s team in 1997, and only the third series win in 10 previous tours. That tells you everything about this momentous achievement. Of course, it will be mentioned that Australia is the easiest tour. And it is – the Lions have only actually lost one series there, in 2001 – but that does not make it easy.
Rugby immortality now awaits this group. As Wales centre Scott Gibbs said after 1997: “To have the term, Lions series winner, can help define your career and change your life. It is something to be proud of when you join an elite group of people who have managed to do that.”
Indeed it is. This class will discover that, and rightly so. The captains, Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones, join an illustrious roll call fellow Welshman John Dawes – skipper of the 1971 win in New Zealand (when the four-Test series was won 2-1, with the last match drawn), Willie-John McBride – leader of the 1974 success in South Africa (a 3-0 win with, again, the last Test drawn), Scottish flanker Finlay Calder (who captained in 1989), and Johnson himself.
The celebrations will be raucous and lengthy. When the Lions won the series in Durban in 1997, Neil Back, Tom Smith and a few others were not content with the extensive revelries afterwards. Returning to their seafront hotel, they took their duvets and a few crates of beer down to the beach. Unsurprisingly when they awoke the next morning, there were no duvets and no beer. But there was a Lions series win to savour. As, joyously, there is again.
The men who made the Lions roar
Adam Jones
The scrummage remains a mystery to many, but not to Jones, whose mastery of the art saw off England for Wales in the Six Nations and now Australia for the Lions.
Alex Corbisiero
It might have been done in Melbourne had he been there. Mako Vunipola was not as bad as some said, but he was not as punishing as Corbisiero was here.
Leigh Halfpenny
Apparently he could do everything except counter attack. Well, it looked like a counter attack for George North’s try today. Player of the series by miles.
Alun Wyn Jones
The hothead has matured. Led from the front in Sydney’s ANZ Stadium today with a display of raging intensity, as well as some delightful offloads.
Sam Warburton
It was still his tour and, had the inspirational flanker lasted 10 more minutes after a monumental display in Melbourne, it might have been over then.
Warren Gatland is a top coach and a winner – he is geared for success
The Lions' main man got the big decisions right in Australia and has few peers among coaches in the professional era
Leigh Halfpenny, centre, Jonathan Davies, left, and Jamie Roberts celebrate the Lions 2-1 series win in Australia.Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images
What a weekend for rugby in the four home unions. Australia thought they could run through the Lions' defence and found that the fluffier side of Super 15 rugby was no match the set-piece prowess of the Heineken Cup.
It was good to see a big game decided by the scrum and full credit to Romain Poite for allowing the Lions to exploit their superiority. There were no tit-for-tat penalties: he judged each scrum on its merits, insisting that the props stay straight and the Wallabies buckled under the pressure.
The Lions made the perfect start and quickly built up a big lead but that was no reason for Australia not to kick penalties, especially with Christian Leali'ifano in their side. It showed an arrogance and a disdain for the Lions' defence.
The tactics were crazy. They left 12 points on the field and although they scored a try at the end of the first half, they never looked like adding to it. I have noticed in the past that Australian teams can be disrespectful of European opponents, regarding their approach to the game as somewhat superior because they like to run the ball from everywhere but big matches are about tactics, not ideals.
Australia have come up too short too often tactically on the big occasion, such as the 2011 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand when they again conceded an early lead. I know they are in a country where other football codes enjoy greater popularity but there is nothing to be had in entertainment for entertainment's sake.
I could not see how Australia were going to win on Saturday and the victory is a huge boost for our game before the 2015 World Cup. The English and Welsh boys in the Lions' squad realise that the Wallabies are beatable and that group promises to be really special.
I knew that Warren Gatland would play a central role last week and you could see him take charge of the warm-up. He is someone who thrives on the big occasion, and all the calls he made in selection were bang on.
Jonathan Davies was outstanding in the centre, offering a different option with his left-footed kicking. People forget that he and Jamie Roberts have played together more than any other centre combination in Wales's history. He is an experienced player.
Alex Corbisiero made the difference I expected in the scrum and he was exceptional in the loose. Toby Faletau had to bide his time on this tour but what an impact he made and he came up with the defining play of the match.
Australia had fought back from 19-3 down to trail by six points. They were attacking in the Lions' 22 and had options either side. In steps Toby, snaffles the ball, Jonathan Sexton chips downfield for George North and Jonathan Davies to take play into their 22. Two minutes later, Leigh Halfpenny sends in Sexton and it is game over.
The Lions earned their right to play because they had such a firm grasp of the basics. It might have been different had Chris Pollock, the referee in the first Test, been in charge because he was not as hard on illegal scrummaging as Poite but the bottom line is that rugby union is about far more than just chucking the ball around.
Gats has added to his long list of successes and he is without doubt one of the top coaches of the professional era. I was part of the coaching team with him in South Africa four years ago and the first objective then was to restore pride after what had happened in New Zealand in 2005.
We ended up gallant losers then and I know that Gats measured the success of this tour in the way the series went. The Lions won two Tests, job done, and everyone involved can enjoy a well-deserved holiday.
I am looking forward to working with Warren again next season. He is committed to taking Wales to the next World Cup, after which he will make up his mind about the future. I see he has suggested he may consider retiring but I am not sure.
It is difficult for him with his family in New Zealand but there will be no shortage of demand for his services. A lot was said last week about him that was way over the mark because he had dropped a great player in Brian O'Driscoll. What was overlooked is that Gats is a winner. Everything he does is geared to success. His track record should have made his critics stop and think and now he has added another trophy to his long list. Brilliant
The Lions' main man got the big decisions right in Australia and has few peers among coaches in the professional era
- Shaun Edwards
- The Guardian,Sunday 7 July 2013 16.59 BST
Leigh Halfpenny, centre, Jonathan Davies, left, and Jamie Roberts celebrate the Lions 2-1 series win in Australia.Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images
What a weekend for rugby in the four home unions. Australia thought they could run through the Lions' defence and found that the fluffier side of Super 15 rugby was no match the set-piece prowess of the Heineken Cup.
It was good to see a big game decided by the scrum and full credit to Romain Poite for allowing the Lions to exploit their superiority. There were no tit-for-tat penalties: he judged each scrum on its merits, insisting that the props stay straight and the Wallabies buckled under the pressure.
The Lions made the perfect start and quickly built up a big lead but that was no reason for Australia not to kick penalties, especially with Christian Leali'ifano in their side. It showed an arrogance and a disdain for the Lions' defence.
The tactics were crazy. They left 12 points on the field and although they scored a try at the end of the first half, they never looked like adding to it. I have noticed in the past that Australian teams can be disrespectful of European opponents, regarding their approach to the game as somewhat superior because they like to run the ball from everywhere but big matches are about tactics, not ideals.
Australia have come up too short too often tactically on the big occasion, such as the 2011 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand when they again conceded an early lead. I know they are in a country where other football codes enjoy greater popularity but there is nothing to be had in entertainment for entertainment's sake.
I could not see how Australia were going to win on Saturday and the victory is a huge boost for our game before the 2015 World Cup. The English and Welsh boys in the Lions' squad realise that the Wallabies are beatable and that group promises to be really special.
I knew that Warren Gatland would play a central role last week and you could see him take charge of the warm-up. He is someone who thrives on the big occasion, and all the calls he made in selection were bang on.
Jonathan Davies was outstanding in the centre, offering a different option with his left-footed kicking. People forget that he and Jamie Roberts have played together more than any other centre combination in Wales's history. He is an experienced player.
Alex Corbisiero made the difference I expected in the scrum and he was exceptional in the loose. Toby Faletau had to bide his time on this tour but what an impact he made and he came up with the defining play of the match.
Australia had fought back from 19-3 down to trail by six points. They were attacking in the Lions' 22 and had options either side. In steps Toby, snaffles the ball, Jonathan Sexton chips downfield for George North and Jonathan Davies to take play into their 22. Two minutes later, Leigh Halfpenny sends in Sexton and it is game over.
The Lions earned their right to play because they had such a firm grasp of the basics. It might have been different had Chris Pollock, the referee in the first Test, been in charge because he was not as hard on illegal scrummaging as Poite but the bottom line is that rugby union is about far more than just chucking the ball around.
Gats has added to his long list of successes and he is without doubt one of the top coaches of the professional era. I was part of the coaching team with him in South Africa four years ago and the first objective then was to restore pride after what had happened in New Zealand in 2005.
We ended up gallant losers then and I know that Gats measured the success of this tour in the way the series went. The Lions won two Tests, job done, and everyone involved can enjoy a well-deserved holiday.
I am looking forward to working with Warren again next season. He is committed to taking Wales to the next World Cup, after which he will make up his mind about the future. I see he has suggested he may consider retiring but I am not sure.
It is difficult for him with his family in New Zealand but there will be no shortage of demand for his services. A lot was said last week about him that was way over the mark because he had dropped a great player in Brian O'Driscoll. What was overlooked is that Gats is a winner. Everything he does is geared to success. His track record should have made his critics stop and think and now he has added another trophy to his long list. Brilliant
How Warren Gatland turned a Lions travesty into a triumph
Only a victory could save the Lions coach from opprobrium after the O'Driscoll furore – and his changes delivered spectacularly
Warren Gatland, the exultant Lions coach, heads down the tunnel after his team's series-clinching victory against the Wallabies. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty
The absolute certainty that this would go down to the last kick was shattered even before the third quarter was finished. Perhaps it was the involvement of Jonathan Davies in the build-up to the try by Jonathan Sexton that brought the whole series to its head before the appointed 80th minute. Never before had a touring tenet – that once the Lions are under way nationality gives way to the common cause – been so sorely tested as it was with the dropping of Brian O'Driscoll.
Warren Gatland, the Lions coach and final selector, had made his choice, selecting one of his current Welshmen, Davies, ahead of O'Driscoll, and most of the Ireland that Gatland left in acrimonious circumstances in 2001 seemed ready to bring him to book for the heresy. There was more pre-match pressure on the New Zealander, since most of the pundits, who put memories ahead of form, agreed with the slighted Irish that this was a travesty.
Only a victory could possibly save the coach. And since Australia had the momentum going into this decider, Gatland, the old hooker, had most certainly shot himself in the foot, a singularly stupid thing to do because he was already hobbling around on a pair of broken heels, courtesy of falling off a ladder. Now he was about to fall off a cliff.
And the drop was going to be even more painful because this was a double-dip decider. Australia had closed a remarkable 19-3 deficit, thanks to a Lions supremacy at the scrummage that had nothing to do with any centres of any nationality, to three points, and the momentum was with them again. In six minutes they had turned the game on its head, James O'Connor, the non-fly-half proving he might yet be one, with a try on the stroke of half-time, and Christian Leali'ifano, as accurate as Leigh Halfpenny, kicking his last pair of penalties at the start of the second period.
The Lions coach rang his changes. Off went Adam Jones, he of the scrummage. Off went Mike Phillips, slow of pass but the very symbol of the Lions' confrontational attitude. The die was cast. And through went the Lions, after a ruck set up by Dan Lydiate, the move blossoming in the hands of Davies and finished by Leigh Halfpenny and Sexton. The original selections and now the replacements had been made and everything had turned out sweetly. Davies had delivered and Gatland had triumphed.
The last quarter served now only to tie up the loose ends, not bring the series to its rousing conclusion. Will Genia, who had outplayed Phillips in the first Test, and who had seen his opposite number give way to the admirable Conor Murray in this third one, went from being the most dangerous player on the field to a scrum-half departing with head bowed. It was his kick that allowed Halfpenny to launch a counterattack, and it was his missed tackle that allowed the full-back to turn a half-break into a whole one and release George North. When Jamie Roberts surged through for the final try it was Genia who again missed with the tackle.
Delivery for that fourth and final try came from Toby Faletau, here a starter for the first time. If there was a decision in selection that had more impact than the removal of the once truly majestic O'Driscoll, now unable at 34 to rediscover his days of yore, it was the replacement of Jamie Heaslip with Faletau.
The No8 gave a colossal performance, strong on the ball, secure at the lineout and destructive in the tackle. He says very little but delivers a great deal. He is not flash but offers himself selflessly for the team. His inclusion was all-important. And since Heaslip had done nothing wrong, it was possibly the more contentious of the decisions to replace another Irishman with another Welshman.
That mention of the nationalities, of course, threatens to expose once again the sanctity of the togetherness. It may therefore be worth restoring the balance by mentioning a few more. Of such contradictions are Lions tours made. Alex Corbisiero had a devastatingly positive impact on the tour, arriving as a replacement for two front-rows that had been chosen ahead of him, Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins. Corbisiero fitted seamlessly into the system (called Warrenball) that demanded superiority up front. When the loosehead played, the Lions dominated. It can be a game of unencumbered simplicity for a prop.
There was also the intervention by Geoff Parling, a tap-tackle that brought down Jesse Mogg. Parling was not a first-choice selection, either, but played a full part in making this showdown a glorious anticlimax. Even Scotland, from whom was wrung in the pre-match O'Driscoll furore a regret that not more of their number had been called on to play a part, had an input with the arrival in the closing minutes of Richie Gray.
Everybody deserved a mention. The Welsh, providing 10 of the starting XV, merit perhaps a particular mention, especially in the light of their travails against these same Wallabies in the past 18 months. On the other hand, perhaps none of them should be singled out, no player from any one country.
To win the Lions had to play together as never before. And in that regard the tenet of submission to the common good was respected, from start to finish, by one and all.
Only a victory could save the Lions coach from opprobrium after the O'Driscoll furore – and his changes delivered spectacularly
- Eddie Butler
- The Observer,Saturday 6 July 2013 15.58 BST
Warren Gatland, the exultant Lions coach, heads down the tunnel after his team's series-clinching victory against the Wallabies. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty
The absolute certainty that this would go down to the last kick was shattered even before the third quarter was finished. Perhaps it was the involvement of Jonathan Davies in the build-up to the try by Jonathan Sexton that brought the whole series to its head before the appointed 80th minute. Never before had a touring tenet – that once the Lions are under way nationality gives way to the common cause – been so sorely tested as it was with the dropping of Brian O'Driscoll.
Warren Gatland, the Lions coach and final selector, had made his choice, selecting one of his current Welshmen, Davies, ahead of O'Driscoll, and most of the Ireland that Gatland left in acrimonious circumstances in 2001 seemed ready to bring him to book for the heresy. There was more pre-match pressure on the New Zealander, since most of the pundits, who put memories ahead of form, agreed with the slighted Irish that this was a travesty.
Only a victory could possibly save the coach. And since Australia had the momentum going into this decider, Gatland, the old hooker, had most certainly shot himself in the foot, a singularly stupid thing to do because he was already hobbling around on a pair of broken heels, courtesy of falling off a ladder. Now he was about to fall off a cliff.
And the drop was going to be even more painful because this was a double-dip decider. Australia had closed a remarkable 19-3 deficit, thanks to a Lions supremacy at the scrummage that had nothing to do with any centres of any nationality, to three points, and the momentum was with them again. In six minutes they had turned the game on its head, James O'Connor, the non-fly-half proving he might yet be one, with a try on the stroke of half-time, and Christian Leali'ifano, as accurate as Leigh Halfpenny, kicking his last pair of penalties at the start of the second period.
The Lions coach rang his changes. Off went Adam Jones, he of the scrummage. Off went Mike Phillips, slow of pass but the very symbol of the Lions' confrontational attitude. The die was cast. And through went the Lions, after a ruck set up by Dan Lydiate, the move blossoming in the hands of Davies and finished by Leigh Halfpenny and Sexton. The original selections and now the replacements had been made and everything had turned out sweetly. Davies had delivered and Gatland had triumphed.
The last quarter served now only to tie up the loose ends, not bring the series to its rousing conclusion. Will Genia, who had outplayed Phillips in the first Test, and who had seen his opposite number give way to the admirable Conor Murray in this third one, went from being the most dangerous player on the field to a scrum-half departing with head bowed. It was his kick that allowed Halfpenny to launch a counterattack, and it was his missed tackle that allowed the full-back to turn a half-break into a whole one and release George North. When Jamie Roberts surged through for the final try it was Genia who again missed with the tackle.
Delivery for that fourth and final try came from Toby Faletau, here a starter for the first time. If there was a decision in selection that had more impact than the removal of the once truly majestic O'Driscoll, now unable at 34 to rediscover his days of yore, it was the replacement of Jamie Heaslip with Faletau.
The No8 gave a colossal performance, strong on the ball, secure at the lineout and destructive in the tackle. He says very little but delivers a great deal. He is not flash but offers himself selflessly for the team. His inclusion was all-important. And since Heaslip had done nothing wrong, it was possibly the more contentious of the decisions to replace another Irishman with another Welshman.
That mention of the nationalities, of course, threatens to expose once again the sanctity of the togetherness. It may therefore be worth restoring the balance by mentioning a few more. Of such contradictions are Lions tours made. Alex Corbisiero had a devastatingly positive impact on the tour, arriving as a replacement for two front-rows that had been chosen ahead of him, Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins. Corbisiero fitted seamlessly into the system (called Warrenball) that demanded superiority up front. When the loosehead played, the Lions dominated. It can be a game of unencumbered simplicity for a prop.
There was also the intervention by Geoff Parling, a tap-tackle that brought down Jesse Mogg. Parling was not a first-choice selection, either, but played a full part in making this showdown a glorious anticlimax. Even Scotland, from whom was wrung in the pre-match O'Driscoll furore a regret that not more of their number had been called on to play a part, had an input with the arrival in the closing minutes of Richie Gray.
Everybody deserved a mention. The Welsh, providing 10 of the starting XV, merit perhaps a particular mention, especially in the light of their travails against these same Wallabies in the past 18 months. On the other hand, perhaps none of them should be singled out, no player from any one country.
To win the Lions had to play together as never before. And in that regard the tenet of submission to the common good was respected, from start to finish, by one and all.
Excellent article which shows what a big man Shaun Edwards is after Gatland surprised everybody by not picking him in the coaching team.
BTW yesterday the radio carried interviews with Aussie fans leaving the stadium and one was griping about having had to play against 16 because of the way Poite refereed the game. And they call *us* "whinging Poms".
BTW yesterday the radio carried interviews with Aussie fans leaving the stadium and one was griping about having had to play against 16 because of the way Poite refereed the game. And they call *us* "whinging Poms".
It seems that the tour has been a huge success for the Lions and rugby in general. Record viewing figures and record crowds (194000 for the 3 tests) and Lions rubgy being back in a healthy position. There is also strong talk of the Kiwis, Aussies and South Africans joining forces and touring Europe in the same fashion that we do.
Lions 2013: Abuse over the decison to drop Brian O'Driscoll for the third Test was a disgrace
The British and Irish ‘Ieuans’ comprehensive hammering of Australia to win the Test series justified Warren Gatland’s selection of 10 Welsh players in the starting XV, achieved in a manner described by some as Plan A while other were unsure what Plan A was.
Oon sidelines: Brian O'Driscoll was left out of Lions side Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Brian Moore
6:45AM BST 08 Jul 2013
230 Comments
In reading this post-event analysis, you may detect a bias, an error in evaluation of the quality of a decision when its outcome is already known. If so, it is unavoidable because Gatland’s choice of his starting squad could not be soundly measured without reference to the result because sport only has three outcomes and is judged acordingly.
Whatever was claimed to the contrary, the dropping of Brian O’Driscoll for Jamie Roberts, the favouring of Alex Corbisiero and Mako Vunipola in front of Ryan Grant and the replacement of Tom Croft with Dan Lydiate could be defended as sound, but only if they produced a win.
The hysteria in some quarters over the O’Driscoll decision, in particular, resulted in nastiness, amplified by social media, and some of the personal abuse posted was a disgrace. The abusers showed that they were never real fans at all because the concept of the Lions is to support the side until the end, whatever occurs. The nationalist fault lines can only be negotiated by loyalty; there is time for rancour afterwards. You do not support a side only if the players you favour are picked and you certainly do not, as some did openly, perfidiously switch allegiance to the opponents. Gatland’s were sporting decisions, not intended as national insults.
As the game unfolded, Gatland’s faith was repaid by the Welsh players and significantly augmented by the non‑Welsh players in the starting line-up and the substitutes. Chief among these was Corbisiero, whose demolition of Ben Alexander paved the way for the dominance over the Australia pack and of the game itself. His playing of the scrum wheel of fortune meant that referee Roman Poite was able to ignore all the other illegalities and choose the worst which, sadly for the Aussies, always lay with the hapless Alexander.
It should not be thus, but it was and Corbisiero can claim to have made a seminal contribution to the series win. The opprobrium for Poite in the Aussie media is mere whinging that is to be expected and had the Australian union not done all it can to wreck the scrum as a proper contest, they might have props who are able to compete when it is refereed to something like the correct standard.
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Perhaps the most voiced fear of pre‑match critics was the potential lack of leadership in the team and here Alun Wynn Jones and his decision makers, especially Jonathan Sexton, proved their mettle. The potentially disastrous wobble either side of half‑time saw the Lions ship 13 points and closely resembled the second Test in 2001 which effectively cost the Lions that series. That the Lions steadied themselves and through calculated gambles from Sexton turned defence and turnover into attack, lifted the tourists to another plane from which the view to the finishing line was clear.
Behind all this, for most of the time, was the remarkable Leigh Halfpenny. A throwback to the days of regular‑sized backs, his regular deposits into the Lions account totalled something astonishing. His coup de grâce was an intricate run to set up George North’s try and thus he just edged out A W Jones for player of the tour.
It is true that the Aussies missed several players who would have started the series but none of this is the fault of the Lions and the emphatic dispatch of a more settled team was so comprehensive they could do no more.
There are some people claiming they knew it would turn out like this but not only are they guilty of creeping determinism; they are also telling porkies. This triumph by Gatland, his management team and captain Sam Warburton was achieved without a hint of excess and Warburton has borne his frustration with dignity. It is an admonishment to those, including me, who expressed sincere doubt. To the abusive, some of whom should have known better, it is a two-fingered riposte and fully deserved.
The British and Irish ‘Ieuans’ comprehensive hammering of Australia to win the Test series justified Warren Gatland’s selection of 10 Welsh players in the starting XV, achieved in a manner described by some as Plan A while other were unsure what Plan A was.
Oon sidelines: Brian O'Driscoll was left out of Lions side Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Brian Moore
6:45AM BST 08 Jul 2013
In reading this post-event analysis, you may detect a bias, an error in evaluation of the quality of a decision when its outcome is already known. If so, it is unavoidable because Gatland’s choice of his starting squad could not be soundly measured without reference to the result because sport only has three outcomes and is judged acordingly.
Whatever was claimed to the contrary, the dropping of Brian O’Driscoll for Jamie Roberts, the favouring of Alex Corbisiero and Mako Vunipola in front of Ryan Grant and the replacement of Tom Croft with Dan Lydiate could be defended as sound, but only if they produced a win.
The hysteria in some quarters over the O’Driscoll decision, in particular, resulted in nastiness, amplified by social media, and some of the personal abuse posted was a disgrace. The abusers showed that they were never real fans at all because the concept of the Lions is to support the side until the end, whatever occurs. The nationalist fault lines can only be negotiated by loyalty; there is time for rancour afterwards. You do not support a side only if the players you favour are picked and you certainly do not, as some did openly, perfidiously switch allegiance to the opponents. Gatland’s were sporting decisions, not intended as national insults.
As the game unfolded, Gatland’s faith was repaid by the Welsh players and significantly augmented by the non‑Welsh players in the starting line-up and the substitutes. Chief among these was Corbisiero, whose demolition of Ben Alexander paved the way for the dominance over the Australia pack and of the game itself. His playing of the scrum wheel of fortune meant that referee Roman Poite was able to ignore all the other illegalities and choose the worst which, sadly for the Aussies, always lay with the hapless Alexander.
It should not be thus, but it was and Corbisiero can claim to have made a seminal contribution to the series win. The opprobrium for Poite in the Aussie media is mere whinging that is to be expected and had the Australian union not done all it can to wreck the scrum as a proper contest, they might have props who are able to compete when it is refereed to something like the correct standard.
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06 Jul 2013
Perhaps the most voiced fear of pre‑match critics was the potential lack of leadership in the team and here Alun Wynn Jones and his decision makers, especially Jonathan Sexton, proved their mettle. The potentially disastrous wobble either side of half‑time saw the Lions ship 13 points and closely resembled the second Test in 2001 which effectively cost the Lions that series. That the Lions steadied themselves and through calculated gambles from Sexton turned defence and turnover into attack, lifted the tourists to another plane from which the view to the finishing line was clear.
Behind all this, for most of the time, was the remarkable Leigh Halfpenny. A throwback to the days of regular‑sized backs, his regular deposits into the Lions account totalled something astonishing. His coup de grâce was an intricate run to set up George North’s try and thus he just edged out A W Jones for player of the tour.
It is true that the Aussies missed several players who would have started the series but none of this is the fault of the Lions and the emphatic dispatch of a more settled team was so comprehensive they could do no more.
There are some people claiming they knew it would turn out like this but not only are they guilty of creeping determinism; they are also telling porkies. This triumph by Gatland, his management team and captain Sam Warburton was achieved without a hint of excess and Warburton has borne his frustration with dignity. It is an admonishment to those, including me, who expressed sincere doubt. To the abusive, some of whom should have known better, it is a two-fingered riposte and fully deserved.
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