All Blacks Win First Test Against Lions

June 25, 2017 3:21 pm Marcus Ó Buachalla

The All Blacks would outscore the Lions by three tries to two but it was a second-half double from Rieko Ioane that proved the Lions undoing as they had trailed by only 13-8 at the break.

The Lions though will head to Wellington with plenty of optimism, not least after O’Brien’s fantastic first-half try from a team move that will live long in the memory and Rhys Webb’s late snipe from close range but it was the All Blacks that claimed a deserved and hard-fought first Test victory in Eden Park.

It was the home side that scored first with hooker Codie Taylor crossing out wide after 17 minutes after the All Blacks had weathered an initial Lions storm and, with Beauden Barrett flawless from the kicking tee, the tourists were on the back foot for much of the first half and trailed by 13-3 after 33 minutes. The Lions response coming from the boot of Owen Farrell after 30 minutes.

But Liam Williams led a dramatic breakout from his own 22 that culminated in O’Brien going over for a wonder try in the 35th minute, and with that the Lions were in the battle at the break, trailing 13-8.

After the interval the Lions came out firing, with the impressive Jonathan Davies testing the All Black defence on a wet night in Auckland but the home side held firm before Ioane – on his first Test start – turned on the style.

First the winger dotted down in the left corner after 54 minutes after the All Blacks put the ball through the hands and with ten minutes left he broke free from halfway after gathering a fumbled TJ Perenara box-kick.

The Lions kept coming until the final whistle, replacement Webb darting over from close range, but the All Blacks head to Wellington 1-0 up in the three-Test series after a 30-15 win.