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British and Irish Lions

Anag Ram

By Anag Ram
in Other Sport

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Anag Ram

Anag Ram

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Hugely excited about this morning's game. Hope this is the start of a summer of Aussie bashing. Don't get me wrong I love the Aussies to bits when it comes to sport. They have a great attitude and that's what makes beating them more satisfying. Hope it's an open game and that we see the best of both sides.

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froggg

froggg

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northpoint_2597358b
 

The British and Irish Lions had to endure an agonising finale to hold on for victory in the opening Test match against Australia on Satuday, with Kurtley Beale missing two late penalties – the second with the last kick of this magnificent contest that would have won the game for the Wallabies.

Instead, as Beale slipped and his scuffed kick fell short and wide, it was the Lions who were left celebrating as time ran out.

The drama only served to underscore the sense that a record crowd of 52,499 at Suncorp Stadium, around half of which were bedecked in red, witnessed one of the great Lions encounters.

Warren Gatland's side had clawed themselves back into the game, having gone behind to the first of two tries by Wallabies wing Israel Folau, with a stunning solo score from George North, and a conversion and two penalties by Leigh Halfpenny, to lead 13-12 at the break.

After Australia lost their third player to a head injury when Pat McCabe, a replacement for Christian Leali’ifano, was forced to retire at the start of the second-half, the Lions looked on course for a comfortable victory as Alex Cuthbert raced over for his side's second try and the Wallabies were forced to switch Michael Hooper, a flanker, into the midfield.

 

Yet the tourists were unable to build on their 20-12 lead and instead it was the Wallabies, inspired by the counter-attacking genius of Beale, Will Genia and Folau, who ground their way back into the contest with penalties by James O’Connor and Beale himself.

Leigh Halfpenny gave the Lions some breathing space when he knocked over his third penalty, to briefly restore their five-point advantage, but a second penalty by Beale, after another electric break from the full-back, put the contest right back on to a knife-edge.

The Lions looked to have gained the platform to finish the game off when Adam Ashley-Cooper was held up in a maul on his own 22, after a high kick by Jonny Sexton, but in a moment similar to Justin Harrison's line-out steal during the third Test in 2001, the Wallabies turned the ball over and Genia's long kick was gathered by Folau, to put the tourists back on the defensive deep in their own half.

Having gone through the phases, the Wallabies were then awarded a penalty when Mako Vunipola came into a ruck from the side, but Beale's effort four minutes from time was sliced wide.

Yet there was still another twist to come. The Lions won a put-in to a scrum but, after two resets, James Slipper was able to pressurise Dan Cole and the Wallabies won another penalty from 45 metres out. Beale, however, couldn't convert and the Lions held on for their eighth successive victory in Brisbane.

The first-half had been a brutal affair. Leali’ifano lasted just 56 seconds before he was knocked out from a collision with Jonathan Davies.

Leali'ifano had been due to place-kick for the Wallabies but those duties were instead left to O'Connor, with immediate consequences, as the fly-half went on to miss with two penalty attempts and the conversion of Folau's second try.

It took a huge scrum by the Lions pack to settle the tourists yet it was, ironically, from their best attacking move of the opening exchanges that resulted in Folau's first try.

Strong drives by North and Tom Youngs, followed up by carries from Alex Corbisiero and Alun-Wyn Jones, brought the Lions to the edge of Australia's 22 but after the referee, Chris Pollock, had played an advantage, the Lions were penalised themselves and Genia tapped quickly.

The Aussie No 9 shot off up the narrow side, his pace allowing him to show the ball, but keep gliding, before a delicate chip was gathered by Folau, who powered over for a try on his debut for the Wallabies.

Halfpenny was able to give the Lions a foothold with a penalty in the 25th minute, however, and after having weathered an early onslaught from the Wallabies, the tourists took the lead with a stunning solo try from North.

The Wales winger's score came from a Barnes kick that was too long. North gathered on the 10m line, rounded McCabe and Barnes and raced to the line.

North looked to have powered over for a second, only for the TMO to rule it out as Folau managed to push his elbow into touch, but Halfpenny extended the lead with another penalty.

However, Australia hit back with a second try by Folau, from a wide pass by Mowen and a soft tackle by Sexton, to bring Australia back into the game.

But when McCabe went off and Cuthbert raced over for his side's second try, the Lions should have pushed on. They didn't, though.

Instead, Beale was able to inspire a fightback, but his agonising late misses ensured the Lions, just as they did in 2001, opened the series with a victory.

 

(Telegraph)

 

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sheeponacid

sheeponacid

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Was a good result & not a bad game, but we should be beating them, after all union is pretty low down in terms of sporting importance in Aus, with poor player participation numbers, way fewer teams, low TV ratings & media interest... Take away the international games & the union game over there would be pretty much finished...

 

Watch a state of origin match & see what you think (they are the three most watched sporting games/events in Aus year in year out).....Folau great player but he will becoming home next season, I think....

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zaragozaram

zaragozaram

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I'd say it's pretty low down in importance in England too to be fair.

 

Personally disagree with that comment. I love both Football and Rugby. Played rugby for 20 years and, until Derby/England win anything of importance in my lifetime (I was 5 the last time Derby did), my stand out sporting memory is England winning the World cup in 2003.

 

However, on a broader level, I fear you are right. Too many people are one eyed football fans and don´t have the capacity to appreciate or understand more than one sport.

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Srg

Srg

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Personally disagree with that comment. I love both Football and Rugby. Played rugby for 20 years and, until Derby/England win anything of importance in my lifetime (I was 5 the last time Derby did), my stand out sporting memory is England winning the World cup in 2003.

 

However, on a broader level, I fear you are right. Too many people are one eyed football fans and don´t have the capacity to appreciate or understand more than one sport.

 

Don't know about that. Know a lot of people who obviously love football first and foremost but like cricket, american football, basketball etc.

 

just rugby is not one of them.

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