Richard Loe: Subs may have made all the difference

I don't think Sir Clive Woodward will be happy with that hit-out against the Bay. All right, it was a good first-up match for them, which will benefit them. But they didn't really demonstrate the forward dominance and authority I think he would have been looking for.

They obviously missed Lawrence Dallaglio when he went off and their structure andx organisation suffered - and I thought a bit of their commitment as well. The Lions deserved to win but I wonder what would have happened if the Bay hadn't played around with their team at the wrong moment.

I have wondered for years now why some coaches make substitutions when they do. They took off No 8 Colin Bourke early in the second half when I thought he was playing well and leading well.

Of course, we don't always know the score with injuries and the like but they also substituted Simms Davison and Aleki Lutui - and their scrum and lineout never recovered. Who knows what would have happened if those substitutions hadn't been made?

It might have been coincidence but the Bay set-pieces suffered and I don't think the substitutions added anything whatsoever to the Bay game.

The Bay were tentative to begin with and they did really well to pull it back to 17-17 at halftime. Their period of play between 30-40m was very good and you could see they were worrying the Lions. Young Murray Williams had a top game at first-five and I thought he out-pointed Ronan O'Gara who kicked to the corners very well but whose goalkicking was ordinary. He looked a bit of a one-trick pony.

In fact the Lions backs looked ordinary and not that sharp, apart from the first 15 minutes when they scored those two quick tries to Josh Lewsey. Brian O'Driscoll and Gavin Henson both looked talented but they didn't combine well together - although Henson's promise is obvious and O'Driscoll's ability and strength well-known.

I thought Lewsey was the pick of their backs. He was on fire, running straight and strong, looked classy and might have had a third try.

But, going back up front, I think only Richard Hill could look back on that game with satisfaction. He played well and towed his team along well. The Bay front row are handy but they are not in the first six or so in their position in New Zealand - and that should worry the Lions a little. Or a lot.

Bernie Upton, the Bay lock, had a fine game. Even though they have chosen James Ryan for the All Blacks, I think Upton still has a future.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY