Lions fail to push home advantage in first half

Gavin Henson is tackled by Wellington's Shannon Paku tonight. Picture / Fotopress

HALFTIME Lions 13 Wellington 6 

The Lions overwhelmed Wellington early in tonight's game at Westpac Stadium in the capital. 

They came out at pace, much as they did in the first game of the tour against Bay of Plenty. But tonight they were lacking the killer punch in the first half.  

Attacking opportunities were squandered in the opening minutes by Jonny Wilkinson and Welshman Gavin Henson – both players failing with drop goal attempts.  

Wilkinson, playing for the first time since arriving in New Zealand, opened the scoring with a penalty from left of the posts after five minutes. But the usually unflappable kicker missed a second attempt ten minutes later. 

Conditions at the Cake Tin were cold and windy with some light rain but were not enough to put Wilkinson off his third penalty attempt of the night, giving him two from three and the Lions a 6-0 lead.  

The Wellington team were struggling to cope with the much stronger Lions side despite the tourists' failure to turn pressure into points. Before their first genuine attack after 27 minutes only Tane Tu'ipulotu had managed to draw any attention – getting a warning from the referee early on for his efforts.  

The push forward resulted in a penalty which Jimmy Gopperth, coming off a successful Super 12 season, slotted between the posts. 

It looked like a try was guaranteed after a driving movement forward from the Lions pack, but a Martin Corry knock-on let the Wellington defence off the hook.  

But in the 36th minute the first try of the night was finally scored, Gethin Jenkins of Wales running in to the corner after a pass from Corry coming off of a lineout.  

Wilkinson converted to give the Lions a 13-3 lead, which was then cut back to 13-6 when Gopperth benefited from a penalty awarded for an infringement in the scrum shortly before the break.

* Full details follow at the end of the match