All Blacks: Kieran Read's offload 'from Mars' set up crucial try

All Blacks captain Kieran Read offloads a pass, during the 1st test match between the All Blacks and the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

It took a try described as coming "from the end of the earth" to help France beat the All Blacks the last time they lost at Eden Park in 1994, and there was a hint of that in Sean O'Brien's try for the Lions last night, Liam Williams the instigator from near his own try-line.

But for halfback Aaron Smith, the offload under pressure by skipper and No8 Kieran Read which set up Rieko Ioane's response for the All Blacks after halftime was so unexpected it might have been "from Mars".

It took several looks from television match official George Ayoub to give the try the all-clear as it looked like Read may have knocked the ball on from the back of the scrum before he picked it up and popped the pass to Smith, who kept the back-peddling defence interested enough to give the 20-year-old Ioane room on the left.

Smith said he was running on instinct at the time, and it was only while watching the replay on the big screen that he realised what Read, inspirational on his return from a broken thumb, actually did.

"It was from Mars mate," Smith said. "I was happy, we knew with a midfield scrum their loosies might come off and there was a chance for us to [put pressure on]. They [forwards] said to me before the scrum, 'Nuggy, leave it in if it's going good'. I was happy we got a penalty - that's test match rugby - build and get three points, try to do what they like to do, but Reado's pass... I think it was a reaction and catch.

"I thought 'how did he get that away'? When I saw the replay I was buzzing out. That was a beautiful team try - beautiful scrum, inter-passing, and the young buck [Ioane] has got some pace."

He certainly has. Ioane showed that with his second try too, outstripping the cover defence to dive in on the left again, much as he did for the Blues against the Lions a couple of weeks ago.

But that space didn't come easy for the All Blacks. They had to go straight to the heart of the beast - the Lions' fearsome defence close to the ruck - in order to get those gains out wide and Smith paid credit to his pack, and backs, including Sonny Bill Williams, for charging in with little regard to their safety.

"With their rush defence, and [their] pressure from the outside... we tried to go through them a bit more. You have to be very abrasive and our ball carriers did really well to do that. You have to be pretty brave to go into their first couple of defenders off the ruck. It's an easy area to defend but our forwards carried hard and our backs went in to mix it up."

Smith was also involved in the All Blacks' first try to Codie Taylor, the hooker doing extremely well to hold Israel Dagg's dipping pass to go over in the corner from the little No9's quick penalty tap which caught the Lions' defence napping.

"It was a simple numbers game," Smith said. "There were three of them and five of us.
Steve [Hansen] always talks about not going into your shell. In Super Rugby I don't mind a quick tap. I guess for me if I feel they are under the pump a bit and there is a way to execute more pressure [I will]."