All Blacks in charge at halftime

HALFTIME: All Blacks 11 Lions 0

The All Blacks led convincingly at halftime in the first test of the Lions series in Christchurch tonight.

Both teams made light of the very cold, damp conditions playing running rugby from the off.

But the Lions suffered a devastating blow in the very first minute, captain Brian O'Driscoll being stretchered off with what is thought to be a shoulder injury after a tackle on Keven Mealamu.

Justin Marshall showed the All Blacks intent early on, when he ran a penalty given for offside. Dan Carter kicked through and Sitiveni Sivivatu came rushing through, but the ball hit the post.

In the tourists' first break of the game, Dwayne Peel adopted the Marshall approach, breaking after a penalty on the all Blacks 10-metre line. Jonny Wilkinson grubbered through but Doug Howlett was back to collect.

The running game continued, with Carter opting to pass in his own 22 and New Zealand broke all the way down to the opposition 22 where a Wilkinson tackle stopped a seemingly certain try.

However, French referee Joel Jutge awarded a penalty for an earlier infringement, which Carter slotted home from left of the posts for the first points of the night in the eighth minute.

The Lions had more bad news on 13 minutes, when Paul O'Connell was yellow carded for a foul tackle following a period of pressure on the tourists' tryline. Carter converted the penalty to give the all Blacks a 6-0 lead.

Sivivatu looked dangerous again after 17 minutes, sliding towards the corner after a long passing move. But the Lions defence held him up and the TMO confirmed there was no try.

The All Blacks were building wave after wave of passes on the edge of the 22, while the Lions put up brave defence to keep them out.

They could only hold out so long and the opening try came on 25 minutes from Ali Williams, driving over after a turnover at a Lions lineout. Carter missed the conversion to leave the score at 11-0.

After a period of scrappy play, it looked like a certain second try with five minutes left in the half when a chargedown fell for All Blacks captain Tana Umaga who kicked through for Sivivatu. But under pressure from Gareth Thomas, he was unable to touch down and the TMO confirmed a 22 drop-out.

Wilkinson missed his first chance for points when Williams infringed on the 10-metre line, the kick falling away.

The boot of first five-eighths Stephen Jones was increasingly being used as the half progressed, with the Lions failing to put together any attacking rugby.