Forget the stats: Lions were outclassed

Rico Gear scores. Picture/ Dean Purcell

Official figures showed minimal differences between the All Blacks and Lions, reinforcing the old adage about lies, damned lies and statistics.

In truth, the disparities were as marked as the 12 tries to three margin in the series, the 107 points scored by the All Blacks and the 40 scraped up by the Lions. A snapshot of that chasm came in the final act of the Eden Park test, where the All Blacks completed a series blackout with their 38-19 win.

As the Lions tried to break clear in some form of backline attack, centre Will Greenwood biffed out a hopeful pass which Rico Gear intercepted and scored from 60m out.

If you wanted another, it came as early as the seventh minute, when lock Donncha O'Callaghan ignored a huge overlap and tried to plough to the line himself.

Chance gone, momentum lost. While the All Blacks played with their heads up, the Lions played with the vision of men on Death Row.

Forget the first test, where the Lions were just a rabble. Their second and third test packs, while not quite as polished as the All Blacks, gave them a serious examination.

But behind the scrum the Lions were lamentable. Their sense of space was limited, their lack of attacking skills under pressure alarming. The All Blacks played with a cohesion, skill and venom the Lions could not live with. The All Blacks attacked the Lions at their perceived strength, the set pieces, where they felt they were unchallenged. It was a serious misjudgment on a tour which had many.

Set piece inefficiency from the Lions was punished; the All Blacks hurt them from turnovers and demolished them with their skills.

On Saturday at Eden Park, the series won, the intensity was down from the All Blacks. They also had to deal with the injury absences of Daniel Carter, Aaron Mauger, Leon MacDonald, Richie McCaw and Carl Hayman. There was not quite the fluidity this time from them; they were not as sharp as the previous weekends, but they were still way too good for the visitors, even when they were a man down for 20 minutes of the match after sinbinnings for captain Tana Umaga and Jerry Collins.

First five-eighths Luke McAlister had a debut anyone from the Lions would have been proud of. He made mistakes and may have overdone some of the kicking, but his step created one of Umaga's tries, a grubber set up another for Ali Williams, his kicking in general play and defence was very competent, while his goalkicking was faultless. As a transplanted midfield back, McAlister will offer even more potency and choice from the reserves' bench. Resurrected centre Conrad Smith took one try with a sharp, straight run and swerve as he underlined the sensible way he plays his rugby.

Rodney So'oialo was all aggression as an openside flanker but did not find the right liaison with new No 8 Sione Lauaki. Some of that imbalance seemed to be corrected when Lauaki was replaced at the interval by Marty Holah and players reverted to theiur regular positions.

Tighthead prop Campbell Johnstone made a mess of his opponent, Gethin Jenkins, when he came on and was able to continue that work on Graham Rowntree as well.

Johnstone is only a rookie and needs matches in the NPC to tune up his training, according to the selectors. After his selection following the All Black trial, they also said he had the best right shoulder in the business and on Saturday he looked to have a back to rival the ramrod levels of Olo Brown.

A five-tries-to-one difference was a whipping and the victory margin could have been greater than 19 points if touch judge Stuart Dickinson understood uncompromising rather than foul play. He cost Sitiveni Sivivatu a try when he ruled Collins had made a marginal late hit, and then Dickinson cost the All Blacks a shot at goal when he claimed So'oialo had made an illegal tackle.

But like Christchurch and Wellington, the Lions were out-played, out-coached and out-thought. The All Blacks negated the Lions' plans and damaged them with the speed and dexterity of their attacks. Add outclassed to the list.