Lions complete midweek clean sweep with Auckland victory

Joe Rokocoko runs into the tackle of Denis Hickie at Eden Park tonight. Picture / Fotopress

FULLTIME: Auckland 13 Lions 17

The Lions went a small way towards making up for their failure in the tests by completing a clean sweep over the provincial sides with a win over Auckland tonight.  

They scored just one try in the final midweek game of the tour but it was enough for victory in a game that was often played at pace but never really found its shape. 

The Lions were first to score after four minutes when first-five Charlie Hodgson kicked a penalty following a handling infringement from Daniel Braid. It was not until the closing moments of the first half, however, that they scored the first try of the night through Martyn Williams. 

Auckland put themselves right in the hunt with the only other try of the night - a well-sculpted score on 61 minutes. Isa Nacewa finished an eight-phase move and Brent Ward converted to make the score 14-13 to the Lions.  

They then stepped up the pace and looked dangerous. But Ward missed a penalty attempt which would have given them the lead with less than 15 minutes to play.  

Counterpart Ronan O'Gara made no mistake five minutes later, giving the Lions a slight comfort zone at 17-13, which proved to be the final score.  

Earlier in the game, Auckland repeatedly lost their lineout – a problem more often associated with the tourists in the past few weeks. The homeside, the first of the provincial sides to be given a decent chance of beating the Lions, had also failed to take advantage in the first half of the strong wind at Eden Park.  

Aside from the wind, the conditions were reasonable - heavy rain during the day having eased and it was a mild 15 degrees at kick-off.  

Tempers were sometimes frayed, boiling over as the first half came to a close. Englishman Ben Kay was involved in the punch-up, leading to a Lions' penalty being reversed and awarded to Auckland.  

And early in the second half, Brent Cockbain landed a punch on Steve Devine which brought a warning of a yellow card from referee Steve Walsh.  

Joe Rokocoko, last year's All Black golden boy now seemingly forgotten by Graham Henry, was increasingly involved as the game went on. Only a Williams tackle prevented him getting away 10 minutes into the second half.  

In the first half, it was not until an attack on 18 minutes that Auckland's nerves settled and they showed some class. Rokocoko was involved in that first attack.  

Hodgson went off injured early in the game and, immediately after, Angus MacDonald of Auckland burst through to set up John Afoa, for what looked like the first try of the night. TMO Paddy O'Brien ruled it was held up and the score remained 3-0 to the Lions.  

O'Gara and Ward traded penalties late in the first half before Williams took advantage of a Mark Cueto break to score the Lions' try. The conversion was missed by O'Gara to leave the score at 14-3 at the break.