Lions beat All Blacks to level up series after Williams red card

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Lions beat All Blacks to level up series after Williams red card

By Greg Stutchbury

 

Rugby Union - New Zealand All Blacks v British and Irish Lions - Lions Tour - Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand - July 1, 2017 Lions' Liam Williams and Johnny Sexton celebrate after winning the match. REUTERS/David Gray

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Owen Farrell slotted a 78th minute penalty to give the British and Irish Lions a 24-21 victory over 14-man New Zealand in the second test on Saturday to level up the series at 1-1 ahead of next week's final clash in Auckland.

 

The All Blacks were a man down for 55 minutes after Sonny Bill Williams became only the third All Black, and the first since 1967, to be sent off in a test match when he was shown the red card for a shoulder charge on Lions winger Anthony Watson.

 

It was the first win for the Lions over the All Blacks since 1993 and the first defeat for the world champions on home soil in 48 tests going back to 2009.

 

All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett kicked seven penalties but tries for Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau and scrumhalf Conor Murray helped level up the scores with 10 minutes to go, leaving Farrell to secure the victory with his fourth penalty.

 

"Credit to New Zealand, to play for so long with 14 men, they did extremely well," Lions captain Sam Warburton said. "You have to score tries to beat these boys and we did that."

 

The visitors had been criticised for their lack of physicality last week during the 30-15 first test loss and were far more aggressive on Saturday.

The introduction of Warburton allowed the visitors to attack the breakdown more consistently and shore up their fringe defence.

 

Despite having the advantage of the swirling northerly wind in the first half, the Lions turned down kickable penalties to put pressure on the All Blacks lineout defence.

 

With persistent rain showers sweeping across the ground, however, neither side was able to truly crack the either's defence and the first half scoring was restricted to three penalties apiece to Barrett and Farrell.

 

The key moment came after 25 minutes, however, when Watson was being tackled by Waisake Naholo and Williams came in with a shoulder charge that made contact with the winger's head

 

After consultation with television official George Ayoub, referee Jerome Garces had no hesitation in showing the red card.

 

The All Blacks, though, still dominated the first 20 minutes of the second half as the tourists' discipline deserted them.

 

Barrett missed two penalties but also slotting three more to give his side an 18-9 lead before the Lions struck back with the game's first try.

 

They finally managed to exploit the man advantage down the right and swept the ball back towards Faletau on the right wing and he crashed through the tackle of Israel Dagg to score.

 

Barrett added his seventh penalty before the Lions again attacked down the right and created a yawning gap for Murray to cross, with Farrell's conversion levelling the score at 21-21 with about 10 minutes remaining.

 

Farrell then stepped up with three minutes remaining to send the massive sea of red-clad Lions fans in the 38,891-strong crowd into delirium.

"Plenty of effort but we weren't just accurate," All Blacks captain Kieran Read said. "Credit to the Lions they put us under pressure and scored some good tries.

 

"They were able to get on a roll in the second half and we couldn't slow down their ball.

 

"It's an effort, you never want to turn up and play with 14 men but we'll turn up next week and look forward to it. It's a three match series, can't wait for it."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-02

 

[meatboy]

not a pretty sight,but a win is a win,and they did score 2tries -nill.

why oh why when a team has so much more class do you get an idiot who likes to play dirty and against the smallest man on the field.

S.B.WILLIAMS.you let the team down as well as yourself.

is he banned from next sats.game.if so that will help the lions.

[marko kok prong]

Yeah sonny bill,i remember when he played Rugby league,his terrible tackle on Andrew Johns broke his neck and ended his career.

[natway09]

I certainly hope he never gets to wear the  All Black shirt again. Just bloody stupid.

Send him back to League where they like that kind of shitty play

[sandrabbit]

it just backs up what Gatland said about dangerous play. that kind of play seem more prevalent in the southern hemisphere, I remember working in Australia and watching rugby union and it seemed that everyone was just trying to hurt the opposition and spear tackles were common.

[Catkiwi]

8 hours ago, meatboy said:

not a pretty sight,but a win is a win,and they did score 2tries -nill.

why oh why when a team has so much more class do you get an idiot who likes to play dirty and against the smallest man on the field.

S.B.WILLIAMS.you let the team down as well as yourself.

is he banned from next sats.game.if so that will help the lions.

It was an idiotic moment which he was given a 4 week ban for. He should be ashamed of himself and no doubt will be feeling the heat for letting the team down. I have always thought him to be an average player but so over rated. He will be replaced by Fekitoa and I doubt will be missed at all in what will be a fired up All Blacks side.

Edited July 2, 2017 by Catkiwi

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, Catkiwi said:

It was an idiotic moment which he was given a 4 week ban for. He should be ashamed of himself and no doubt will be feeling the heat for letting the team down. I have always thought him to be an average player but so over rated. He will be replaced by Fekitoa and I doubt will be missed at all in what will be a fired up All Blacks side.

 

Interesting reading the comments from Springbok fans on FB. They see him much more than I've ever done and reckon he always plays like this - just gets away with it. Credit to Garces for issuing a very deserved red card when the 2 touch judges and TMO were trying to nudge him to yellow only. Again, 4 week ban thoroughly deserved.

 

It seems he's tried union, league and pro boxing. 

[meatboy]

21 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Yeah sonny bill,i remember when he played Rugby league,his terrible tackle on Andrew Johns broke his neck and ended his career.

always thought him as a great rugby player,after sats,cowardly attack i have changed my mind.

 

[StreetCowboy]

13 hours ago, meatboy said:

always thought him as a great rugby player,after sats,cowardly attack i have changed my mind.

 

It was an appalling shoulder charge against a defenceless victim who was being held by the tackler.  

[Catkiwi]

13 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

It was an appalling shoulder charge against a defenceless victim who was being held by the tackler.  

Now, now boys, don't you go slinging mud against us innocent Kiwis!

"Vunipola's yellow card late at Westpac Stadium during the Lions 24-21 second-test win could easily have been a red. It was shown for what is euphemistically called a "ruck clean-out", but which in reality was an act of thuggery; Vunipola leaving his feet to dive, shoulder first, at a prone and defenseless Beauden Barrett, a contact which came perilously close to the No10's head".

[StreetCowboy]

3 hours ago, Catkiwi said:

Now, now boys, don't you go slinging mud against us innocent Kiwis!

"Vunipola's yellow card late at Westpac Stadium during the Lions 24-21 second-test win could easily have been a red. It was shown for what is euphemistically called a "ruck clean-out", but which in reality was an act of thuggery; Vunipola leaving his feet to dive, shoulder first, at a prone and defenseless Beauden Barrett, a contact which came perilously close to the No10's head".

I agree; it was an equally appalling assault, looked like two metres behind the ruck.  Barrett was trying to regain his feet at the time.  I think maybe Vunipola managed to get his arms round him, but Barrett was not engaged in the ruck, he was well behind it.