How the New Zealand media reacted to the Lions defeat against the All Blacks - Ruck
British & Irish Lions

How the New Zealand media reacted to the Lions defeat against the All Blacks

24 June 2017
Rugby Rucker
Here’s how the New Zealand media reacted to the Lions 30-15 defeat against the All Blacks.
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Gregor Paul – New Zealand Herald

The result made sense, but maybe not the way it was achieved. The All Blacks played their usual triple threat game and produced all their expected spark and flair, but so too did the Lions.

The scoreboard will judge them harshly, but they came to Eden Park with plenty of fight and a little more ambition than they have had so far. They just met a team that had too much weaponry – too many ways to break the shackles.

There were times when the pictures didn’t make sense – like when the All Blacks scrummaged for a penalty and when the Lions scored a length of the field counter attack try that was full of magical running and brilliant off loading.

But over the 80 minutes it kind of all stacked up. The All Blacks brought the physical edge to all their grunt work and with that dynamism and aggression they negated the effective of the Lions rush defence.
Read the full article HERE.
Mark Reason – Stuff

Wondrous.

Don’t tell me this is the final Lions tour and don’t dare tell anyone in New Zealand. This beautiful, rugby mad nation has been craving a night of test footy like this. The Kiwis have been thirsty for some opposition to remind them what international rugby is really about and they finally got some. What a game.


The Lions were huge in a 30-15 first test loss at Eden Park. They nearly scored from the first move of the match. They made some massive spine-tingling hits in midfield where Conor Murray and Ben Te’o were colossal. And they ran in a try from the end of the earth, a score that no one in New Zealand said they were capable of, a dazzling try that reminded you of Jean-Luc Sadourny’s in 1994, the last time the All Blacks lost in this ground.

Read the full article HERE.
Marc Hinton – Stuff

Take a bow, Kieran Read. And a 1-0 series lead while you’re at it.

Inspired by a performance for the ages from their magnificent captain, and a two-try strike from 20-year-old surprise selection Rieko Ioane, the All Blacks have delivered a masterclass to draw first blood against the British and Irish Lions at a seething, sold-out Eden Park.

The Lions offered plenty to a fabulous occasion, but once again Steve Hansen’s men delivered a clinical lesson in converting opportunities into points, scoring three tries to two to prevail 30-15, and take the all-important first rubber in this three-test series.

Read the full article HERE.