British and Irish Lions thrash Combined Country 64-0

IT was the hammering we expected, and the Lions now head to Sydney with a full sail after their 64-0 win over a gutsy Combined Country side.

IN an unlikely aftermath to Tuesday nightÂ’s 64-0 thrashing, Lions coach Warren Gatland wore a grim expression while Combined Country coach Cameron Blades urged the Wallabies to target their scrum in the first Test.

The usually affable Gatland was short and gruff in his post-match press conference, despite his side scoring 10 tries, keeping a clean sheet and escaping without any injury concerns in front of 20,071 spectators at Hunter Stadium.

Meanwhile Blades, a former Wallabies prop, praised the courage of his largely amateur team, using four props who had never played above first grade club rugby level.

Video: Highlights from Country against British and Irish Lions

Video: On-field interviews

“For them to hang in there in the second half, and for our set-piece to hold strong against generally a pretty dominant Lions front row, the Wallabies off the back of that might see some opportunities with their full-time professionals and experienced props,” Blades said.

He also believes Australia will prosper with a rush defence at Suncorp Stadium in 10 days.

“We showed a little bit in the second half if you get in their face they can make a few errors, especially as they’re playing a bit more expansively,” Blades said. “If you can cut down their time to work in and operate in, put them under a bit of defensive pressure there’s turnover ball to be had for the Wallabies.”

For Gatland, turnovers were a concern, but he did manage to say: “We’re undefeated, if we can win the next two games (against the Waratahs and Brumbies) and arrive in Brisbane undefeated, it would be a good positive frame to arrive at.”

CHEIKA WANTS TAHS TO MAKE A MEMORY

It was the hammering we expected, and the Lions now head to Sydney with a full sail.

With pre-match fears of the Lions posting a century on the scoreboard, it was heartening to see Country defend with the vigour they did, particularly in the second half.

Country kicked most of their possession away, ensuring the Lions held the ball for 85 per cent of the game.

The Country side, boasting just nine players with Super Rugby experience, struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and the Lions’ clinical breakdown technique.

Lions skipper Brian O’Driscoll felt his side should have capitalised on their first-half performance, having scored six tries.

“Not making excuses, but we should have been able to kick on from there and we didn’t,” O’Driscoll said.

Fullback Leigh Halfpenny brought up the half-century by darting through some weak defence and then converting his own try in the 56th minute.

O’Driscoll kicked off scoring in the second half with a try in the corner after a prolonged series of phases in Country’s quarter.

Backrower Sean O’Brien, one of the Lions’ best, shoved off a would-be tackler to score in the 66th minute, before Jonathan Davies capped off the hiding with a try after the full-time siren.

Country v Lions

George North scored two first-half tries before being replaced by Halfpenny in the second.

Country went close to scoring through replacement winger Dale Ahwang – a removalist from Cairns – 10 minutes before the end, although replays confirmed he had knocked the ball on attempting an intercept that he kicked and regathered on the line.

Inexperienced Lions five-eighth Stuart Hogg directed his team well, scoring a try and kicking four from six conversions
Winger George North bagged a double while fellow winger Alex Cuthbert, halfback Conor Murray and hooker Richard Hibbard also crossed.

LIONS 64 (George North 2, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, Richard Hibbard, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Sean O'Brien, Brian O'Driscoll tries Hogg 4, Halfpenny 3 cons) bt COMBINED COUNTRY 0 at Hunter Stadium. Referee: Steve R. Walsh. Crowd: 20,071.