The great limitations of Warrenball will be the dominant storyline in the Kiwi media over the coming days, as the Lions lost their first game of the 2017 tour against the Auckland Blues. He might just have got away with it for a few days, but for those pesky Blues -
how much worse the Gatland game plan looks when their opponents play rugby like this.
In Eden Park this morning, the Lions relied on set-piece and virtually nothing else; the Blues had a whole lot else. Namely eight All-Blacks.
With the Lions grinding out a 16-15 lead with six minutes left on the clock, the Blues exploded into life courtesy of a couple of outrageous offloads: the first by Steven Luatua, the second by Sonny Bill Williams. It was finished by a scorching run from Ihaia West.
Watch it below.
Sonny Bill Williams Offload
It's all over, and the Lions have been defeated for the first time: beaten 22-16.
Sky's commentary team were keen to stress that the tour has not been decided by today's defeat, but the signs are not good.
