Morale-Boosting Otago Win For Lions

The Lions crossed for three tries as they left Dunedin’s famed “House of Pain” with a 30-19 victory over Otago on Saturday – an ideal result ahead of next weekend’s first Test against the All Blacks.

2005 Lions Tour: Saturday, June 18
Otago 19 Lions 30, Dunedin
Scorers: Otago: Try: Danny Lee; Con: Nick Evans; Pens: Evans 4
Lions: Tries: Will Greenwood, Ryan Jones, Shane Williams; Cons: Charlie Hodgson 3; Pens: Hodgson 3

Five Irish players started, and fly-half Ronan O’Gara was subbed on late, as the Lions mustered up win number four on their tour of New Zealand.

It was not all plain sailing on a night when Wales duo Ryan Jones and Shane Williams scored the crucial tries which finally saw daylight put between Otago and the visitors.

The home side went 6-0 up inside the first 11 minutes after debutant fly-half Nick Evans had punished Donncha O’Callaghan and number 8 Jones for errors.

While England’s Charlie Hodgson pegged the game back to 6-6 with two penalties of his own, Otago soon earned a 13-6 lead thanks to some poor Lions defending.

Maori winger Neil Brew burst through Denis Hickie’s tackle and then bounced off Hodgson to send scrum-half Danny Lee scampering over in the corner.

Hodgson redeemed himself by firing up a crossfield to the right for Will Greenwood to notch the Lions’ opening try, and the leveller just before the break at 13-13.

Evans tagged on a quick penalty after the interval but then the Lions gradually moved up a gear. Debutant and eventual man-of-the-match Jones was put over by his international team mate Shane Williams, for Hodgson to convert.

Although Evans reduced the tourists’ advantage back to 20-19, another Hodgson penalty and a sizzling try for wing Williams, set-up by Jones and moved out wide to the left by the swift handling of Greenwood, replacement Ollie Smith and Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy, ended the game as a contest.

OTAGO: Glen Horton; Hayden Pedersen, Neil Brew, Seilala Mapusua, Matt Saunders; Nick Evans, Danny Lee; Carl Hoeft, Jason Macdonald, Craig Dunlea, Filipo Levi, Tom Donnelly, Craig Newby (Capt), Josh Blackie, Grant Webb.

Replacements used: Jason Shoemark for Brew (47 mins), Jed Vercoe for MacDonald (62), Alando Soakai for Blackie (78). Not used: Jeremy Aldworth, Andrew McClintock, Chris Smylie, Ryan Bambry.

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS:

(15) Geordan Murphy (Leicester/Ireland)
(14) Denis Hickie (Leinster/Ireland)
(13) Will Greenwood (NEC Harlequins/England)
(12) Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster/Ireland)
(11) Shane Williams (The Ospreys/Wales)
(10) Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks/England)
(9) Chris Cusiter (The Borders/Scotland)
(1) Graham Rowntree (Leicester/England)
(2) Gordon Bulloch (Glasgow/Scotland) (Captain)
(3) Matt Stevens (Bath/England)
(4) Simon Shaw (Wasps/England)
(5) Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster/Ireland)
(6) Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets/Ireland)
(7) Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
(8) Ryan Jones (The Ospreys/Wales)

Replacements used: Ollie Smith (Leicester/England) for D’Arcy (48 mins), Matt Dawson (Wasps/England) for Cusiter, Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks/England) for Stevens, Steve Thompson (Northampton/England) for Bulloch, Danny Grewcock (Bath/England) for Shaw (all 62), Ronan O’Gara (Munster/Ireland) for Hodgson (70), Michael Owen (Newport-Gwent Dragons/Wales) for Jones (77).

HT: Otago 13 Lions 13; Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)