The Lions have done what many thought to be impossible, in the process giving themselves hope to claim a series no other Lions touring squad has been able to win since 1971.
The Lions had to overcome a lot to defeat the All Blacks on Saturday night, and in doing so managed something many in the international game have never done. It was a great gave, and the Lions deserved the win – and that’s coming from an All Blacks fan. I hope te Lions bring a higher level of intensity and physicality with fewer errors to next week’s game, which I cannot wait for.
But even before considering the next game the Lions have broken some seriously cool stats.
In All Blacks history there have been only three red cards dealt, including the one on Saturday to Sonny Bill. Sonny becomes the first player ever to be red-carded in a Lions series.
The last All Black to have been red carded was Sir Colin Meads in 1967 against Scotland in Murrayfield. Meads was only the second All Black to be red carded in history since Cyril Brownlie in 1925 against England for participating in a brawl, and remarkably Brownlie was the first ever international to be red-carded.
The All Blacks haven’t lost a test in New Zealand since 2009, when they came off second-best to the mighty Springboks at Hamilton. Since then the All Blacks have been undefeated at home for 47 test matches across New Zealand.
The last time the All Blacks have been kept tryless was in 2002 in a Tri-Nations opener against the Wallabies.
Wyatt Crocket has now been part of an All Blacks test lost. As of November 2016 Crockett held the record for most consecutive tests, at 43.
This is the first time legends like Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones and many of the Lions players have beaten the All Blacks.
Now the Lions set out to do what no other team has done since 1994: defeat the All Blacks in Eden Park to claim the series. Good luck to both teams. I hope all players bring their A-game and that the match isn’t defined by errors or foul play.
