From NICK CAIN at Toll Stadium, Whangarei

Pick of the pack: Taulupe Faletau charges forward

FIRED-UP country boys, home town referees, jet-lag, lack of preparation time, they simply do not cut it as excuses at the top level – and it was no different for the Lions in this tour opener.
In pro sport there are no excuses, even if the Lions administrators should hang their heads in shame for agreeing to a tour with no window for adequate preparation. Even allowing for that proviso the tourists were highly disappointing in this narrow, error-strewn win eked out against a bunch of parttim...