Tired old start but, boy, did these Lions spring to life

BRENDAN GALLAGHER reviews the last five weeks and picks out his big winners and losers

Match 1, June 3:
Provincial Barbarians 7
British and Irish Lions 13
Okara Park, Whangarei, 19,951
Barely 72 hours off the plane with some of the match day squad admitting to snoozing on the drive to the ground, the Lions made the most sluggish of starts up in Whangarei against a pumped-up team of rugged provincial stalwarts and tyros, many of them looking for Super Rugby contracts. Bryn Gatland, son of the Lions coach, converted a try by Sam Anderson- Heather for the Barbarians but the Lions did just enou...

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