A late yellow card to Iain Henderson cost the British and Irish Lions in Wellington this morning as they were forced to concede a 31-31 draw against the Super Rugby champions.
The tourists were in control for the first 40 minutes and led 23-7 at the break against an ill-discipline outfit with Tommy Seymour and George North scoring the tries.
Both were converted by Dan Biggar who also slotted three penalties while the Kiwis could only get on the board with a converted try to Callum Gibbins.
Ngani Lauampe got the host back into the game but a yellow card to Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi handed the Lions the upper hand as Biggar kicked another penalty and Seymour picked up his second try of the game for a 31-17 lead.
But Iain Henderson was sin binned for the Lions and they paid a heavy price for it with tries from Wes Goosen and Vaea Fifita getting the hosts back on level terms.
Both team showed intentions of throwing the ball around but the Lions lacked accuracies while indiscipline crippled the hosts and Biggar opened the scoring for the Lions with a penalty 11 minutes in.
The game’s opening try came seven minutes later and it was made in Scotland with Greig Laidlaw intercepting the ball on the Lions 22 before finding Seymour for a clear run to the line from half-way.
Biggar extended the lead with a long-range penalty from just inside the Hurricanes‘ half to take the lead to 13 points but the Kiwis finally hit back.
Managing to keep hold of the ball for more than a two phases, the Hurricanes forwards took matters in their own hands and Glasgow-bound flanker Callum Gibbins barged over.
Jordie Barrett converted and despite not being in the game for the first half-hour, the Hurricanes were only within six points of the Lions.
But straight from the restart, the Hurricanes conceded yet another penalty and Biggar slotted another three points to give the Lions a bit more room.
They took a 16-point lead into the break though as the Hurricanes couldn’t deal with a Leigh Halfpenny bomb and Henderson was on hand to gather the ball and quickly pass it to the oncoming North who cantered under the posts.
It only took one minute in the second half to see the Hurricanes’ response and it was a brutal one.
Julian Savea was put clear in midfield with a clever inside and the ‘Bus’ drew Halfpenny before passing to Lauampe down the right wing who burst through Biggar to touch down in the corner.
Jordie Barrett converted and then slotted a penalty to bring the hosts to within six points of the Lions again.
But they were dealt a blow soon after when Tahuriorangi was sin binned by French referee Romain Poite for a high tackle on Jack Nowell.
Biggar slotted the resulting penalty and Henderson came close from scoring under the posts but the television match official deemed the Irish lock was held up.
It was only a matter of time for the Lions who use the five metre scrum to draw the Hurricanes defence to the right side of the pitch and then swung the ball back to the left and slick hands from Biggar, Nowell and Halfpenny sent Seymour over for his second try of the game.
The Hurricanes were invited back into the game when Henderson was shown a yellow card for a dangerous clearout of Barrett at the breakdown.
Barrett got up to kick the hosts into the Lions 22 and after some hard graft from the forwards, it was Barrett again who proved decisive with his long pass finding Goosen down the right flank for a try.
Barrett converted and the Lions were back to within seven points and two minutes later they were back on level terms as Fifita showed great power to cross under the posts.
The Lions had one last go to snatch the win and Biggar went for the match-winning drop-goalfrom 40 metres but his attempt fell agonisingly short and that was that.
SCORERS
For Hurricanes
Tries: Gibbins 28, Lauampe 41, Goosen 68, Fifita 70
Conversions: Barrett 28, 41, 68, 70
Penalties: Barrett 49
For Lions
Tries: Seymour 18, 56, North 37
Conversions: Biggar 18, 37
Penalties: Biggar 11, 24, 31, 51
TEAMS
Hurricanes: Barrett, Milner-Skudder, Aso, Lauampe, J Savea, Black, Tahuriorangi; May, Riccitelli, Toomaga-Allen, Abbott, Lousi, Fifita, Gibbins, Shields
Replacements: Apisai, Eves, Kainga, Blackwell, Prinsep, Hauiti-Parapara, Goosen, Jane
British and Irish Lions: Nowell, Seymour, Joseph, Henshaw, North, Biggar, Laidlaw; Marler, Best, Cole, Henderson, Lawes, Haskell, Tipuric, Stander
Replacements: Dacey, Dell, Francis, Hill, Kruis, G Davies, Russell, Payne.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Attendance: 38,690
