Rugby Union: Lions are shaken in defeat

Otago. .37

British Isles. .24

THE FIFTH match of a tour is deemed to have special significance. It was the making of the 1971 tour in Wellington, and on the evidence of yesterday's display in Dunedin, it could well be the breaking of the 1993 Lions. Not only was this one of the heaviest defeats ever inflicted on the Lions, but the damage to morale was equalled by the physical damage to three players.

Most serious, initially, was the injury to Martin Bayfield who was upended at a line-out in the closing stages and then taken to hospital in a neck brace. There was no loss of feeling, but intense pain between the shoulder blades meant that every precaution was taken.

Much earlier Will Carling, who was attempting to establish his Test place, and was doing very nicely, had departed with a strained thigh muscle, to be followed later by his replacement, Scott Hastings, who accompanied Bayfield to hospital with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone. Bayfield was later discharged and should be fit to play in the Test on Saturday, but Hastings was detained overnight, and with Carling's fitness also in doubt the Lions have asked for a replacement centre. Both the nominated reserves, Phil de Glanville and Mike Hall, are injured and so the man summoned to join the touring party is the Irishman Vince Cunningham. Cunningham, capped 14 times, will not be unknown to New Zealanders. He scored two tries for Ireland in the first Test against the All Blacks last year.

It was a subdued party who headed for Invercargill this morning, and it will take all Ian McGeechan's healing power to put Humpty together again in time for the first Test on Saturday at Christchurch.

Because, make no mistake about it, the Lions were routed by Otago, who scored five glorious tries and might, with luck, have scored at least another three. Steve Bachop gave a wondrous display at fly-half and Stu Forster, his scrum-half, was not far behind. Both cut gaping holes in what had been an almost impenetrable Lions defence. Yesterday it was Otago who hit their tackles and the Lions who missed. Where Otago, who played at a ferocious pace from start to finish, were sharp and inventive the Lions were leaden and predictable.

The commitment of one or two of the tight forwards was questionable and behind such an unproductive pack, the backs - Dewi Morris and the flat-running Stuart Barnes in particular - were unable to establish command. A 50- 50 ball, and it was Otago who won it. Not only that, but they demolished the aura of invincibility which has grown up around the Lions pack, once driving them in a maul back 30 yards over their line. David Latta, the Otago captain, was credited with the score. But the try which turned the match was the second scored by Paul Cooke, the Otago left-wing, just before half-time.

The Lions were approaching the interval in reasonably good order. They were ahead by 10 points with tries by Dean Richards, who had supported Rory Underwood's break in midfield, and by Ieuan Evans, whose confidence is taking him to parts of the field his speed has not always done. In addition to this, Gavin Hastings had kicked two penalties and converted Evans's try.

With Bayfield in control at the line-out, with Winterbottom winning just enough loose ball to keep the rest of the forwards interested and with John Timu having to contend with a shelling by Barnes as well as the glare from the sun, there was no reason for panic. What is more, the Lions were only a few yards from the Otago line. But on this occasion Otago won the ball and, not for the first time, Forster escaped close to the fringe of the maul. Bachop, Marc Ellis and Forster again were involved in a flowing move before Cooke finished it off in the corner.

Otago never looked back, and the Lions seemed incapable of moving forward. Their momentum and, more important, their motivation seemed to desert them.

The more possession Otago won the hungrier they got, like vultures at a feast. There were blue shirts coming at the Lions from every angle. The Lions counters, few as they were, quickly came to grief. Even worse was their failure to execute basic essentials like finding touch.

John Leslie and Timu scored further tries, the latter after a delightful break and pass by Forster. In response Gavin Hastings kicked two more penalties, but the final score fittingly came from Bachop's boot. His dropped goal soared over the bar as Bayfield lay motionless on the ground. In that frozen frame was the story of the match.

BRITISH ISLES: G Hastings (Scotland, capt); I Evans (Wales), W Carling, J Guscott, R Underwood; S Barnes, D Morris (all England); N Popplewell (Ireland), K Milne, P Burnell (both Scotland), M Bayfield, W Dooley, M Teague, D Richards, P Winterbottom (all England). Replacements: S Hastings (Scotland) for Carling, 10 min; A Clement (Wales) for S Hastings, 45 min; M Galwey (Ireland) for Bayfield, 78 min.

OTAGO: J Timu; P Cooke, M Ellis, A Bell, J Leslie; S Bachop, S Forster; M Mika, D Latta (capt), N Moore, G Macpherson, A Rich, J Joseph, A Pene, J Kronfeld.

Scores: G Hastings (pen, 1 min, 0-3); Cooke (try, 20 min, 5-3); Richards / G Hastings (try / conv, 23 min 5-10); Bell (pen, 25 min, 8-10); Evans (try, 28 min, 8-15); G Hastings (pen, 31 min, 8-18); Cooke (try, 39 min, 13-18); Leslie / Bell (try / conv, 49 min, 20-18); Latta / Bell (try / conv, 55 min, 27-18); G Hastings (pen, 61 min, 27-21); Timu / Bell (try / conv, 68 min, 34-21); G Hastings (pen, 70 min, 34-24); Bachop (drop goal, 78 min, 37-24).

(Photograph omitted)