British and Irish Lions vs NZ Provincial Barbarians player ratings: Ben Te’o makes strong start in nervy win
A player-by-player look at Warren Gatland's Lions after their opening match
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Your support makes all the difference.Owen Farrell answered the misfiring British and Irish Lions' distress call to sink the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians 13-7, as Johnny Sexton endured a wretched night in Whangarei.
Ireland fly-half Sexton trudged off after just 48 minutes of the Lions' opening tour clash in New Zealand, removed in part due to a potential leg injury - but also after a miserable performance.
Self-employed maintenance engineer Sam Anderson-Heather's try put the Barbarians 7-3 ahead at the break, with Farrell forced to rescue the tourists in a wholly unconvincing victory.
Sexton boasts 66 caps for Ireland and three for the Lions, but was eclipsed by his opposite number, Bryn Gatland, the 22-year-old son of Lions boss Warren.
England star Farrell had hardly set foot on the sodden Toll Stadium turf when he launched the killer move, then supplied the scoring pass for Anthony Watson's decisive try.
Sexton had admitted in advance of this clash that he was already lagging behind Saracens talisman Farrell in the race for the Lions' number 10 Test shirt.
And against a scratch team of part-timers and youngsters, the vastly experienced Sexton ceded considerable ground in that individual battle with Farrell.
The Lions' gruelling schedule has been dissected ad nauseam in the build-up to their punishing 10-match tour. And playing their first match after just four days in the country took a clear toll on head coach Warren Gatland's men.
Tour captain Sam Warburton insisted jet-lag would be no excuse for the Lions on their first hit-out, so on this evidence Gatland's side have much work to do to build a side to challenge New Zealand.
The Lions move quickly onwards to face Blues in Auckland on Wednesday, and will know full well they must improve out of sight to cope with full-strength Super Rugby sides - let alone the back-to-back world champion All Blacks.
So how the Lions fare? See the gallery above for our player ratings.
Additional reporting by PA
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