Bulloch charges into Test picture

Together with Gareth Jenkins, the lyrical wordsmith from Llanelli, and the increasingly authoritative defence specialist Mike Ford, the longest-serving Lions coach of all dragged just enough from a tired set of tourists to nail a first Lions victory over Auckland in almost 30 years. They managed only one try, created in characteristic style by the impressive Mark Cueto and finished in the right corner by Martyn Williams. Then again, their opponents did no better. It was a tough, black-and-blue kind of encounter, played in front of a 47,000-strong full house, and the Lions would have settled for any kind of positive result.

Had Auckland been armed with their internationals - Doug Howlett and Mils Muliaina in the backs, Keven Mealamu and Ali Williams up front - they would almost certainly have won the game. Come to think of it, they would have won it had they possessed a line-out worthy of the name. Semisi Telefoni, their fifth-choice hooker, had almost as big a shocker with his throwing-in as Shane Byrne, of Ireland, in the Christchurch Test. A Telefoni with no receiver? It was not what Auckland needed.

There was, however, much to said for this Lions performance, proud and committed as it was. They were magnificently led by the Scottish front-rower Gordon Bulloch, who certainly deserves a place in the squad for this weekend's final Test, and there were strong contributions from Cueto on the right wing and Matt Dawson at scrum-half. Charlie Hodgson might also have pressed for promotion, but after starting with a hiss and a roar, he was reduced to his component parts by the aforementioned Telefoni and made a forlorn departure after only 22 minutes, barely able to breathe.

Ben Kay, who was not in a position to push for a Test place following his misfire in Christchurch, did not go the distance either. The Leicester lock attempted to wrestle the ball from Sam Tuitupou after the Lions had been awarded a penalty late in the first half and received a high-quality punch in the right eye for his trouble. What was more, the penalty was reversed. Somehow, it summed up the Lions' experience over the last six weeks.

Tuitupou was cited, however, for allegedly stamping or trampling on Gordon D'Arcy in the 52nd minute.

Graham Rowntree was also cited, for allegedly striking the lock Bryce Williams in the first minute of the game, and was due to appear before an independent judiciary hearing at Eden Park last night.

Nothing could wipe the smile from McGeechan's visage, though. "I'm hugely proud of that performance," he said following the last knockings of a Lions career stretching back to 1974, when he was a Test centre in South Africa. "There were people in that side who played their hearts out. In the first half, we were tactically sound. The second half was distinguished by a huge collective effort."

And Kay? "Well, there's no doubt he was punched, but we must now investigate how the incident developed. He received a beauty, that's for sure."

The Lions started strongly, Hodgson kicking an early penalty after Daniel Braid had illegally interfered with a powerful drive from Gordon D'Arcy and Simon Shaw, and after the stand-off's premature departure, Ronan O'Gara doubled the tally from close range. Auckland were not best pleased when John Afoa, their tight-head prop, bullocked his way over from a cleverly organised tap-penalty move but was not credited with a legitimate grounding of the ball. The home side were wasteful as well as unfortunate; too often, their high-speed attacking game was undermined by imprecise passing in midfield.

Six points ahead at 9-3, the Lions scored in the fifth minute of first-half injury time when Cueto lured Isa Nacewa up the garden path by cleverly delaying his fielding of a defensive clearance and then beat four defenders in a rampage through the most heavily populated region of the field. He was brought to earth five metres short, but a quick ruck and a sharp delivery to Williams did the trick.

Auckland were always likely to accelerate after the interval, and they moved to within a point through a second penalty by Brent Ward and a fine try from Nacewa. But the Lions manned the barricades with considerable courage and no little expertise in the final quarter and had the last say with O'Gara's third penalty as the game moved into stoppage time.

AUCKLAND: B Ward; I Nacewa, B Atiga, S Tuitupou, J Rokocoko; T Lavea, S Devine; S Taumoepeau, S Telefoni, J Afoa, B Mika, B Williams, J Collins (capt), D Braid, A MacDonald. Replacements: J Kaino for Mika, 45; C Heard for Taumoepeau, 63; K Haiu for MacDonald, 69; G Williams for Nacewa, 73; I Toe'ava for Atiga, 79.

BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: G Murphy (Ireland); M Cueto (England), G D'Arcy (Ireland), W Greenwood (England), D Hickie (Ireland); C Hodgson (England), M Dawson (England); G Rowntree (England), G Bulloch (Scotland, capt), J Hayes (Ireland), S Shaw (England), B Kay (England), J White (Scotland), M Williams (Wales), M Owen (Wales). Replacements: R O'Gara (Ireland) for Hodgson, 22; B Cockbain (Wales) for Kay, 40; S Horgan (Ireland) for Greenwood, 51; M Corry (England) for White, 56; M Stevens (England) for Hayes, 61.

Referee: S Walsh (New Zealand)

HEINEKEN CUP FIXTURES,