British and Irish Lions player ratings: How did the Lions get on during the defeat to the Blues?
It was the first defeat of the tour for Warren Gatland's men
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Your support makes all the difference.The British and Irish Lions suffered their first defeat on their tour of New Zealand after a 22-16 loss to the Blues dealt them an early blow on their quest to try and conquer the All Blacks.
The Lions were outscored three tries to one but looked to be on course for victory thanks to the boot of Leigh Halfpenny, with the Wales full-back contributing 11 points alongside CJ Stander’s try.
Despite trailing at half-time, the Lions were able to fight back from the Blues’ tries – scored by the impressive Rieko Ioane and Sonny Bill Williams – and took the lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.
But a brilliant 60m try turned the tables on the Lions and secured an historic victory for the Blues, with Steven Luatua’s offload releasing Williams, who in turn passed to replacement fly-half Ihaia West to beat Halfpenny and score under the posts.
The defeat is not just a setback for the Lions, but also a major dent to their morale ahead of their next match against the unbeaten Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
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