Masterful McCaw delivers once more

He is the undisputed master and now Richie McCaw can add the Lions to the list of sides he has conquered.

The All Black openside was expected to give a master-class at the breakdown, and so it turned out last night as he struck with the ferocity of the wintry blast that hit Jade Stadium.

Marty Holah gave the Lions an idea of what they would be up against in the Maori win a fortnight ago but McCaw was a step up again. He led a very efficient All Black forward display as they got numbers to the breakdown, controlled the ball well and supplied tidy possession to a confident backline.

The breakdown has been one of the tour's major talking points and despite Neil Back being 36 years young with more than a couple of games under his belt, the question was whether he could contain the best No 7 in the world and slow the All Blacks down. By and large, he couldn't.

Back's cause wasn't helped by the loss of one of the games best exponents at the breakdown, Richard Hill, who left the ground after the first quarter with a knee injury.

The Lions tried to commit bodies to the rucks, as they had against Wellington, but they flopped on the ball rather than staying on their feet.

One of their major problems, however, was that they simply couldn't get their hands on the ball against a pack showing greater technique and body position. When they did, they kicked possession away.

It wasn't only McCaw who was to the fore, as Rodney So'oialo put in the type of performance that may convince Graham Henry he could slot into McCaw's shoes should the Cantabrian ever be forced from the field during this series.

Interestingly, the Lions tried to play the game at pace, which took most of the 35,000-strong crowd by surprise, even when shots at goal seemed the better option. But their own supply of ball was largely laboured and they were invariably on the back foot with a black wall baring down on them.

The All Blacks' first points arrived courtesy of a Lions indiscretion at the breakdown as a pair of big Lions hands ventured where referee Joel Jutge didn't want them to go.

Beefy lock Paul O'Connell saw yellow when he committed a blatant professional foul soon after with the All Blacks just metres from the Lions line.

The breakdown was not the only area they managed to gain superiority, as they put immense pressure on the Lions lineout - one area the visitors were expected to gain some semblance of parity, if not dominance. Chris Jack and Ali Williams had something of a field day as they were comfortable with their own throws and often snaffled a number of Lions put-ins. By halftime, the Lions had won only two of their own ball, forcing Sir Clive's side to try a number of variations in the lineout.

The All Blacks will take great heart from their forwards last night. They will now hope McCaw's troublesome back isn't too sore this morning.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY