ONE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Gerry Thornleyreports from the Gabba in Brisbane on the Lions' brilliant first Test victory over the Australians on June 30th, 2001
Australia 13
The Lions 29
AS HAS become custom on this tour, after the hosts took exception to earlier post-match pitch invasions, there were repeated warnings at the Gabba that any spectators encroaching onto the playing surface would receive a minimum Aus$500 fine.
For the first hour or so, it seemed there was a case for fining the Wallabies.
No one really knew quite what to expect on Saturday, but pretty much no one expected this. Even in their most optimistic moments, the Lions may well have envisaged putting together such an all-embracing performance of their own, but not that the world champions would be so off the pace, especially their famed defence.
It was no surprise that the volume of support for the tourists was even greater than officially forecast, or that the Lions would try to take the game to the Wallabies by attacking them out wide as well as targeting the home pack in the scrums and lineout drives.
But the extent of the double whammy was still quite something and left Australia reeling.
All day long it was as if Brisbane had become a little corner of England, and Wales and Ireland and Scotland too. They had camped outside the bars, drinking and singing good-
naturedly from late morning. No one needed directions to the ground: just follow the crowds.
The Gabba was awash in gold and red, but mostly red. Contrary to official forecasts of 12,000, the barmy red army must have numbered at least 20,000 of the 37,460 attendance, with the help of the expatriate community. It certainly looked that way, and it sure as hell sounded that way.
Keith Wood had tried to warn the Lions debutants of the wall of sound they would encounter, that it was greater than anything in the Six Nations. Supporters had saved, sometimes for years, for what might also be the biggest trip/holiday of their lives. Whatever, they would give it the full blast.
One local sitting in front of me at pitchside who'd seen Aussie Rules, cricket and league at the Gabba, said he'd never heard noise like it at the old ground.
Quite what the world champions thought of being booed onto their own turf heaven only knows.
Then, as we suggested they might, the Lions made the bold statement of intent by moving the ball to Brian O'Driscoll with their first play for him to breach the famed golden line. To then move the recycle on to that other game-breaker Jason Robinson for him to transfix Chris Latham to the spot and then do his Billy Whizz around him - well, psychologically, Australia were on the back foot for the rest of a remarkable night.
When asked in a contemplative moment in a corridor underneath what he would savour from this game, the normally taciturn Graham Henry couldn't bottle up his immense satisfaction any longer.
"Probably the first try," he purred. "We took them on, got over the advantage line right away through O'Driscoll, and then scored wide out. It was a magic start. Unbelievable."
All the coaching staff could feel reasonably well pleased - not that they'd show it too much, mind.
The set-pieces were, unsurprisingly, a source of Lions strength. The scrum was offensive (it's hard to see how the Wallabies can buy one of them in the next week) and the lineout was even better, as the Lions drove the Wallabies back.
The Lions pack had the measure of their hosts; the only nagging doubt was that this superiority wasn't reflected on the scoreboard as Andrew Walker and Jonny Wilkinson traded penalties. But something else was happening.
The Wallabies weren't penetrating the Lions' swarming defence. The big ramblers were generally rumbled at source by excellent first-up tackling. Even when Nathan Grey or someone else might break one tackle, he was quickly smothered.
The organisation and communication must have been excellent. The numbers were always there, until the Lions lapsed into defensive mode and were reduced to 14 men with the game well won.
They'd also kept a few tricks up their sleeves, and when O'Driscoll and Robinson strutted across field to exchange places with Wilkinson and Matt Perry to the narrower side of that 40th-minute scrum on half-way, you sensed they were up to something. The Wallabies didn't react, and O'Driscoll cut inside Stephen Larkham and Robinson provided the link for Daffyd James's try.
When O'Driscoll turned on the afterburners at the start of the second half, it was party time. All night Bread of Heaven, Molly Malone and Flower of Scotland had intermingled easily (Swing Low? Well, there are limits).
Now it was time to chide the locals. "You're not singing anymore," echoed around the Gabba.
Viewed now, the Aussie propaganda war can almost be viewed as fear, and with good reason.
They looked dangerous after multi-phases against 14 men, but otherwise they looked very patterned and certainly lacking the individualism of O'Driscoll.
There were blemishes. Scott Quinnell was the leading culprit at the breakdown, and Corry was unlucky to receive the yellow card the Welshman deserved.
Iain Balshaw looked ropier than Perry, but the good thing about Wilkinson's unexceptional performance is that he'll probably be exceptional next week.
SCORING SEQUENCE:4 mins: Robinson try 0-5; 22: Walker pen 3-5; 40: James try, Wilkinson 3-12; (half-time 3-12); 42: O'Driscoll try, Wilkinson con 3-19; 45: Wilkinson pen 3-22; 52: Quinnell try, Wilkinson con 3-29; 76: Walker try 8-29; 79: Grey try 13-29.
AUSTRALIA:C Latham (Queensland); A Walker (ACT), 0 Herbert (Queensland), N Grey (NSW), J Roff (ACT); S Larkham (ACT), G Gregan (ACT); N Stiles (Queensland), J Paul (ACT), G Panoho (Queensland ), 0 Giffin (ACT), J Eales (Queensland, capt), 0 Finegan (ACT ), T Kefu (Queensland), G Smith (ACT). Replacements: M Burke (NSW) for Latham (half-time), M Foley (Queensland) for Paul (56 mins), E Flatley for Larkham (56 mins), B Darwin (ACT) for Panoho (68 mins) , M Cockbain (Queensland) for Eales (73 mins), 0 Lyons (NSW) for Finegan (83 mins).
LIONS:M Perry (England); D James (Wales), B O'Driscoll (Ireland), R Henderson (Ireland), J Robinson (England); J Wilkinson (England), R Howley (Wales); T Smith (Scotland), K Wood (Ireland), P Vickery (England), M Johnson (England, capt), D Grewcock (England), M Corry (England), S Quinnell (Wales), R Hill (England). Replacements: I Balshaw (England) for Perry (half-time), C Charvis (Wales) for Quinnell (69 mins), G Bulloch (Scotland ) for Wood (75-82 mins), J Leonard (England) for Smith (82 mins). Sinbinned - Corry (68-79 mins), Vickery (85-91 mins).
Referee:A Watson (South Africa).
