New Zealand v British and Irish Lions: All Blacks outclass Lions in first Test

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Alex Payne: Notes from New Zealand

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Full-time: New Zealand 30-15 British and Irish Lions

New Zealand tries:  Taylor (18), Ioane (55, 70)
Conversions: Barrett (20, 56, 71)
Penalties: Barrett (14, 34, 61) 

The Lions tries:  O'Brien (36), Webb (80)
Conversions: Farrell (80)
Penalties: Farrell (30) 

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FT: So that's it. The All Blacks extend their winning run over the Lions at Eden Park with a dominant display. Read lea from the front and Ioane crossed twice while Barrett's kicking was impecable. For the Lions, they created plenty of chances but scored only two through O'Brien and Webb, but ultimately made too many errors. They certainly have plenty of work to do ahead of next week's second Test in Wellington.

79 mins: The Lions are finishing strongly. Sexton again kicks to the corner. Can they finish with a flourish? Yes, they can. TRY -  Rhys Webb. The Wales scrum-half dives over from close range. Farrell kicks the extras and that's it. 30-15.

76 mins: Read leaves the field to a standing ovation. What a captain's performance from a man who hasn't played for six weeks.

70 mins: TRY - Rieko Ioane. Game set and match to the All Blacks as Ioane crosses for his second try of the match and Barrett again, who has been flawless, lands another two points - it's 30-8. If there were any question marks about this All Blacks side they have answered that in the best possible way as they have been truly outstanding.

Here's the latest betting update from Sky Bet: The handicap line is now at 19.5 - that would be a bitterly-disappointing margin of defeat for the Lions. Rieko Ioane is the 6/1 favourite to score the next try, while he's a 9/1 Price Boost to add a second to score a brace. Check out all the odds here.

64 mins: The errors are piling up for the Lions and the world champions are looking like running away with this game. Another penalty but this time New Zealand kick to the corner. Fortunately for the Lions Itoje leaps and wins the lineout ball.

60 mins: It's easy to see why the All Blacks have such a superb record at Eden Park. More pressure and the hosts are rewarded as Sexton goes offside. Barrett kicks another penalty and it's 23-8.

58 mins: Johnny Sexton and Kyle Sinckler are on for the Lions for Ben Te'o and Tadhg Furlong respectively. Te'o impressed for the Lions who have reshuffled their back line and moved Farrell to centre.

54 mins: TRY - Rieko Ioane. The 20-year-old Blues winger justifies his call up by touching down in the corner. The referee went to TMO to question a possible knock-on from Kieran Read but it was pure class from the skipper who scooped the ball up off the floor to Aaron Smith and the ball found its way out to Ioane. Barrett adds the extras and it's 20-8 and the Lions have it all to do.

51 mins: Jack McGrath is on for Mako Vunipola in the front row for the tourists as the All Blacks up the pressure again. Off goes Peter O'Mahony and on comes tour captain Sam Warburton.

47 mins: Alun Wyn Jones is off and replaced by Maro Itoje for the Lions and Ardie Savea for the All Blacks. And it's raining, that will certainly make handling tricky for these sides.

43 mins:  What a stunning start to the second-half as the Lions create two or three brilliant chances. Davies and Anthony Watson and Williams all go close. This is an amazing match and Liam Williams is at the centre of every attacking move for the Lions. What a selection from Gatland.

41 mins: We're off and running in the second-half. 

Here's the half-time betting update from Sky Bet: The Lions are right back in this but they are still 5/1 to win the game as they head in at half time. The All Blacks are 1/6 to see the game out.The Lions are currently getting 10.5 points on the handicap line - it's 5/6 about either side in that market. Having already gone close, Elliot Daly features among the in-play Price Boosts  - he's 11/1 (from 17/2) to score a try in the second half. See all the odds and bet here. 

40 mins: HALF TIME.  

New Zealand lead by five points at the break but the Lions will more than settle for that after finding themselves on the back foot for the majority of the first-half. What a finish to the half from the Lions and what a stunning try, finished off by Sean O'Brien.

35 mins: TRY - Sean O'Brien. Liam Williams produced a moment of brilliance to break out of defence, Daly and Davies take it on and O'Brien crosses for a thrilling try. Farrell is wide with the kick at goal but that was a stunning bounce-back from the Lions shortly before the break. It's 13-8 to New Zealand.

33 mins: The All Blacks hit back immediately with another penalty through Barrett to make it 13-3.

32 mins:  Another injury blow for the All Blacks as Ryan Crotty pulls up with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Anton Liernert-Brown. Smith is also not coming back on so 

30 mins: The Lions are into the All Backs '22' and Sam Whitelock is penalised. It's a chance for Owen Farrell to get the Lions' first points on the board and the No 10 does the business. It's 10-3.

26 mins: Injury worry for New Zealand as Ben Smith is forced off with a head injury and replaced by Aaron Cruden. Barrett moves to full-back.

22 mins: After a promising start from the Lions the hosts are showing their class and Gatland's men have no answers. Or do they? 

17 mins: TRY - Codie Taylor: New Zealand win another penalty but Aaron Smith takes a quick one and the Lions are caught out. Barrett feeds Israel Dagg who fires a superb ball to hooker Taylor (yes, hooker) who picks up superbly to score. What skill for the big man. Barrett adds the extras and it's 10-0.

12 mins: There's a real sense that the All Blacks are upping their game and piling on the pressure. The Lions go offside and Barrett takes full advantage with the opening penalty. It's 3-0 to the hosts.

8 mins: The Lions are more than holding their own in the early stages against the world champions. The scrum and line-out looks solid.

5 mins: It's end to end in a frantic opening from both sides. What a start.

2 mins: A stunning start from the Lions as Jonathan Davies breaks the line and sets up Conor Murray who offloads to Eliott Daly, but the England wing is forced into touch a yard from the line. What a chance for the Lions.

0835: We're off and running as New Zealand kick off through Beauden Barrett.

0832: And now the Haka! It sends a tingle down your spine doesn't it!

0830: The teams are out. So to coin a phrase from the great American boxing announcer, Michael Buffer: “Let’s get ready to rumble!”

0828:   I’m sure the nerves are jangling now in the dressing rooms ahead of what is for the majority of players on show the biggest matches of their career.   The waiting is finally over. 

0827: Can the Lions do it? The degree of difficulty is tough enough across three games against the reigning world champions. But two of those matches are here at Eden Park in Auckland - where New Zealand last lost on July 3, 1994.   France were their conquerors, winning 23-20 thanks to a breathtaking length-of-the-field try seconds from time, and while New Zealand's next Eden Park Test finished 18-18 against South Africa, they have since reeled off 37 successive victories during a 38-match unbeaten sequence.  

0825:  The Tour so far

June 3 - New Zealand Provincial Barbarians: won 13-7

June 7 - Blues: Lost 22-16

June 10 - Crusaders: Won 12-3

June 13 - Highlanders: Lost 23-22

June 17 - Maori All Blacks: Won 32-10

June 20 - Chiefs: Won 34-6

0820:   Having a bet on today’s showdown? Still not sure where to put your money? Why not check out Tony Calvin’s comprehensive betting preview for today’s clash including a 14/1 tip. If your interested, I fancy debutant Rieko Ioane to score the opening try for the All Blacks, he’s got bags of pace and showed his real class by scoring for the Blues in their win over the Lions earlier in the tour. 

Click here for live Sky Bet odds here

0817:   Interestingly, O’Mahony’s wife found out her husband was to captain the Lions from the other wives and girlfriends before he had had chance to call her. I suppose he has had a lot on his plate. I know my wife wouldn’t have been too pleased to her big news like that second hand.   

0815:  Peter O’Mahony is one of them and leads the Lions for the first time ahead of Sam Warburton, who starts from the bench. It will be a hugely emotional day for the Munsterman who only made the tour after Jamie Heaslip who was injured in the warm-up against England back in March. He becomes only the 11th Irishman to captain the Lions. Fittingly it was Lions’ legend Brian O’Driscoll who handed O’Mahony his Test shirt on Thursday.  

0812:  There will be a number of Lions making their Test debuts today. I caught up with former Lions’ back-row Scott Quinnell, ahead of the tour, and he remembers his debut against Australia back in 2001 like it were yesterday.   

The former Wales forward, had been forced to leave the 1997 tour early through injury, scored a try in a memorable victory in Brisbane. 

Quinnell, now part of the Sky Sports’ commentary team covering the current tour, recalled that day:   “We overwhelmed Australia that day. There was 35,000 fans there from Great Britain and Ireland, a sea of red and I don’t think Australia were ready for it. 

“I walked into Brisbane the day before the match and it just hit you the enormity of the situation with everyone coming together at that one point. It was a very special occasion.  

“When Martin Johnson led us on to the field the noise was absolutely electric. All those years of training and playing was worth it for that alone.”  

0808:  Today’s referee is South African Jaco Peyper. Interestingly, Peyper came in for heavy criticism of his performance in New Zealand’s win over Ireland in Dublin in November last year so it will be interesting to see how he handles matters.

0805:  Let’s get a quick reminder of the teams

New Zealand: B Smith; I Dagg, R Crotty, S B Williams, R Ioane; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt). Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, A Lienert-Brown.    

British and Irish Lions: L Williams, A Watson, J Davies, B Te'o, E Daly, O Farrell, C Murray, M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, AW Jones, G Kruis, P O'Mahony (capt), S O'Brien, T Faletau. Replacements: K Owens, J McGrath, K Sinckler, M Itoje, S Warburton, R Webb, J Sexton, L Halfpenny. 

0800:  The rain that threatened has stopped, it’s breezy and cool in Auckland this morning. There's 20,000 Lions' fans expected in the ground and that will certainly create a red-hot atmosphere.  

0750: A very good morning and welcome along to our live coverage of today’s opening Test between New Zealand and the British and Irish Lions. I’m Steve Bramley and I’ll be providing you with all the build-up and live action ahead of this hugely anticipated clash between the world champions and Warren Gatland’s Lions at Eden Park.

If you have any views on Gatland’s selection, or thoughts of your own please send them to me at feedback@sportinglife.com. 

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