WHANGAREI, New Zealand (AP) The British and Irish Lions narrowly avoided humiliation in the opening match of their rugby tour of New Zealand on Saturday when they stumbled to a 13-7 win over the semiprofessionals of the Provincial Barbarians.
The Lions took 51 minutes to score their only try through winger Anthony Watson and were outplayed in most areas by a Barbarians side drawn from New Zealand’s minor provinces, which had only days to prepare for the match.
The match prompted some to compare the current Lions team with their 1966 predecessors, who are the only Lions to have lost the opening match in New Zealand and are regarded as the worst to have toured here.