International rugby window: Lions SLIP through to victory

The conclusion of the The British & Irish Lions tour first match against the Wallabies brought a sense of deja vu about it - a team in a red shirt and white shorts looked on in bated breath as the last decisive kick of a magnitudinous game was about to be taken.

On 21 May 2008, Manchester United players could do nothing but watch in agony in the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia as John Terry stepped up to take the penalty kick that was either going to hand Chelsea its first Champions League crown in the clubs history or give Manchester United its hat-rick of European titles.

But just like Kurtley Beale did at the Suncorp Stadium five years and a month later, John Terry slipped and sent the team in a red shirt and white shorts and its supporters into hysteria.

Yes, popular belief making the Lions favourites to win the first Test was confirmed as fact when the touring side edged out the hosts 23-21 in an exciting match which ticked most, if not all, of the boxes its reputation and build-up warranted. But it was closer than most people thought it would be.

Typically in a tight rugby match where penalties and/ or conversions become a match decider, hopes rest on either team's kicker and this match was no different. Wallaby fly-half James O'Connor was given the kicking duties on the day but fluffed 2 penalties and 1 conversion which totals to 8 points - 11 if you add Beale's off-target penalty attempt in what was the game's last piece of action. Add that to the Wallaby final score and you get 32 and even if George North's disallowed try was given and Leigh Halfpenny succeeding in his missed conversion attempt towards the end of the first half, the Lions' final score would have probably read 31.

Could've, would've, should've don't work in sports in general because it tends to take away the effort and glory of the victor and in sport the victor is always the deserved winner; but again, I just couldn't help but think: 'Would the Wallabies have lost if Quade Cooper played?'

Well, when Cooper plays he takes the kicks to goal apart from the long ones which are taken by Beale; when Cooper plays a lot of pressure is taken off Will Genia and opposition have a double-threat to worry about and when Cooper plays, there's more creativity and a sense of unexpected danger lurking. You didn't get that from O'Connor on Saturday and apart from a few good passes and generally doing the basics, it's hard to pinpoint any special contribution from the Rebels man.

If you're one for stats, the Wallabies are a better outfit with Cooper occupying the play-maker's position but take nothing away from the Lions who scored 2 brilliant individual-effort tries from George North, and Alex Cuthbert who broke the Wallaby line like a hot knife through butter. 

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/the-statictical-case-for-quade-cooper/

And although the match stats suggested that this was a close encounter, the Lions won on the stat which matters most: the score board.