Indisciplined British and Irish Lions suffer the Blues as size of task is laid bare

The Lions slipped up 22-16 to the Blues on Wednesday, with Sonny Bill Williams setting Ihaia West free for a stunning late winning score.

Head coach Warren Gatland believes the Lions will benefit from facing the country’s toughest Super Rugby sides before the three-Test All Blacks series starts on June 24.

And, asked if the Lions would swap midweek wins for a first series triumph over the All Blacks since 1971, Ireland prop McGrath replied: “I think so. This is another building block for us.

“They are a tough side – there’s a lot of internationals in the team.

“To get it right further down the line and lose maybe one or two on the way, we definitely take that, yeah.”

The 2017 Lions tour has been dubbed one of the toughest of all time, due to shortened preparation time and a 10-match schedule against New Zealand’s finest.

The Lions must now move on to face the Crusaders on Saturday - a side boasting a perfect 14 wins from 14 Super Rugby matches this term.

But McGrath claimed, where others see dread, the Lions only visualise rich – albeit hugely testing – opportunity.

“We always knew the tour was going to be tough; we’re not looking at it as a daunting task, we’re looking at is as an opportunity,” said McGrath.

“(Wednesday’s match) probably says the opposite but in areas we did well – it’s just our discipline. We are confident we just have to move on.”

Leigh Halfpenny, meanwhile, stressed the Lions were not interested in simply boosting their performance levels as they seek to acclimatise to Super Rugby opposition.

The Wales full-back claimed the Lions would not accept heroic showing in defeat at the Crusaders on Saturday, vowing Gatland’s men were now targeting victory above all else.

“We play this game to win, we’re judged on results and we take the field and we prepare each day to win, so that’ll be the focus for the next game,” said Halfpenny.

“It was a great bit of skill from Sonny Bill Williams to get that offload. But maybe we could have broken off the line a bit harder.Even though it was great skill, we have to react to that.

“If they make a line-break, we have to react, and we probably didn’t react as well as we should have. These teams are quality outfits, and we can’t afford to be as indisciplined as we were. That’s cost us. So one thing going forward is we have to improve that at this point.”

Williams’ magic was all it took for Auckland Blues to sink the British and Irish Lions.

All Blacks talisman Williams’ tight line and offload let the onrushing West race home for the late try that dispatched Gatland’s battling tourists.

The Lions botched the perfect chance to set their tour up and running by throwing away a potentially priceless victory against their first Super Rugby opposition.

Dan Biggar will be an immediate injury doubt after failing to return from a head injury assessment, while Jared Payne limped out in clear pain with a potential foot problem. Rhys Webb enjoyed a fine game but departed late on with an issue the Lions will hope is nothing more than cramp.

Rieko Ioane and Sonny Bill Williams claimed the Blues’ other tries, while CJ Stander snaffled the lone score for the visitors. Halfpenny’s 11 points with the boot kept the tourists in touch, but to no avail.

Whatever the improvements from the tour-opening win over the Provincial Barbarians, the cold facts are that the Lions lost a match they ought to have won.

Gatland said: “The All Blacks will only just be coming together as well, so perhaps they will be a bit cold.”

Auckland Blues: Collins, Duffie, Moala, Williams, Ioane, Perofeta, Pulu; Tu’ungafasi, Parsons,Faumuina, Cowley-Tuioti, Scrafton, Ioane, Gibson, Luatua. Replacements: Faiva, Hodgman, Mafileo, Tuipulotu, Pryor, Nock, West, Faiane.

Lions: Halfpenny; Nowell, Payne, Henshaw, Daly; Biggar, Webb; McGrath, Owens, Cole, Itoje, Lawes, Haskell, Tipuric, Stander. Replacements: Best, Marler, Sinckler, Henderson, O’Mahony, Laidlaw, Sexton, Williams.