British and Irish Lions vs Maori All Blacks: Five things we learned from hard-earned win in Rotorua

Maori All Blacks 10-32 British and Irish Lions: Tries from Maro Itoje and a penalty score were enough to see the Lions to victory in the final tune up before the real thing in seven days

The Lions eventually saw off the Maori All Blacks with a professional second half display (Getty)

The British and Irish Lions saved perhaps their most complete performance for all-but-last as they saw off the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua.

In slippery conditions it wasn't the free-flowing rugby to strike fear into the hearts of New Zealand but it was effective and, most importantl,y got the tourists back to winning ways after the disappointment of Dunedin four days ago.

Tries from Maro Itoje and a penalty score were enough to see the Lions victory in the last proper tune up before the real thing seven days from now in Auckland.

Here's what we learned:

Fast start

The Lions have made a habit of getting out of the blocks quickly in games on this tour and given how long it took New Zealand to get going against Samoa on Friday (and they really did get going) it will be so important come the Tests.

Leigh Halfpenny’s boot gave them a 6-0 lead after 10 minutes and with it taking the All Blacks 20 minutes before they scored against a far more inferior team in Samoa, it will give Warren Gatland hope that he can strike early and build a lead while their opponents are still getting out of first gear. Easier said than done, mind.

Halfpenny's trusty boots kept the Lions ticking over (Getty Images)

Missing chances

Midway through the first half, Jonathan Davies superbly sliced through the Maori defence, showed a fantastic turn of pace before dancing past Nehe Milner-Skudder and eventually being brough down about five metres short of the try-line. What followed was a snapshot of the entire tour.

The Lions recycled the ball but failed to create anything else and eventually settled for three points. Too many times on this tour they have failed to take their chances from promising positions and they are not going to get that many chances against the All Blacks, so they must take them.

Another example was when Halfpenny brilliantly collected his own kick before the ball reached Sexton who could not have kicked it more perfectly into the corner. However, a loss of concentration and discipline from the resulting lineout meant they gave up the chance to put pressure on the hosts and gave away a careless penalty.

Johnny Sexton wasn't at his creative and clinical best in Rotorua (Getty)

Back three problems

There perhaps is no better example of the size of the task at hand awaiting the Lions than the discrepancy between the two back threes. Steve Hansen has a plethora of options available to him on the wing and at full-back. Israel Dagg played on the outside against Samoa but is equally adept at full back while the electric Waisake Naholo and Nehe Milner-Skudder didn't play in the 78-0 shellacking but would arguably walk into any other Test side in the world.

Across the way Gatland still has no idea who his back three will be next week. Leigh Halfpenny will start by almost default after injuries to rivals but on the wing, despite lengthy auditions, no one has firmly put their hand up for a place. On form George North is a shoe in but has looked a little ring rusty so far. Anthony Watson is a lethal finisher at his best but has been anything but in New Zealand. With no more tune ups to come Gatland will face the All Blacks next week with more questions than answers. Still.

Goerge North figures to start next weekend but doesn't look at his sharpest (Getty Images)

Discipline

This is where the Lions will come unstuck against the All Blacks, assuming everything else works to plan – which is a long assumption to make. Against the Highlanders on Tuesday they conceded 14 penalties and that eventually saw them lose their second game of the tour.

And it was the same story against the Maori All Blacks. The Lions conceded too many sloppy penalties and it allowed the Maoris the relieve pressure far too easily. Tadgh Furlong and Maro Itoje were guilty of giving away sloppy penalties too often and there was a perfect example at the end of the first half when Conor Murray kicked the ball out thinking it would be half-time without realising the rules had changed and now you must take the lineout if it’s a kick from a penalty. They got away with it but it could have been costly.

Conor Murray's ill-conceived boot out didn't cost the Lions but was telling (Getty Images)

Gatland tips his hand

With the weekend schedule over that signals the end of the dress rehearsals. This time next week it's the real thing and Gatland tipped his hand as to what he is thinking ahead of that first Test.

The second row is one of the most keenly contested areas in the touring squad with all six available options top players at the very top of their game. But George Kruis performance in Rotorua - and Gatland's decision to withdraw him before the end - hint that he has won one of the starting spots next weekend. Peter O'Mahony, skipper today, looks pencilled in for a Test place also after another quietly efficient outing. He is the only player to have been given more than one crack at that troublesome 6 spot and, like Kruis, was also protected by being taken off before the end. The midfield also looks set in stone with Ben Te'o and Jonathan Davies, particularly excellent against the Maori, looking all but certainties to face the All Blacks next week.

Gatland still has thinking to do but his Test side is near completion.