Lions taste first blood

It is not very often that everything goes according to plan, where everything that's on your gameplan comes to fruition but when it does it is a wonderful thing - yesterday's performance was simply awesome.

The atmosphere among the players afterwards was just incredible, even though there is a real sense of a job only half finished. For all of us who didn't play yesterday there was also a feeling of frustration, especially because you don't get picked to play for the Lions if you are the sort of guy who is used to warming the bench on a regular basis.

But even though we're all fizzing with aggression (I don't normally watch matches unless I'm playing and now I remember why) and I'm disappointed not to have been on the pitch, for all of us there is a real sense of pride in what we have achieved as a squad.

I was particularly proud of the way the front five played. The donkeys don't get given the credit for winning matches very often, but I think that anyone who knows the game will have seen that our tight forwards were the unit that won us the game. It's difficult to explain just how tiring it is to be playing against a side which has the upper hand in the scrum. It just saps you, makes you unable to get around the park. That's what the Lions did to the Wallabies last night. That series of scrums may not have brought a try - even if it should have - but it was the beginning of the end of the Aussies.

That was all part of a plan that worked beautifully. We wanted to tire their tight forwards out, and tie in their back row. So we went for some big shoves in the scrums and got a few pick and drives going. That sort of sustained rolling, driving maul is still used a lot in Britain but the Aussies aren't really used to it any more, and it showed. Against a much bigger front five, and already tired from the scrummaging, it meant that their back row was forced to get involved.

We were also particularly good at providing the backs with very quick ball. Whenever I've faced the Wallabies with Scotland, we've noticed that they will all do anything to slow down the release of the ball, and that has been a feature of the tour so far. That was why our rucking was so harsh; it needed to be to make sure that we could get quick ball. We also knew that we had to get numbers to the tackle very quickly, and I think we did that, even though that is an area at which George Smith is brilliant.

Fortunately the referee, South African Andre Watson, had a good attitude and generally allowed the players to sort out what happened at the breakdown, which meant that we were able to do what we had to so that the ball was available quickly for the backs.

In fact, the ref was generally spot on (well, fair), even if some of the guys couldn't understand why they were being penalised for picking the ball up off the floor at a ruck while they were still on their feet. Phil Vickery, in particular, was gobsmacked, but there were lots of hands on the ball in those rucks, and anything that stops that is fine by me - the Aussies were just better at not getting caught.

Anyway, that quick ball, along with our efforts to tie in their back row, was why our backs had a bit of space. Crucially, because our forwards - especially guys like Danny Grewcock and Keith Wood - were knocking the Wallabies back when they took the ball up, it meant our backs were also getting the ball on the front foot. In fact, we did whatever we could to make sure the backs were getting the ball going forward, such as calling balls off the top at the lineout (this was another area that worked well, we even stole a couple of Wallaby throw-ins during the second half).

Even so, I was amazed by the fact that Brian O'Driscoll and Rob Henderson were able to break so many tackles and by the fact that we scored four tries against them. No matter how exceptional your planning, that is not something we could have expected.

The other deeply impressive thing about the performance was the defence, particularly the huge number of tackles put in by the front five. That, I think, was what really won the game because it starved them of possession. Okay, the Wallabies scored a couple of late tries but Martin Corry had been sin-binned and we'd taken our foot right off the pedal by then. I think a lot of people were already thinking about the Second Test, and so am I.

It's obviously been a deeply disappointing tour for me but I think you might only come this way once so I owe it to myself to give it my all on Tuesday against ACT if selected. Despite losing a lot of their players to rep sides, the Brumbies are still a formidable unit so if I can really impress against them then I might be able to force my way on to the bench.

Gordon Bulloch has shown us all what can happen if you can get on to the bench. When the tour started, he wasn't even in the party, but he hung in there and got a bit of luck.

Now he's played in a Test for the Lions - it may only have been for a few minutes so far, but that's more than some very good Scottish hookers can say. I'm very pleased for him but now it's my turn - so roll on Canberra.

British Lions 15 Matt Perry (rep Iain Balshaw, 40m) - Solid game which vindicated decision to select him.

14 Dafydd James - Defensive solidity that won him a test place much in evidence. Solid performance and well-taken try.

13 Brian O'Driscoll - Absolute class. Deserved his Man of the Match award for one of the great Lions performances.

12 Rob Henderson - Solid in defence and able to break through the Wallaby midfield at will.

11 Jason Robinson - Proving a revelation. His ability to work gaps in confined space is unrivalled, and his try was a worthy reward for a quality performance.

10 Jonny Wilkinson - Although kicking was awry, still put in an assured and authoritative display.

9 Rob Howley - Busy and bustling but never made a huge impact upon a game that seemed to go on around him.

8 Scott Quinnell (rep Colin Charvis, 65m) - Put in an immense effort which left his opposition reeling and which was a central factor in the Lions triumph.

7 Richard Hill - Outstanding. His tactical appreciation from openside was vital.

6 Martin Corry (Sin-binned 62mins) - Muscle and ceaseless effort have ensured that he will play in the second test. .

5 Danny Grewcock - Immense at the lineout, put in unfeasibly high tackle count and always supported the ball carrier.

- Martin Johnson (capt) - Hard-working and without a weakness in his game.

3 Phil Vickery (Sin-binned 74mins) - The work he put in at the scrum would have sapped many Aussie legs. Emerging as top-quality player.

2 Keith Wood (rep Gordon Bulloch 65-70m) - Throwing-in was spot- on and rampaging work in the loose incredible.

1 Tom Smith (rep Jason Leonard, 72m) - Anchored the scrum brilliantly and put Glen Panaho under lots of pressure.

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