Out for six weeks injured and then turn in a Man of the Match display. Kieran Read is a rugby god.
The All Blacks captain was immense as the hosts swatted aside the game Lions’ challenge at Eden Park on Saturday morning.
By the time he had departed in the 77th minute his side were 30-8 up and he had carried more than anyone else on the field, an incredible 18 times the Number 8 trucked the ball up.
Richie McCaw’s successor made eight tackles – including one monster on Owen Farrell – in an immense performance as the All Blacks went toe-to-toe with a physical Lions side and wore them down.
His standout moment came in the 55th minute, when he created Rieko Ioane’s first try with a sublime piece of skill from the back of an attacking scrum.
With the setpiece rumbling forwards and sideways, the number 8 controlled the ball, took it to ground and somehow delivered an offload around the corner to scrum-half Aaron Smith. From there the ball goes through hands of Israel Dagg to the speedster Ioane.
The conversion made the score 20-8 and the Lions were facing an insurmountable challenge.
https://twitter.com/PeriodismoRugby/status/878540841148723201
At first glance it is impossible to see the sleight of hand but on replay you can see how quickly Read is thinking and how we manoeuvres the ball around Conor Murray.
Needless to say the those watching, including Connacht centre Bundee Aki, were very impressed.
The offload from Kieran Read 😮😮😮
— Bundee Aki (@bundeeaki12) June 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/JimKayes/status/878538177299927040
That is sensational from Kieran Read. #NZLions2017
— Jacqui Hurley (@jacquihurley) June 24, 2017
Kieran Read could steal your girl and you'd watch admiringly as he offloaded her to Aaron Smith #NZLions2017 #LionsNZ2017 #Lions2017 #Lions
— Dennis M (@Dennis_R_M) June 24, 2017
That Kieran Read pick-up and offload in the wet. Hide the cheat codes.
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) June 24, 2017
How dope is that skill from Kieran Read,that's insane folks,and Rieko gets his try on debut!!!
— Breyton Paulse (@BreytonPaulse) June 24, 2017
