The yellow card for Iain Henderson proved expensive as the Hurricanes team clawed behind a 14 point deficit to draw in Wellington against the British and Irish Lions.

In the 2017 final midweek game 2017 tour, the Lions team led 23-7. Both George North and Tommy Seymour double efforts put the team Lions in control.

Henderson, the lock alongside Courtney Lawes, was impressive otherwise but was sin-binned after 65 minutes for a precarious clear-out on Jordie Barrett. When Henderson moved out of the game the score was sat neatly in the Lions’ favour at 31-17, but there was then a sustained period of Canes pressure, with them coming more into the action and attacking Lions in new-found space.

After the yellow card, the team went down to 14 men and then they shipped two tries. Vaea Fifita and Wes Goosen punished the team with their converted tries to level the scores. A late long-range drop-goal of Dan Biggar to win fell under the bar.

Second-row conundrum
Warren Gatland has admitted that the Lions are all ready for a ‘shake up’ in the next Test, Iain Henderson and Courtney Lawes of second rows will have the most profit from this game probably. Alun Wyn Jones and George Kruis failed to amaze in the first Test defeat of Lions by the All Blacks, however the locks of midweek were imperious. All of this plays into the intrigue of the Six Nations matches coming up at the turn of the year – with games expected to more explosive than ever, and tickets no available through this link, if you want to get a glimpse of the action.

Henderson of Ulster got an important assist for the second try of Lions, but the young player also had an amazing game at the break, securing a crucial turnover at the first halfs end – its a shame that the yellow will be such a blot on his copybook, though in fairness it showed just how good a job he had been doing. Ultimately the yellow card cost the victory of Lions.