British & Irish Lions skipper Brian O’Driscoll praised his team after they returned to winning ways with victory over Wellington at a windswept Westpac Stadium on Wednesday.
Beaten by the New Zealand Maori, O’Driscoll and company could not afford another defeat as the countdown gathers momentum towards the first Test appointment with the All Blacks in Christchurch.
Tries in each half from Wales internationals Gethin Jenkins and Gareth Thomas saw the Lions home, while fly-half Jonny Wilkinson booted 13 points to see off Wellington 23-6.
"I was pretty pleased," said O’Driscoll. "Total satisfaction might be a little bit over the top, but I thought we came back well from our defeat to the Maori.
"It wasn’t flawless, but there were some good aspects to our game. We were probably one pass away from scoring another three or four tries, which was a little frustrating, but we didn’t allow it to affect us."
O’Driscoll agreed that conditions were hazardous for fluent rugby – a blustery wind and strong rain hampered both sides’ best attacking efforts.
"The ball was like a bar of soap, and I haven’t seen a wind swirling like that since I have been at Lansdowne Road. It was difficult, and the unforced errors both sides made showed how difficult it was to put five or six phases of play together.
"We are two games away from the first Test. There is plenty to concentrate on before the Test but this wasn’t about trying flamboyant moves. It was about coming together as a unit and putting together a team performance."
