A LATE and glorious long-range penalty in a swirling wind dragged the Lions through this compelling match in Cape Town. So soon before the first Test, it might be deemed an alarmingly shaky win. Yet there is no panic in the Lions camp because this was the match that set the tour on the road.
Western Province were superb. They came to compete and, as Luke Watson, their captain, said afterwards, they came to enjoy the "awesome experience" of playing against the British & Irish Lions. They even ditched their silly Super 14 nickname, calling themselves simply Western Province in honour of the grand history of tour matches between the two teams.
So they were worthy opponents and a Lions team containing only four or five likely contenders for the Test side did well enough to win. The Lions scored three excellent tries, there were some remarkably effective performances, they kept their heads and their spirit was massive. They may only have scraped through, they could conceivably have lost, but it was a day to savour.
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Naturally, it would be unlike these Lions to tie up every loose end. Their tactics and kicking were not always brilliant, they even struggled up front until Euan Murray, the talented and maddeningly inconsistent Scotland prop, came on to deliver several reverberating drives at the scrum in the closing stages, the basis of the Lions' victory charge.
In terms of individual performances, two men in red stood way out. Tommy Bowe is already established as the revelation of the trip to date. His clever, powerful and exuberant running created one try and landed another try for himself. Generally, there was a shrill trill of the alarm bells for Western Province whenever Ireland's new champion wing received the ball.
In a totally different style, there were the heroic charges of Andy Powell in the forwards. Powell is often so samey in approach that you can set your watch by him. He can be horribly one-dimensional. But it seemed that the artful Lions coaches had been in his ear.
Yesterday, he was splendid. He ran different lines and angles, he offloaded in the tackle just when opponents assumed that he would try to steamroller them. It was a performance that may just make the procession into the Test team at No 8 of Jamie Heaslip less of a formality than expected.
Rob Kearney was immaculate at full-back in the strong winds, Riki Flutey added composure in midfield and Martyn Williams and Joe Worsley were excellent, Williams with his clever running and passing.
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Western Province were well shut down by the Lions defence and escaped only for one, admittedly memorable, try. But they were meaty up front, they were exuberant behind the scrum and Willem de Waal kept them on the board with his kicks. Good luck to them, they did themselves proud and they did a tradition proud.
They also took a 9-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, a period of play characterised mostly by high kicking as the teams tried to sort out which way the wind was blowing. In these hairy stages Kearney was assured under the high ball, yet it was also in these stages that Western Province set out their stall.
However, Bowe came into the game in the second quarter and the Lions scored two outstanding tries. The first came when Powell took a high box-kick, moved smoothly out of the way of the chasers and set off diagonally. Williams contributed a deft flick-pass to get things moving even better and the ball was sent crisply to Kearney, who was accelerating up from full-back.
At this point Bowe seemed to be completely crowded out on the right wing but he accelerated onto the pass from Kearney, swivelled as the tackler approached and, with the space he had made for himself, set off down the touchline and cut through the cover to score. It was a piece of world-class finishing.
Not long afterwards, with the Lions' breakdown working better and with continuity beckoning, Bowe came again. The Lions put together a series of attacks, heavily featuring Worsley, Williams and Andrew Sheridan. Eventually, Bowe came bursting into the line from the right wing, cut through with stepping and power and, just as he was about to be overwhelmed by defenders, pulled off a fantastic pass to Ugo Monye, who snaffled it and scored down the left. That was the kind of rugby for which Ian McGeechan has been searching all tour.
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One early score in the second half would have done for Western Province but they brought it back to 18-15 when the Lions fell offside after 47 minutes.
Somewhat against the run of play, the Lions scored their third try. This time, it was a clever pass from Nathan Hines to Keith Earls that made the initial space and then the Lions drew in their horns, hammered away with close-range driving near the Western Province line and, eventually, Williams forced his way over the line.
Even then, Western Province refused to be filed away. De Waal kicked a penalty to bring them back to 23-18 and then, after frantic running from Wikus Blaauw and Anton van Zyl, they made space and a long pass from De Waal sent Joe Pietersen over in the corner.
De Waal could not convert but it was 23-23 and it was serious because the Lions had lost momentum. At this stage, Phil Vickery, having what he described as the most emotional experience of his long career in leading the Lions, was replaced by Murray. The Scot has nothing like the track record of Vickery but on his day is one heck of a damaging scrummager.
There were to be four scrums remaining in the match. Murray wrecked Western Province at the first to raise the siege. He wrecked the second and then at the third, with JD Moller in all kinds of trouble against him, the home team had to concede a penalty in a desperate attempt to hold Murray off. James Hook had just missed with a long shot at goal but took aim from 48 metres and kicked a beautiful goal with only a few minutes remaining.
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Murray wrecked one more scrum, the Lions came home in front and now they are motoring.
BOWE GETS THE PLAUDITS
LIONS head coach Ian McGeechan paid tribute to Ireland wing Tommy Bowe, whose fourth try in three games helped secure victory against Western Province.
'He's a very strong runner and if there is space, you want the players to have the confidence to play,' he said.
'You can't underestimate the opposition, who were really intent on making it difficult. Our lineout and scrum is going very well and our breakdown work was very pleasing.
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'We could have had a bit more patience with our kicking game, but the attitude of the players and focus on the field when it is coming down to the wire shows how much winning means to us.
'We know next week is going to be a different level again. There will be some tough selection calls.'
Phil Vickery, Lions captain yesterday, was pleased with the team's tenacity, saying: 'The guys pulled it through. Western Province fought to the very end. They never gave up, as you would expect.
'The only thing that bothered me was winning the game. It was about making sure of that.'
Star man: Andy Powell (Lions)
Scorers: Western Province: Try: Pietersen 63 Pens: De Waal (4) DG: De Waal, Pietersen
Lions: Tries: Bowe 28, Monye 35, Williams 55 Con: Jones Pens: Jones (2), Hook
Referee: M Lawrence (South Africa)
Attendance: 35,412
WESTERN PROVINCE: J Pietersen; T Chavhanga (G Aplon 38min), M Newman, P Grant, G Bobo; W De Waal, D Duvenage; W Blaauw (WP Moller 75min), T Liebenberg, B Harris, M Muller (DK Steenkamp 65min), A van Zyl, P Louw (Z Jordaan 73min), D Vermeulen, L Watson (capt).