The late arrival of the Lions bus at Waikato stadium barely 60 minutes before kick off was clearly because New Zealand motorists had been changing lanes in front of it and running illegal blocking manoeuvres.
Warren Gatland said he would be raising the matter with Transport Minister Simon Bridges in the hope that the Lions route to Eden Park on Saturday would be kept clear.
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The Lions struggled to find tries in the first half but the visitors broke away in the second half to grab a 10-32 win over the Maori All Blacks.
Well, all right, so that's just a bit facetious but Gatland was quite right to call out all the cheating that goes on off the ball in New Zealand. It has now reached the level of an epidemic.
The first time that the Lions put up a high kick against the Chiefs Johnny Fa'auli looked over his shoulder and ran straight across Elliot Daly. Fa'auli had absolutely no intention of trying to play the ball.
![Vocal critic: Lions coach Warren Gatland.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170626010528im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/v/6/z/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwv6ue.png/1498020545848.jpg)
But just to make sure, Stephen Donald also ran across to block.
They might just as well have strung a wire across the road like Burton and Eastwood did in planning their escape from the Schloss Adler in Where Eagles Dare. Certainly Daly had as much chance of reaching his target as those munted German motorcyclists.
Jerome Garces, the referee, called Fa'auli across and said, "After the kick don't change your line."
Mysteriously Garces did not give a penalty on that occasion, but at the start of the second half he had had enough and penalised Fa'auli for blocking.
![Elliot Daly of the Lions is wrapped up by Stephen Donald (left) and Solomon Alaimalo.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170626010528im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/v/k/d/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwv6ue.png/1498020545848.jpg)
With the amount of sheep living in New Zealand perhaps there is no surprise that Kiwi teams are so fond of shepherding, but it is a blight on the game.
The Chiefs were just as guilty of blocking the Lions runners whenever they tried to chip over the line. The officials for yesterday's game will all be in place for the first test, with the exception of the TMO, and the Lions had decided it was time to make their case.
![Johnny Faauli of the Chiefs is tackled by Elliot Daly of the Lions in Hamilton.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170626010528im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/v/k/c/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwv6ue.png/1498020545848.jpg)
At one point captain Rory Best went up to Garces and said, "When we put those little dinks in behind them they're body checking."
The Lions are fed up with this sort of nonsense, as the whole of rugby should be, and have decided to make a concerted protest. Gatland said in the week, "The frustrating thing for us is the amount of blocking that's going on.
"The off-the-ball stuff, it makes it difficult to complete attacking opportunities and situations because there is so much happening off the ball in terms of holding players or subtly holding players. We've raised it with the ref already. It's part of the game in New Zealand, all New Zealand teams at the moment are doing it."
They are and, of course, the real name for it is cheating. This is the sort of thing that has New Zealand calling up the great Sir Colin Meads to defend the honour of the nation. Before the 2011 World Cup it was suggested that Sir Richie, the Crusaders and the All Blacks were repeatedly and deliberately holding players off the ball.
It was coached cheating and it was subsequently confirmed that the head of World Rugby's referees had warned the ABs about the practice. Of course half of New Zealand still threw up their hands in horror at the suggestion, aghast that such things should be said. Pass the port to the left, said the lords of rugby, and don't be so uncouth.
Well, sorry to say, but New Zealand has been called out again. I do have some sympathy for the Chiefs, because they have taken the view, if you can't beat em, join em. Back in 2012 they got so fed up with Crusaders blockers that they warned Craig Joubert before their Super semi that they would be taking them out.
When the Chiefs started blasting through them, the likes of Sam Whitelock threw themselves to the ground as if they were re-enacting the death scene from Camille. Joubert took no notice. If you want to cheat, you can take the punishment, he seemed to imply. That's how it was in Meads' day and there is something to be said for it.
Happily on Tuesday night Garces and his fellow officials gave the best refereeing display of the tour and finally came down on cheating. Strangely enough the Lions then looked like they could play a bit. Rugby is an easier game when their isn't a nail strip stretched out in front of your wheels.
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