Lions maul the amateurs in record breaking victory

In keeping with time-honoured tradition, the Lions duly posted a cricket score at the WACA, and it was probably one of the most facile and quickest centuries seen at the old ground in quite a while.

Quite what relevance it had is a moot point. Running in 18 tries to register the highest score and biggest winning margin in the Lions' history against amateur opposition which was palpably out of its depth even after the first few minutes was probably better than an 80-minute trial run-out. But not much.

Donal Lenihan had spoken of this tour opener being a throwback to the old days when amateur sides had once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to play the best international touring sides on the planet. Those days seem almost sepia-tinted now and sadly, what this massacre again showed is that professionalism has just widened the gap too much.

Grahan Henry did make the point afterwards that there was a bigger picture at work than merely the Lions' preparation, i.e. spreading the gospel, but even in that context you'd wonder if the effects were mostly negative. After all, this isn't going to do much for Western Australia's Super 12 prospects, and it was reputedly one of the best sides which the state has put together. Clearly more outside reinforcements would have benefited everyone concerned.

From the start the hosts were easily pushed off their own scrum ball, were pilfered regularly at the lineout, and coughed the ball up in contact. In then missing basic tackles, making basic mistakes and not having the conditioning, the level of intensity or the defensive organisation to offer more than token resistance when the Lions upped the tempo, they were blown away.

It might even have irritated the 22 on Lions duty yesterday that the opposition wasn't tougher. It clearly annoyed them that they suffered the embarrassment of conceding two tries and deep down they'll know that the many good performances must count for little.

Indeed, as is so often the case in these circumstances, the bad stands out even more and Ben Cohen had a particularly unimpressive night at the office. He undid one sweeping move by over carrying the ball in a diagonal run across field rather than releasing Brian O'Driscoll. He received a veritable tongue-lashing even by the mouthy Neil Back's standards early in the second half when both failing to pass inside and then being shunted into touch in goal. Nor will he enjoy the video of Brent Becroft taking the winger's tackle for the first of WA's two tries.

Adopting Henry's coachspeak, Keith Wood admitted that the team lost its structure at times, which was why it was almost a relief when Ronan O'Gara occasionally varied his game by kicking to touch. The tendency to overplay or overcarry the ball was invariably hard to resist, and the official man of the match Scott Quinnell - even though hugely productive - was as culpable as anyone.

Amid all the pyjama stuff both the Lions and the game lost their shape. Sometimes the ball bobbled about on the deck as the Lions' forwards played "after you". It was noticeable on occasion that forwards were standing off rucks. And yet they won by 106 points.

The gulf in class, in both ability and conditioning, was ably highlighted by Iain Balshaw's predictably potent arrival. Even in scoring two tries this freakishly talented player looked in Hamlet mode and it's doubtful whether there's been a more nonchalant or easier brace of tries in Lions history. His late injury was played down by Donal Lenihan afterwards as a mild revival of an old injury to his sternum. Relief all round.

It may rule him out of Tuesday's game against a Queensland President XV but there's no doubt the Lions looked altogether more cohesive when he was introduced and the best outside centre in Europe, maybe the world, reverted to number 13 from full back.

As in training, O'Driscoll looked a little unsure. Of course he did some things well, taking one superb, trademark straight line of attack onto Mark Taylor's pass in the build-up to Will Greenwwood's try. Most of all you just don't want the last fortnight to undermine or jeopardise his credentials as the Lions' Test 13.

Greenwood looks a pretty tasty foil on this evidence. Like Quinnell, winger Dan Luger ran in a confidence-building hattrick. Pretty much everyone had good games, Malcolm O'Kelly mixing his lineout work with a majestic restart, high work-rate and, would you credit it, a stylish chip to the corner. He belongs alright, though Danny Grewcock devoured the ground too. O'Gara landed 13 from 18 conversions, looked a little more static than normal in taking the ball flat but passed and varied what Henry said was "a positive game" pretty well.