Lions roar

Welsh stars inspired the Lions to a vital victory today after their ignominious defeat by the New Zealand Maori on Saturday.

Prop Gethin Jenkins and winger Gareth Thomas scored the tries that gave the Lions a fine victory over Wellington at the Westpac Stadium.

But it was scrum half Dwayne Peel who put in the most influential performance, firmly making himself the front-runner for a Test spot.

Gavin Henson was also on top form, getting the better of All Black Ma'a Nonu, though replaced late on when Jonny Wilkinson moved to centre to accommodate Stephen Jones.

This was a more passionate performance from Sir Clive Woodward's tourists. But at a ground dubbed by locals as the 'Cake Tin', the Lions still failed to take the biscuit.

Defeat would have sent their tour into a tailspin and while a win levelled the horizons, much more is needed for success against the All Blacks.

But there were some positives. The Lions solved their problems at the breakdown, Neil Back making a big impression at flanker.

Their set-pieces, stuttering in the defeat to the New Zealand Maori, were solid while there were less mistakes in scrums and line-outs.

But the backs - largely Woodward's first-choice selection - struggled against the New Zealand provincial champions.

Jonny Wilkinson failed to gel with centres Gavin Henson and Brian O'Driscoll, although scrum-half Peel was in brilliant form.

The Lions showed their renewed intent from the start, Wilkinson firing a drop-goal wide after just 60 seconds.Gareth Thomas made a break down the wing as Wellington were stretched and when Kristian Ormsby took out Martin Corry, Wilkinson threaded the resulting penalty.

The Lions continued their impressive start but some poor passing let them down when more points beckoned.

Wilkinson missed a 15th-minute penalty but he broke Wellington down sixty seconds later with a superb high kick that was brilliantly chased down by the eye-catching Gethin Jenkins.

But despite having men in support, another poor pass let a commanding position slip.Wilkinson made amends for his earlier miss with a 24th-minute penalty after some good work in the scrum by Julian White.Three minutes later Jimmy Gopperth put Wellington on the scoreboard but the Lions still had an edge.

Shane Byrne and Danny Grewcock combined in the line-out and Peel made a dancing break through Wellington's rearguard.

Corry provided support and the rampaging Jenkins blazed across the line for a try that Wilkinson duly converted, while Gopperth laced another penalty just before the interval.

The second half was dominated by the Lions' forwards, as they played for territory and left their misfiring backs largely inactive.

It was typical Woodward - defence the key to success.

But as the game got increasingly messy and fragmented, the Lions added their second try late in the match.

Wikinson moved to centre when fly-half rival Stephen Jones was introduced and the pair combined with a fluid-passing move. But it was Gareth Thomas who broke down Wellington, chipping a kick through the middle that he chased down for a runaway try.

Wilkinson converted but there are still more questions than answers as the Lions head to the House of Pain in Dunedin this Saturday to face Otago.