Leigh Halfpenny bounced back from the anguish of missing a
series-clinching kick in the second Test to produce a man-of-the-match
performance as the British and Irish Lions won their first series against the
Wallabies in 16 years.
The Welsh full-back was in utter despair the previous week after
leaving his last gasp penalty attempt from halfway just short as the Wallabies
held on to level the series with a 16-15 win in Melbourne. But Halfpenny used
the disappointment as motivation for a record-breaking performance as he kicked
21 points in the Lions' thumping 41-16 victory over the Australians in the
final Sydney Test on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Cardiff Blues back broke Australia's hearts with a
deadly haul of five penalties and three conversions to be named man of the
match and the series. Halfpenny, who finished the Test series with 49 points
from five conversions and 13 penalties, featured in two tries and only missed
one kick in nine attempts in Saturday's showdown before over 83,000 fans. The
tally is a new record, passing his kicking coach Neil Jenkins's mark of 41 set
in South Africa in 1997.
The Welshman said the missed kick in Melbourne had preyed on his mind
and he was determined to make amends to his teammates. Halfpenny was hailed as
iconic in world rugby by Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones.
Written by: khatijah
Source by: BBC
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