King abdicates as prodigy steps in

Focus on two outhalf legends: Gerry Thornley on the emotion-filled Maori valediction of the great Carlos Spencer and the imminent and eagerly awaited entry into the tour fray of his Lions counterpart Jonny Wilkinson.

Two minutes into the second half, Carlos Spencer appeared on the touchline to finally make his entrance, drawing the largest cheer of the night to that point at the Waikato Stadium. By not doing it two minutes earlier, Maori coach Matt Te Pou was maximising the effect of the mercurial one's premature farewell to New Zealand rugby.

With his first touch Spencer quickened, freed his hands in the tackle and adroitly offloaded to Corey Flynn on his inside, who in turn found the magnificent Jono Gibbes in support to threaten the Lions' line. In an instant, the game had changed completely.

The Maori pack had long since been in the ascendancy, but Dave Hill never threatened as a runner, and his passing was slow. Suddenly, with Spencer running onto the ball and using his daring sleight of hand to support runners on either shoulder (who were also appearing in far greater numbers) the Lions defence was transfixed.

What Murray Mexted calls the ebb and flow of psychic energy was now all with the Maori and there was an inevitability about the match-clinching try that would follow. But having probed left to right with a set-piece move, Spencer went right to left, looping around Luke McAlister and hitting Leon MacDonald with a long, flat pass.

In truth, the Lions defence should have snuffed out the danger, but the fullback stepped inside first Tom Shanklin, then Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Stephen Jones before wriggling through Martyn Williams for the try.

For the retiring Te Pou and the man he cited as the Maori's standout player of his decade in charge, it was the perfect finale. Much has changed under Te Pou, the Maoris winning 33 of 38 games during his tenure. The Maori profile has strengthened and players qualified by lineage now want to play for them, as reflected in part of the New Zealand anthem now being sung in Maori.

Both Spencer and Te Pou were raised shoulder high by their team-mates on a lap of honour after a post-match haka to the crowd. You couldn't but be moved by it all.

Taking immense pride in their game, it had been another resplendent occasion, another example of how this rugby-daft nation has warmly embraced the Lions tour, as a throbbing capacity house surrounded a billiard-top surface.

As proud a team as there is in the global game, the Maori had drawn deeply from their well of passion. "It's huge," said Spencer, "especially for this side. This team thrive on passion and they showed that tonight. The guy sitting next to me (Te Pou), what a great leader he is. Our passion was huge tonight, and that's what won us the game."

Asked if this had prompted any regrets about going to Northampton for three years, Spencer said: "Not at all, not after tonight. I couldn't think of a better way to leave playing in the jersey I respect the most. What a great bunch of guys and what a great way to finish."

Explaining such a provocative comment, Spencer added: "It's a different culture in this side. We are all one when we come together in a Maori side. We can cruise during the week and when it comes to doing the job on the night we turn up and do it."

Spencer's place in the affections of the New Zealand public is a trifle uncertain, but in the context of the Maori or Auckland, he is king.

"Love him or hate him, think what he has given rugby over the years," said Te Pou last week. "Those kicks, those passes, his little tactical moves. He has a joy for the game."

It seems extraordinary that Spencer is not even in the frame for the All Blacks in the way Justin Marshall is, even though he is Leeds-bound, all the more so as there is no specialist outhalf cover for Daniel Carter. But New Zealand's loss and all that, and Northampton are scheduled to play pre-season friendlies against Munster and Leinster. On sunny August evenings, Carlos should pack them in.

One steps out of the limelight, and one steps in. Jonny Wilkinson, admittedly, is never far away from it, even when sidelined for most of the last 20 months, and his overdue tour debut in Wellington prompts a frisson of excitement amongst the media in the way Spencer did at the Waikato Stadium.

He's more comfortable in the glare than he used to be. Answers are still thought out, often qualified, softly spoken and always sincere. Jonny kicks more goals in a match than he notches up soundbites in a year. Frustrated not to be playing on tour yet? Not biting.

"I've been trying to take it all in, to enjoy the whole atmosphere and enjoy the culture of this country and how they play their rugby. It's been incredible, an opportunity not to be missed."

Nor did Charlie Hodgson's performance against Taranaki up the ante for Wilkinson.

"I said from the off this is a massive squad and when someone or the team plays well it lifts everyone. Everyone wants to be part of a winning Test series and a successful tour. There's no holes in that, and that's being truthful and honest."

In his ghosted column, he had said he'd felt a bit of a fraud, just training and not playing.

"Being able to train makes my life very simple," said the ultra-dedicated one, and he clearly enjoys training more than most. But, somewhat short of match practice, he also admits the true evaluation of his well-being is "under the lights, as you might say", and he implied the tour warm-up match at the Millennium Stadium was almost a shock to him.

"You forget what an atmosphere does to you," he admitted.

While much can be extracted from the Maori defeat he admitted that nothing generated and maintained momentum more than winning. A huge admirer of New Zealand rugby, citing Grant Fox and Frank Bunce as heroes, he said now was the time for the Lions players to start hitting their peak.

"That's why learning from these games is so important, because if you're trying to learn from the first Test for the second Test it will already be too late by then."

Talking about the huge efforts being made on the training ground and off the pitch, Wilkinson said the injury to Lawrence Dallaglio made him realise how lucky he is, and this generated a responsibility to deliver on Wednesday.

"There's no bigger game on the Lions tour right now than this game coming up, and once this game goes there'll be no bigger moment than next Saturday," he said.