British Lions beat New Zealand Provincial Barbarians 13-7 as Anthony Watson score helps tourists avoid shock defeat
Hosts went into half-time ahead after a kick from Warren Gatland's son Bryn led to a Sam Anderson-Heather score
THE LIONS only just avoided being mown over by a gardener in a shocking start to their New Zealand tour.
Warren Gatland's men were well and truly cut to size by the part-timers of the Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei.
Green-fingered gardener Sam Anderson-Heather planted the seeds of doubts in the minds of Gatland's boys as he struck from close range to in the first half before Anthony Watson steadied the nerves.
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Gatland's fly-half son Bryn, who dazzled against the Lions as one of the best players on the pitch, converted the score as the tourists trailed 7-6 at half-time after two Johnny Sexton penalties.
It was a ropey start for the Lions who have had just TWO days of full preparation to get ready for this opener in Northland.
Stuart Hogg made a pigs ear of everything that came his way - apart from one run there were dodgy pick-ups, stray passes and missed tackles.
Scotland only have three players on tour and although Gatland is a big fan, he will be worried at how easily the Glasgow Warriors man choked against a bunch of part-timers.
Fly-half Sexton pushed Hogg all the way as those two battled to become the biggest flop on tour in game one.
It even took eight minutes at the start of the game for the Lions to find their way out of their own half.
While they struggled to get to grips with each other and the BaaBaas as a team Hogg imploded as he was skinned by Inga Finau and bull-dozed over.
Then he chucked a pathetic pass to Watson when he should have teed up the England winger for a try.
Sexton was little better and after admitting that he was behind Farrell in the race for the no.10 Test shirt he then did his very best to make sure that was the case.
Saracens star Farrell teed up Watson for his international teammates try and then converted it as the Kiwi fans did their best to boo him to miss.
The 20,000 sell-out crowd came hoping to see a shock and a Lions scalp - but the introduction of Farrell changed the game and Europe's player-of-the-year did the business to spare their blushes.
Kyle Sinckler and Ross Moriarty - two Lions bolters - pushed their cases for Test contention early on.
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Toby Faletau also had a blistering game.
At times the Wales no.8 was doing everything on his own as he smashed the Barbarians, looking to get his side going forward.
Skipper Sam Warburton said: "It's one out of one and we're pretty pleased.
"I think it was penalties, we kept letting them back in the game. We've got to bring the penalties down.
"I don't blame them (the crowd for booing).
"But for us it was a Test and we treated it like a dress rehearsal.
"I thought we could have won a few more collisions but getting these guys to gel needs more work. But one-nil, we'll take that."
