Gatland lauds lethal Halfpenny

Warren Gatland said Leigh Halfpenny could kick the Lions to victory against Australia after his record points tally against the Waratahs.

Warren Gatland said Leigh Halfpenny could kick the Lions to victory against Australia after he racked up a record points tally against the Waratahs.

The Cardiff Blues full-back slotted eight kicks out of eight – four penalties and four conversions – and also ran in two tries for a personal haul of 30 points in the 47-17 success, the Lions' biggest victory in 125 years of playing the Waratahs.

Halfpenny's tally overtook the 19 scored against the 'Tahs in 2001 by England's Jonny Wilkinson, who famously drop-kicked the winning points in England's 2003 World Cup win over Australia.

The Lions' last series victory, in 1997 against South Africa, was also sealed by a last-gasp Jeremy Guscott drop-kick, following a gritty goal-kicking performance by Neil Jenkins.

“Previous Lions tours and World Cups are won on goal-kicking,” said Gatland after Halfpenny's performance, a week before the first Test against Australia next Saturday.

“Apart from his goal kicking I thought some of his lines of running and his positional play defensively and kicking out of hand… I think he is playing at the top of his game.

“He is the ultimate professional. He prepares and does everything that you would expect of him. I thought again today he was very, very good.”

Halfpenny, who is being tutored by Jenkins on the current tour, now boasts place-kicking figures of 22 out of 23 and he landed all 11 attempts, many from acute angles, in the Lions' 69-17 win over Western Force.