The British and Irish Lions supporters, management and coach have every reason to be seething today over the lack of disciplinary action against the All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and hooker Kevin Mealamu for what appeared to be an illegal spear tackle on Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll (without the ball and behind play) during the first test, which was won by the All Blacks 21-3 in Christchurch on Saturday.

The incident happened in the first minute of play and put the Lions captain out for the remainder of the tour.

It all began when O'Driscoll made a tackle and then joined the ensuing ruck.

"I was pushing against Jerry Collins and two guys came in," the injured Lions skipper told the British Guardian newspaper. "They had a leg each. I got turned around in the air and speared into the ground. I had this searing pain and knew instantly that I was out of the game."

The fact that New Zealand television commentators failed to comment on the incident, and replays from a distance failed to show the act made the viewer feel there was a cover-up going on.

The incident had the potential to be as damaging to the Lions captain as the Colin Meads attack on Ken Catchpole was in 1968.

The fact that the judiciary will not be called in -- the referee and the touch judge failed to see the incident -- and the citing commissioner did not see the need to act, means that one of the saddest sights in recent rugby history may pass over as if nothing happened. That will be what New Zealanders are hoping.

Just how much effect that had on the Lions team will be hard to know as the game continued after that to be a "cake walk" for the All Blacks. Without O’Driscoll the Lions appeared as a rudderless ship and in the atrocious conditions with driving rain and hail there was no chance for the brilliant Jonny Wilkinson to show his skills from the inside centre position. He did have a powerful game in defense showing all signs of an injured shoulder have gone.

The All Blacks were dominant in all phases of the game and it will take a master stroke for Coach Sir Clive Woodward to show a reversal in the second test in Wellington next Saturday.

The 20,000 Lions supporters in Christchurch caused no problems with the police after the match and this probably shows how despondent they were after the depressing game from their standpoint and did not want to make contact with any Kiwi to only suffer more humiliation.

The Wallabies backline showed they are the best in the business in their 69-21 beating of Italy and although the Italian defense was lacking the combinations, angles and set plays from the Wallabies was brilliant.

Next week the Wallabies play France and the New Zealanders have their second test against the touring British and Irish Lions.