Classic Lions 17 New Zealand 5 Classic Lions were crowned Classic champions on Saturday in a tournament finale that was toughly contested and ultimately won by a superb defensive performance.

With both sides admitting to feeling the pace, this was never going to be a classic game of open rugby. What it did demonstrate was the strength of the Lions' defence, which never buckled under an almost continuous All Blacks second half onslaught.

Having got their noses in front by half time, it was then backs to the wall stuff for the Lions who managed to soak up wave after wave of relentless pressure and cling on until the final whistle.

Before the kick off Lions' captain Gavin Hastings stressed the importance of having a strong defence.

"I think that now defence is such a big part of rugby -- it doesn't matter what level you're playing at, you have to have a good defence,'' he said. They proved to be prophetic words.

It was the Lions who got off to the better start when some quick thinking from former Scotland winger Iwan Tukalo put the Lions first points on the board after 11 minutes. When a loose ball was chipped forward by scrum half Jonathon Griffiths, Tukalo reacted first, surging forward on the left flank, brilliantly picking the ball up on the bounce and lunging over the line in one smooth movement.

Hastings failed to convert and five minutes later the All Blacks were right back in it, pulling level with a try in the corner by Mark Seymour after winning possession from a line-out.

But four minutes later the Lions' were ahead again, this time with another try in the corner following some sterling work by the Lions' pack.

The remainder of the half was frantic but scrappy with neither side able to stamp their authority on the game, the Lions' going into the break 10-5 in front.

But it was the All Blacks who benefited from the interval, taking the game to the Lions right from the start of the second half.

Only brave defending and some crunching tackles prevented the New Zealanders from breaking through. Permanently camped within yards of the try line, the All Blacks launched wave upon wave of attack only to be repeatedly rebuffed.

Then, with little more than ten minutes remaining, the Lions broke free.

Halted on the New Zealand 22 they kept possession in a series of rucks before Griffiths was able to feed the ball onto an incoming Noel Mannion. The accelerating giant broke through the All Black defence before laying the ball on to Crossman for a crucial try.

The New Zealand onslaught then continued but the Lions' kept their nerve and the line always held. As the minutes ticked by they became more and confident, the All Blacks more and more desperate. Nevertheless it was with an almost audible sigh of relief that the triumphant Lions' greeted the final whistle.

Welsh veteran JPR Williams, who had a quiet game by his normal standards, was proof of just how tough the game had been fought.

Sweating profusely, breathing hard and with a gash above his right eye, he said: "That was a tough one.'' "We knew how important it was not to get behind, you can't do that against any All Black side.

"I think we took our chances and they didn't. Both sides defended well but we got in front and then it was a case of hanging on. Our defence was magnificent.'' Lions captain Gavin Hastings, accepting the Waterford Crystal trophy from Governor Thorold Masefield, said: "It's a lovely feeling to win this series.

I was the captain of the Lions in 1993 in New Zealand and we didn't do too well -- we lost the series 2-1.

"This was a tremendous effort by the Lions and our defence was magnificent.

"This has been my first time out to Bermuda and it's been lovely -- the competition has been brilliant.'' New Zealand skipper Jock Ross, although disappointed with the final result, said his side had enjoyed the tournament.

"I'd just like to thank Gavin for the game. We found it difficult to get through and they deserve the win,'' he said.

Giant-killers fade in finale: Page 20