By Neal Collins

The rugby-mad city of Dunedin spent all week preparing for this, the latest difficult chapter in the Lions tour to hell.

But even the aficionados of the game had probably heard little of a Welsh giant called Ryan Jones, who wasn't considered good enough to make the original 45-strong party.

Sir Clive Woodward's men emerged, slightly singed once more, with a fourth victory from five games. And Jones had made his mark. Indelibly.

Even the New Zealand rugby writers won't be able to sneer too much about this epic crusade at Carisbrook.

Obviously the acid Test, the first Test, is to come in Christchurch on Saturday - that's after a final provincial skirmish against Southlands at Invercargill on Tuesday. But there were signs here of Sir Clive's side coming of age, blending, showing the fight and aggression needed to stop the fleet-footed All Blacks who infest this land of the odd-shaped ball.

And Sir Clive was showing signs of real confidence after the game.

By the end, after a typically stubborn first half, Otago were spent. A decent side with a good record against touring sides found themselves crushed by the weight and determination of a side showing Test-winning potential for the first time.

Ryan Jones was on tour with the Canada with Wales just six days ago. He arrived saying "I'm not just here to make up the numbers" after Lawrence Dallaglio's injury.

And here he was in Dunedin, the huge 6ft 5in and 18st 9lb converted flanker scoring a brilliant try to turn the match and generally having the game of his life at No 8 on his debut.

Shane Williams, too small according to the local critics, showed flashes of brilliance culminating in the killer try after a lovely run from team-mate Jones. Williams can dance, he can sparkle, he sets the heart racing like Jason Robinson once did. These are heady days for Welshmen.

Charlie Hodgson, so long in the shadow of Jonny Wilkinson, was near-perfect at fly-half.

Irish centre Gordon D'Arcy dropped a few passes but kept popping up in vital positions.

Sir Clive said: "Momentum is building. I can smell something special is happening here. We've got support here already, they're coming over in their thousands.

"Credit everyone who played tonight. I can smell a group of people coming together. We blew four or five great scoring chances but that was a great win tonight. I'm very, very please.

"I'm not confused, I'm very clear in my thinking. Ryan Jones was just outstanding, he's only just arrived. Shane Williams spent the Maori game running backwards but he was there tonight.

"You never beat New Zealand teams, you just have to score more points than them. We had a setback against the Maori which we deserved but we have learnt the lessons. We're getting momentum going. I'm very excited, we're learning a huge amount.

"I have to say about the Welsh players, they're special guys. Wales winning the Grand Slam was so deserved. The way they talk, the way they operate, you understand clearly how they did that. They're a special group.

"This stuff about them being poor tourists is rubbish. They're great to work with. We're all learning off eachother.

"Of course I know my Test side, my 22. There were players tonight who allowed me to clarify my thinking. The Otago team has been ten days in camp preparing for this match. Even with the numbers we've bought, we've still had problems.

"Simon Easterby has played twice in four days, he's been outstanding. It's been sad to see Dallaglio and Simon Taylor go, but the new guys have been fantastic. I've got a really good feeling. I'm looking forward to Tuesday and to the first Test on Saturday.

"We're still the underdogs, but Ian McGeechan has been absolutely outstanding as a coach. He's been on successfully Lions tours before. He's walking around with a smile on his face."

Three penalties in the first 15 minutes, two of them successfully slotted by Otago's Nick Evans (the other hit a post), gave the Lions some early catching up to do and Hodgson did the job admirably, landing kicks in the 17th and 22nd minutes.

But he was guilty of a pretty awful missed tackle for what looked like the big moment of the first half, failing to scrag his opposite number Evans in the 33 minute. He found highly-impressive scrum-half Danny Lee who went over to score the first try.

Evans converted and at 13-6, it was just like the games which have gone before. Like Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wellington and the mighty Maoris, the Lions were under huge pressure, struggling to make their mark. And then came the pure quality of Hodgson the creative fly-half. And the cool head of World Cup winner Will Greenwood, injured so often since the great night in Sydney but still perhaps the most intelligent rugby player in the world.

A huge cross kick seconds before half-time from Hodgson arced across the night sky in Dunedin, but Greenwood didn't charge in, he stepped back. The Otago defence let it bounce, Greenwood stepped in, plucked the ball out of the air and despite a nasty late challenge, he got close enough to the posts to give Hodgson the chance to level at 13-13 on the stroke of half-time.

Just the big of magic these Lions needed at that point. The Greenwood post-try scuffle with center Neil Brew was followed early in the second half by a high tackle from Martyn Williams on Evans, who kicked the penalty despite the third nasty challenge of the game on his slight frame.

The Lions generally looked a little nastier, a must on a tour to New Zealand… but Williams, a serious Test contender at flank, has been penalized to often in these games, opening the way for the older, wiser Neil Back. Just as tough but less obvious perhaps.

Elsewhere, other players are struggling to reach their full potential in these awkward pre-test games. Scottish hooker Gordon Bulloch, captain for the night, couldn't quite cut the mustard, Irish lock Doncha O'Callaghan is getting caught off-side, Simon Shaw, so impressive for his club Wasps, found international rugby tough going again.

But then, 52 minutes in, we see the Lions at their best. Loads of hard work from Irish wing Dennis Hickie, a bit of magic from Shane Williams, impressive Scottish fly-half Chris Cussiter finds Jones, the big Welsh number eight, who charges over for a magnificent try having just flown in to boost this massive squad.

Hodgson's conversion suddenly has the Lions fans roaring at 16-20 ahead. Minutes later, Hodgson and Greenwood, with help from the improving Williams, set up Murphy for what would have been the try of the tour so far… but the Irishman dropped the pass with Otago's defence split.

With the Lions penalized for coming in from the side, Evans lands a difficult penalty to make it 19-20 and on come the English quartet of lock Danny Grewcock, hooker Steve Thompson, scrum-half Matt Dawson and big Sale prop Steve Sheridan.

That was the end of captain Gordon Bulloch, the Scotsman having proved again he just isn't a Test-strength hooker.

The new blood up front enabled the Lions to make 15 yards on the drive and Otago had no choice but to spoil it, allowing Hodgson, nerveless at last, to land a tricky penalty to restore the Lions' four-point advantage.

Then another great Lions moment. Jones sets off on a rampaging run, Murphy and Ollie Smith played their part before Williams got the ball, a twinkle of the feet to confound the defence and there was another Welsh wonderboy scoring.

Hodgson converted and at 19-30 the game was won as Otago tired, D'Arcy bringing their final flurry to a halt with a perceptive interception. The match closed with Murphy a fingerprint short of scoring from a lovely Ronan O'Gara chip through.

This was a great performance from the Lions, perhaps the best so far from a side packed with Test hopefuls rather than certainties.

There are reasons to be cheerful, Sir Clive.