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Lions lock Henderson regrets yellow card

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Iain Henderson (Getty)
Iain Henderson (Getty)

Wellington - British and Irish Lions lock Iain Henderson laments the "stupid" yellow card he received in the 31-31 draw with the Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Henderson was sin-binned in the 66th minute for a tip-tackle on Jordie Barrett with the Lions 31-17 in the lead. 

However, in Henderson's absence and down to fourteen men, the 'Canes surged back with two converted tries to draw the game. 

Up until the yellow card, the Ireland international had a good game, setting up George North's first try and contributing strongly on attack and defence. 

But Henderson admits his performance was 'probably overshadowed by the silliness of the yellow card'. 

"It was definitely an enjoyable game to play in - for the 70 minutes I played," Henderson told the London Evening Standard. 

"It (yellow card) was frustrating, stupid. Probably a bit of mistimed rucking, I would describe it as. 

"It was definitely hard for me sitting there for those 10 minutes and watching." 

Asked about whether he had done enough to earn a spot in the match day 23 for the second Test in Wellington on Saturday: "Look, it's Tuesday of a Test week. 

"There are places not necessarily up for grabs, but we are definitely trying to put our hand up, even if it is for the last (third) Test. You are always trying to put on your best performance. 

"But it is out of our hands. We don't make the decisions, we just have to be able to put on a performance to try and help the coaches make their decisions. It is up to them now. 

"I was lucky with a few bounces of the ball and stuff. I got a bit of ball in hand, but it was probably overshadowed by the silliness of the yellow card. 

"There are definitely a lot of positives taken from the game. We will take away a lot from our attacking performance. 

"There is always enough left (in the tank) for a couple more games. 

"It (Lions tour) has been enjoyable for me. I feel my performances have increased. I have definitely really enjoyed it. 

"It would be ideal to be in the Test squad. As soon as we hear the Test team on Thursday, we will knuckle down and help the boys. 

"For a lot of the boys out there today, it will probably be the last time they pull on a Lions jersey, this tour, or in their careers. For me, it was about taking it in, and I can't fault the fans - they were fantastic. 

"I was shattered and definitely frustrated at the yellow card, but I enjoyed the experience. There were patches of the game we played really well in."

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