Four tries from the tourists sent them to Auckland in confident mood and this impressive display saw the Lions hit their straps in attack, Jack Nowell scoring twice in an impressive individual showing.
Courtney Lawes, Elliot Daly and CJ Stander were others to stand out, Nowell’s second try the best of the tour to date while a penalty score and a Jared Payne effort put the Lions in firm control.
Dan Biggar ended the game with three conversions and two penalties, the fly-half’s opposite number Stephen Donald scoring the only points for the home side via two first-half penalties.
The Lions started well, stringing together 20 phases, and Biggar opening the scoring with a simple penalty after the Chiefs were penalised for offside. Discipline has been a problem for the Lions’ midweek team on this tour and it reared its head again here early on.
Joe Marler’s needless off-the-ball tackle on Nepo Laulala saw the prop rightly see yellow, while the Chiefs also lost wing Toni Pulu to injury after he was tap tackled by Lawes.
Chase Tiatia replaced Pulu while with Marler off the field, Scottish prop Allan Dell became a Lion when he temporarily took over from Harlequins prop to make up the front row numbers in the scrum.
Despite being a man light, Biggar exchanged kicks with Donald before the Lions moved further clear.
Biggar linked with Wales team-mate Liam Williams who put Nowell into space. When the ball was spread back left, it was the Exeter winger who dived over close to the ruck for the opening try.
Biggar converted and the Lions were playing some positive rugby despite Donald narrowing the Chiefs’ half-time deficit with a second penalty.
The Lions had been lucky to escape a second yellow card when Biggar tackled Tom Sanders high before the break, but it was Gatland’s side who continued to see much more of the ball.
After Gatland highlighted the issue of blocking in the build-up to this game, Chiefs centre Jonathan Faauli was penalised for obstructing Lions runners early in the second half.
Lawes, who had been making a serious case for Test selection, was then forced from the field for a Head Injury Assessment following a blow to the head, Wales forward Alun Wyn Jones coming on.
His arrival coincided with a second Lions score, an impressive forward surge ending with referee Jerome Garces awarding a penalty try after the Chiefs collapsed the maul.
Home flanker Mitchell Brown was yellow carded for his part in the score. The conversion was added automatically and now the Lions were purring.
A scintillating effort soon followed. An overthrown Chiefs line-out was gathered by Justin Tipuric, Payne, Williams and Robbie Henshaw leading a breakaway which ended with Nowell adding his second try.
Just minutes later, a poor Chiefs chip was returned with interest by full-back Williams, the Wales star scorching clear and popping the ball up for Payne to score.
Biggar added both sets of extras and at 34-6 the game was over as a contest.
That proved to be the final scoreline and although Tommy Seymour threw away the chance of a fifth Lions try by delivering a poor pass to Payne after a clean line break, it failed to ruin what was a good night at the office.
