And so to the second Test of the series, with the Lions in pole position at 1-0 up, having won both the rugby and reffing in round one. Rassie’s upped the ante this week and lurched uncontrollably into orbit, giving the tourists the moral high ground too. Is Rassie trying a Mourinho by taking all the focus off the players and onto his mighty shoulders, or has he simply blown a fuse and doesn’t know how to stop? I have no idea, haven’t watched the interviews and don’t really care for social media, evil that it is, he writes for a blog. To the rugby.
Wags is clearly expecting the Boks to not only throw the kitchen sink at his side this week, but possibly also the bath (whether or not there’s water or a baby in it), the TV (not ones looted in Durban) and the canape tray emptied in a single mouthful by Frans Malherbe. He’s beefed up his pack with Mako Vunipola starting, and Faletau on the bench, to the surprise of some although he’ll know what his Welsh blokes can do against the Boks better than anyone. In the backs, Connor Murray is there is to out box-kick the Boks and give McDuhan and Co lots to chase, whilst Harris is in to provide more steel in the midfield. It’s a side picked to keep parity early and ease away later.
The Boks have gone for a couple of changes too, with Ox Nche out injured, but surprisingly starting with Malherbe who looked anything but the cornerstone of the scrum last week. Looked a bit more like a Krispy Kreme donut to be honest. So the ‘Bomb Squad’ props start the match, Jasper Wiese comes in at number 8 to add more ballast to the scrum and aerial power for the restarts where Kwagga Smith was found wanting last week, as well as grunt going forward. It’s not a mobile pack by any stretch, but one designed for a single purpose: Searching, seek and destroy! With Metallica’s backing, what could go wrong?
The bench offers more mobility with Smith now on the pine and Marco van Staden in for the overhyped Elstadt and includes Big Trev, who looked good last week, Vincent Koch who knows his stuff and Marx, still a great poacher, defender and ballcarrier. The starting backs remain the same, with the only change being Elton Jantjies out of the 23 in favour of the extra forward. Willemse thus covers everything outside of 9 off the pine.
Gatland has picked a side to combat this, whilst Nienaber has picked a side to combat Gats’ combat and do what the Boks did well in the first 40 last week, but for longer this week or to get even further ahead in the first 40. It’s Combat Rock, kids! You’ll have to Know your Rights, or go Straight to Hell.
Simple plan. But there is still a disjointed feeling about the Boks. The blocks (and Boks) are not quite in place, the kicking game is metronomic, predictable and limited and requires absolute accuracy to be effective over 80 minutes. There was no real dominance up front last week and as the match wore on, the Boks were on the back foot. Having picked a pack to pulverise as his opening gambit, it’s highly unlikely Kolbe and Mapimpi will see any ball down the line in the first half at least. Hell, de Allende and Am will be lucky to see anything other than turnover ball or kick returns. So, who’ll win? If the Boks get that first half ascendancy and a big enough lead, or are able to use a more mobile pack in the second half to stop the Lions getting good momentum, they can turn the tables and sneak a tight win of their own this week. If The Lions start better than last week and have parity or thereabouts at the change – or even lead the match – they’ll be difficult to stop and will seal the series. Either way, one set of players will be heroes come tomorrow evening, keeping the series alive or winning it with two from two. Sadly, I think it’ll be the Lions by about 4 points and series over.
Lyrics by Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Saturday 31st July
| South Africa v B&I Lions | 17:00 | Sky Sports Main Event |
Ovally Balls 
Good man, Deebs………………..may the best team win (and a prayer for the ref.)
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Rockin words Deebs.
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Cheers Deebee
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24 hours to know where the series is.
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I’m actually hoping that the Boks win this one, so as not to make the third Test a dead rubber (to mix games).
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… I say that, but of course I will be cheering on the Lions tomorrow!
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I’ll be cheering on the Lions tomorrow so as to avoid the heartbreak of losing next week. I’m also a terrible liar.
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Four no trump.
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Lions win to see Marcus at 10 next week, but I don;t think Warren is like that. But Lions win anyway.
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More nervous this week than last.
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Deebs – worried you won’t be respected today?
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excitement/fear building nicely…………………..
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Craigs, I chucked my self respect away years ago, so no worries there. Although going to a totally sports disinterested household for dinner this evening so may end up in negative points on that score. Thank dog for Uber.
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Deebs – just prop your phone up against your glass at the table with game on silent. Then lie about not watching it.
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Test
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That’s odd, my previous comment didn’t load.
I was just mentioning how beautiful that aerial shot of Cape Town is
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Hi guys -anyone got a link?
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‘Mon the Lions!
This could be brutal, it will be tense, but I suspect there won’t be a lot of running rugby (unless it’s chasing after box kicks).
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@Slade – https://www.vipbox.lc/south-africa-vs-british-irish-lions-1-live
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Here we go. Enjoy it everyone.
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Stop nobbing around and play some rugby ffs
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Thanks!
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Sgonna be a kick-fest innit
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Not sure how Kolbe managed to be too high in a tackle.
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ooh, Kolbe head on head, card him.
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PSdT off
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Shame for PSDT
Could someone reset Murray to fast rather than slow please?
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Malherbe munching Mako
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Duhan ya choob
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Stupid from McDuhan there.
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Well, that was fucking stupid from DvdM.
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Seems we are all in agreement.
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That was so dumb
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Stupid, well deserved yellow for Mc Duhan.
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Kolbe must be off now
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It’s getting a little fractious.
And who’s ringing the boxing bell, in the stadium?
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Card coming. All a bit fractious
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Good word, fractious
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Murray lands on his back? Is that what the ref said?
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And what’s Dan doing?
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Slightly fortunate for kolbe
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I’d be more interested in Mbonambi shouldering Biggar in the back.
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Little bit of rugby broke out there.
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Whats the record for the longest it takes to complete a first half ?
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SA seem to be doing everything they can to make this game tediously slow and broken
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Mapimpi is playing really well, but he is right on the edge.
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That was a hell of a kick.
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Looked like a lack of arms by Faf there.
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That was impressive by Kolisi, to stop the try.
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Great d by kolisi. Darn
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