The British and Irish Lions thread
- Thread starter TheRedFlag
- Start date
Well that was a complete and utter shambles 
Royal XV 25-37 Lions
Royal XV (18) 25
Tries: Koch, Barnes, Roux Cons: Olivier, Viljoen Pens: Olivier 2
Lions (10) 37
Tries: Bowe, Byrne, Wyn Jones, O'Gara Cons: O'Gara 4 Pens: O'Gara 3
The Lions launched a late fightback to beat the Royal XV and avoid what would have been their first defeat in the opening tour match since 1971.
Two tries in quick succession, from Wilhelm Koch and Rayno Barnes, helped the hosts take a shock 18-3 lead.
Tommy Bowe's converted try made it 18-10 at the break before a Ronan O'Gara penalty cut the lead to five.
Bees Roux scored for the hosts but late tries from Lee Byrne, Alun Wyn Jones and O'Gara saw the Lions home.
A sparse crowd at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenberg - the Super 14 final was taking place in nearby Pretoria - saw the Lions make a raft of mistakes and struggle to gel in the first hour.
An embarrassing defeat was on the cards - for the first time in a Lions tour opener since losing 15-11 to the Queensland Reds in 1971 - to an equally scratch side made up of players from the third tier of South African rugby.
It was not all bad for the Lions and Jamie Roberts and Lee Byrne both turned in fine performances despite the rocky display from the team as a unit, and in the end the Lions' greater fitness saw them run in three late tries to avoid faces as red as their shirts.
O'Gara kicked a seventh-minute penalty to give the Lions the lead but Naas Olivier soon levelled with a penalty of his own.
The Lions' attempts to get their game going were hampered by centre Keith Earls' inability to hang on to the ball.
The 21-year-old was clearly struggling with nerves and when he dropped a high kick in his own 22 it gave the hosts great field position.
They attacked from a ruck, great hands from Hanno Coetzee put Koch through a gap and the Royal XV captain had the pace and power to just make it to the line.
It soon went from bad to worse for the visitors, as Barnes burst through the middle of a maul to add a second try.
The maul, so rare a sight under the experimental laws (ELVs) that had been in effect for the past year, was making a welcome reappearance as Saturday's game was played under the definitive new laws which prohibit players from dragging down the maul, contrary to the system in use under the trial laws.
Royal XV fly-half Olivier converted the first try and slotted a penalty in between the two tries to give the hosts an unexpected 18-3 lead with less than half an hour on the clock.
As the Lions tried to get back on terms they elected not to kick for goal when awarded penalties and after kicking into the corner once more they finally scored their first try of the tour.
They failed to maul their way over from the line-out but fed the ball into midfield and Bowe popped up to take O'Gara's inside pass and motor over under the posts.
Ireland fly-half O'Gara slotted the conversion and despite a difficult opening 40 minutes, the Lions went in only eight points adrift at the break.
O'Gara trimmed the gap with a penalty two minutes after the restart and with Olivier then missing for the hosts, the Lions approached the last 20 minutes trailing by five points.
By now the tourists had taken charge but despite coming close to scoring several times, with Shane Williams even dropping the ball as he tried to spin over the line, they could not quite breach the hosts' defence.
And the Royal XV made them pay when they mounted a rare attack and Roux's converted score gave them what looked like being a decisive 25-13 lead.
With time running out Byrne showed fine footballing skills to score a superb solo try and give the tourists some hope, and O'Gara's conversion and a subsequent penalty cut the gap to two points with seven minutes to play.
By now the momentum had swung firmly in favour of the Lions and first Wyn Jones and then O'Gara went over for converted tries to ensure the Lions got the tour under way with the result, if not the performance, they wanted.
Royal Highveld XV: Russell Jeacocks (Leopards); Egon Seconds (Griquas), Deon van Rensburg (Leopards), Hanno Coetzee (Griquas), Bjorn Basson (Griquas); Naas Olivier (Griquas), Sarel Pretorius (Griquas); Albertus Buckle (Griquas), Rayno Barnes (Griquas), Bees Roux (Griquas), Rudi Mathee (Leopards), Jacques Lombard (Griquas), Wilhelm Koch (Leopards, capt), Devon Raubenheimer (Griquas), Jonathan Makoena (Griquas).
Replacements: Pellow van der Westhuizen (Leopards), Stef Roberts (Griquas), Rynard Landman (Leopards), RW Kember (Leopards), Jacques Coetzee (Pumas), Riaan Viljoen (Griquas), Jovan Bowles (Bulldogs).
Lions: Lee Byrne (Ospreys/Wales), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys/Ireland), Keith Earls (Munster/Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Shane Williams (Ospreys/Wales); Ronan O'Gara (Munster/Ireland), Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland); Andrew Sheridan (Sales Sharks/England), Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales), Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales), Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England), Paul O'Connell (Munster/Ireland - captain), Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales), David Wallace (Munster/Ireland).
Replacements: Lee Mears (Bath/England), Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England), Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys/Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland), Mike Phillips (Ospreys/Wales), Stephen Jones (Scarlets/Wales), Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England).
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa).
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert and Mark Lawrence (both South Africa).
Well that was a complete and utter shambles
Wasn't good, but I remember them starting very badly last time and still managing to put 100 on midweek teams once they found their rhythm. Obviously comparisons with last time aren't too good in terms of the test matches, but in all honesty this isn't a very good Lions squad, and we can't expect too much.
While today's game was worrying, it was made worse for me by watching the Super 14 final afterwards and seeing the Bulls side, which has several definite Springboks, put 60 points on a NZ club side, which smashed the record for a final. Combine that with the mess of a Lions game and things look pretty bad for them.
That was a bit of a disaster alright. At least they fought back to get the result.
Does anyone else not give the slightest feck about the Lions?
I like to see the Irish lads do well, but not at all bothered about the rest of them.
I like to see the Irish lads do well, but not at all bothered about the rest of them.
I'd be of your thinking also to be honest.
Aye. It's odd, because I've played and followed rugby for years, and enjoyed the Lions' games as much as the next man.
But I have no attachment to them whatsoever, and I just watch it because some of the best players in the world are playing, not because I really care whether they win or lose.
To be honest living in England, the media here has killed the Lion's tour for me before it even got started. To them it is the British Lions, always will be and they did little to conceal their disgust at the high number of Irish players included in key positions in the squad.
Also the outrage at so few English players being omitted despite them being the whipping boys for some years now.
Also the outrage at so few English players being omitted despite them being the whipping boys for some years now.
Lions playing well tonight, good try by O Driscoll
Much better, lads.
tbf the whipping boys are the French.
great perfomance from Bowe and Robinson last night.
But to be fair the gloden lions were shit and there one on one tackling was atrocious, Im more inclined to think it was more of a shit performance by the golden lions than a great performance by the British and Irish Lions.
But to be fair the gloden lions were shit and there one on one tackling was atrocious, Im more inclined to think it was more of a shit performance by the golden lions than a great performance by the British and Irish Lions.
Bowe looks like he could become a real top player. He has been fantastic so far.
17-0 after 15 mins to the Lions, tries from Ferris and Earls. The Earls one was particularly well worked - chip by Hook picked up by Earls who beat a couple of defenders with a mazy run. Good performance form the Lions so far.
Very lucky yesterday.
We're going to get hammered in the series.
We're going to get hammered in the series.