The British & Irish Lions restored some of their pride by beating the Springboks comprehensively by 28 – 9 in the final test on Saturday at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg.
Paul O’Connell’s men gave a clinically committed performance against a disjointed and lethargic Springbok side to not only ensure that they would not be the first Lions to be whitewashed on a tour of South Africa but also match the record test score set by Willie John McBride’s 1974 side.
Ironically the score, 28-9, exactly matched the score by which McBride’s Lions beat the Springboks in the second test at Loftus in 1974.
Although the Springboks had the satisfaction of winning the series by having taken the first two tests, Saturday’s comprehensive defeat will serve to highlight just how close it was.
The Boks’ coaches almost contrived to give it away in the first test in Durban, the only game in which John Smit’s men played anywhere near the standard they are capable of, and the second was only won thanks to Morné Steyn’s long-range penalty right at the death.
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The British and Irish Lions are planning to take on the Springboks at their own traditional strengths in the series of three Tests in June and July.
That was the reaction on Tuesday from a panel of experts approached by Sport24 following the announcement of the squad for the tour of 10 games in South Africa.
Alan Solomons, Eddie Jones, Jake White and Cobus Visagie all agreed that Ian McGeechan (head coach) made a good selection and believe the Lions will take South Africa on physically.
“The Lions are not going to be out to entertain. They have picked a very physical squad,” said Solomons, who is a former Bok assistant coach and has also been at the helm of Irish side Ulster.
He believes the choice of Paul O’Connell as captain, as well as three physical scrumhalves – Mike Phillips, Harry Ellis and Tomas O’Leary – underline that point.
“O’Connell was a very good choice as captain. He has done an excellent job at Munster and has a hard edge,” said Solomons.
“Mike Phillips reminds me of Robert du Preez (a former Blue Bulls and Springbok scrumhalf). All the scrumhalves are big and physical.
“Mike Blair and Dwayne Peel (who were omitted) are more classic scrumhalves that are perhaps better passers of the ball. This sends a clear signal on how the Lions intend playing.
“The two flyhalves (Stephen Jones and Ronan O’Gara) are good at game management. They kick well at goal and their tactical kicking is also good.”
Jones, a former Wallaby boss who coached Saracens until recently, also believes the Lions have picked a squad that can stand their ground physically.
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70 000 tickets for matches in the Castle South Africa 2009 British and Irish Lions went on sale on Monday, February 23. The tickets are part of the second phase of sales for the eagerly-anticipated series and are available for seven of the ten matches in the series.
Season ticket and suite ticket holders were rewarded for their loyalty by being given preference in first-phase sales, which opened last year. Their uptake of tickets plus commitments to other rugby stakeholders means that only a limited number of Test tickets are available for the three-match series.
Approximately 30 000 tickets for the match against a Coastal XV in Port Elizabeth on June 16 will go on sale shortly once the seating configuration of the new Nelson Bay Mandela Stadium has been confirmed. Further tickets are expected to become available as deadlines expire for the uptake of first-phase tickets by stakeholders.
Tickets on sale from 9am on Monday will be for:
Saturday, May 30 Highveld XV v British & Irish Lions Rustenburg R 170
Wednesday, June 3 Xerox Lions v British & Irish Lions Johannesburg R 230
Saturday, June 6 Vodacom Cheetahs v British & Irish Lions Bloemfontein R 285
Wednesday, June 10 Sharks v British & Irish Lions Durban R 230
Saturday, June 13 Vodacom WP v British & Irish Lions Cape Town R 285
Tuesday, June 23 Emerging Springboks v British & Irish Lions Cape Town R 230
Saturday, July 4 3rd Test: Springboks v British & Irish Lions Johannesburg R1 140
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South African Breweries Ltd (SAB) have been chosen as the title sponsors for the British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa in a R25 million deal with SA Rugby.
The record-breaking agreement – the richest in Springbok rugby history – will see the tour known as the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series.
The ten-match adventure begins on May 30 and sees the Lions take on four provincial teams, two invitational combinations, the Emerging Springboks as well as the Springboks in three Tests.
“This sponsorship not only reaffirms SAB’s commitment to South African rugby and its fans, it also rubber stamps the company’s support for traditional rugby tours, which have vanished over the past few years,” said Ian Penhale, SAB marketing director. “The rich tradition and camaraderie associated with this unique tour reflect the very values of SAB.
“True rugby fans have been yearning for the traditional rugby tours, and the British & Irish Lions tour has earned a reputation as the last of the great rugby tours. So we are proud for Castle Lager to be associated with this prestigious event. This is a limited edition tour and everything about it is special. We want the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series to be the tour that stands the test of time.”
“The British & Irish Lions tour is a like a mini Rugby World Cup to me,” said delighted South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins at the SAB World of Beer in Newtown on Wednesday. “Its significance and uniqueness makes the tour important for SA Rugby and the nation, and we are honoured to host the team. We think this will be the best British & Irish Lions tour yet.”
Hoskins praised SAB for its continued support of South African rugby:
“We are very pleased to have such a reputable sponsor on board for this tour and excited to see Castle Lager reunited with the world of rugby once again,’ said Hoskins.”SAB and SA Rugby have a relationship dating back several years and its brand support is important for rugby and everything it stands for.”
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The kick-off times for the 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa have been confirmed.
The schedule is as follow:
Sat, May 30 – Highveld XV v Lions Rustenburg: 3pm
Wed, June 3 – Xerox Golden Lions v Lions Johannesburg: (7-10pm)
Sat, June 6 – Vodacom Free State Cheetahs v Lions Bloemfontein: (3pm)
Wed, June 10 – Sharks v Lions Durban: (7-10pm)
Sat, June 13 – Vodacom WP v Lions Cape Town: (3pm)
Tues, June 16 TBC – Coastal Xv v Lions Port Elizabeth: (3pm)
Sat June 20 – South Africa v Lions Durban: (3pm)
Tues, June 23 – Emerging SA v Lions Cape Town: (7-10pm)
Sat, June 27 – South Africa v Lions Pretoria: (3pm)
Sat, July 4 – South Africa v Lions Johannesburg: (3pm)
