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The odds of Alun Wyn Jones launching the Test Series for the British and Irish Lions seemed incredibly long three weeks ago, but the returning tour captain is back in the game. Twenty-six minutes on the pitch in a lopsided victory over another mediocre South African Provincial team may not seem like much, but as far as the Lions’ leadership goes, it might just be enough to see Jones parachuted straight into the starting XV for the first test on Saturday. .
It was hard not to wince every time the Welsh captain made contact, but his previously dislocated left shoulder is still intact and he survived to fight another day. While Jones didn’t do anything too spectacular, he didn’t seem uncomfortable and the chances of him making his way into the second starting row alongside Maro Itoje must now be high. The other obvious strengths were the energetic performances of man of the match Luke Cowan-Dickie and scrum-half Ali Price, both of whom went out of their way to convince Warren Gatland to pitch them next week.
In some cases, however, Gatland’s job has not been made much easier. Robbie Henshaw was pulled out after 58 minutes without having fully looked at full force following hamstring issues and his Irish colleague Tadhg Beirne hasn’t absolutely settled the debate on who should wear the No.6 jersey next Saturday .
Jonny Hill, Adam Beard and fleet replacement Sam Simmonds also presented well and Marcus Smith made a favorable first impression, converting the Lions’ seven tries and showing nice touches with the ball in hand in the final quarter. but finally Gatland know that a very different challenge awaits you against the Boks. The head coach, meanwhile, politely questioned the decision of Rassie Erasmus, the director of rugby for the Boks, to post about Owen Farrell’s tackling technique on social media “a bit surprising to go to Twitter but you have to come to terms with it. It adds to the occasion, the atmosphere and the tension of the Test series. It’s a little fun, a game within a game.
It’s supposed to be the strongest winter in Cape Town, but at Table Mountain it could have been a beautiful May day in Cardiff. On the political and pandemic fronts, those days remain uncertain in southern Africa but, on a more mundane level, the skies were crisp blue and there was not much in sight to shake the Lions’ composure. one week before the Test series.
At last count, there would be as many as 600 South African rugby players plying their trade in Europe and Japan at various levels and the gaps they leave behind are ruthlessly exposed on days like these. Wasps and Harlequin fans know Juan de Jongh and Tim Swiel well, but there is a flip side. Too many gnarled pillars have made their way to shore rather than stick around to help the next generation.
As a result, local pre-game expectations weren’t very high, but the Lions were slow to get started. One or two people seemed a little too eager to impress, making it harder for the team to click collectively, and it was almost half an hour before the tour team opened their doors. account.
It was worth the wait, however. Powerful Duhan Van der Merwe and Tadhg Furlong both made good ground before Price found an unmarked Adam Beard who galloped 10 yards. Six minutes later they had a second try on the board, with Cowan-Dickie popping up from a maul’s side to underline the scoring threat he poses for Exeter with his first Lions down.
The third score just before half-time also had a touch from Sandy Parks to it, a nice pass from Stuart Hogg allowing Hill to touch down in the left corner. Again, however, the extra tempo Price brought to the movement was impressive, as was Smith’s drilled angular conversion.
Would the floodgates open in the second half? Yes was the answer, a nice build job from Smith and Daly creating a fourth try by shaping a hole in the midfield from which Jack Conan enthusiastically finished. A possible Beirne score on a cross shot from Smith was called up for a forward pass earlier in the preparation, but further tries for Zander Fagerson, Louis Rees-Zammit and Sam Simmonds secured another big win for the visitors.
He clinched a brace that saw South Africa A beaten 17-14 by the Bulls, the national Currie Cup champions, which wasn’t quite what Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber had in mind. lead in terms of ideal preparation for the opening of next week’s Test. How the Lions would like a similar outcome when the series proper kicks off this Saturday.
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