South Africa v British & Irish Lions, 31 July

First topic message reminder :

                                  
SOUTH AFRICA v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Saturday 31 July
KO: 18:00 SAST / 17:00 UK / 20:00 Dubai  
Cape Town Stadium (Newlands), Cape Town
Sky Sports Main Event

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Mathieu Raynal (France)
TMO: Marius Jonker ( )

TEAMS:

SOUTH AFRICA:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 63 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 15 caps, 40 pts (8t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps, 15 pts (3t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 48 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 15 caps, 70 pts (14t)
10 – Handré Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 50 caps, 477pts (6t, 78c, 93p, 4d)
09 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 31 caps, 25 pts (5t)

08 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 1 cap, 0 pts
07 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers) – 57 caps, 25 pts (5t)
06 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 52 caps, 30 pts (6t)
05 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 41 caps, 5pts (1t)
04 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 87 caps, 15 pts (3t)
03 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 5pts (1t)
02 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 38 caps, 40 pts (8t)
01 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps, 5pts (1t)

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 35 caps, 30 pts (6t)
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 44 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 21 caps, 0 pts
19 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 46 caps, 25 pts (5t)
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 pts
21 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 8 caps, 5 pts (1t)
22 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 25 pts (5t)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 5pts (1t)

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS:
15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) #783
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) #816
13. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland) #844
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #824
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester Warriors, Scotland) #841
10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) #821
09. Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland) #790

01. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England) #787
02. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England) #851
03. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #818
04. Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) #825
05. Alun Wyn Jones – captain (Ospreys, Wales) #761
06. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) #826
07. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England) #853
08. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #839

16. Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales) #829
17. Rory Sutherland (Worcester Warriors, Scotland) #840
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, England) #814
19. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland) #838
20. Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales) #779
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) #843
22. Owen Farrell (Saracens, England) #780
23. Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) #822

PREVIEW:

doctor_grey wrote:Oh, screw all the petty sh!t.  Rassie and Gatland can go pound salt (or whatever tiny little things they wish to pound).  THIS is important:

This was supposed to be my first actual weekend off since January 2020, my first two days off in a row.  All I wanted to do today was grab a few pints, sit back and watch the Lions-Boks.  Followed by a nice afternoon nap.

But......noooo.  One of the trauma docs who was scheduled to cover A&E today at my hospital suffered a burst appendix yesterday and one of my partner orthopaedists from my office who was supposed to be making rounds became a father a few hours ago (three weeks early) and bailed out.  Baastaards.  So bloody insensitive to my needs and now I have to work today and miss the Lions match this afternoon.  They couldn't freakin wait.  I had told the new father to have his wife 'just hold it' until at least this evening.  Everyone has gone so soft these days and it's all about them and their petty little problems.  To make it worse, I had to go visit both in hospital last night to make sure nothing got bolloxed up and of course everyone is fine.   Grrr.

Sorry. But I don’t listen unless it is in an hour long video rant

R!skysports wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Oh, screw all the petty sh!t.  Rassie and Gatland can go pound salt (or whatever tiny little things they wish to pound).  THIS is important:

This was supposed to be my first actual weekend off since January 2020, my first two days off in a row.  All I wanted to do today was grab a few pints, sit back and watch the Lions-Boks.  Followed by a nice afternoon nap.

But......noooo.  One of the trauma docs who was scheduled to cover A&E today at my hospital suffered a burst appendix yesterday and one of my partner orthopaedists from my office who was supposed to be making rounds became a father a few hours ago (three weeks early) and bailed out.  Baastaards.  So bloody insensitive to my needs and now I have to work today and miss the Lions match this afternoon.  They couldn't freakin wait.  I had told the new father to have his wife 'just hold it' until at least this evening.  Everyone has gone so soft these days and it's all about them and their petty little problems.  To make it worse, I had to go visit both in hospital last night to make sure nothing got bolloxed up and of course everyone is fine.   Grrr.

Sorry. But I don’t listen unless it is in an hour long video rant

Well, if that was a rant it lacked substance, we need video evidence. 

People here seem not to know what the meaning of the word 'rant' is

606 will keep you updated Doc, if SA posters are going to meltdown it can only be good news.

Doc... there are some thoughtless, self-centred feccers in this world...and they're not all front row forwards.

I shall think of you when popping open the second or third can.

doctor_grey wrote:Oh, screw all the petty sh!t.  Rassie and Gatland can go pound salt (or whatever tiny little things they wish to pound).  THIS is important:

This was supposed to be my first actual weekend off since January 2020, my first two days off in a row.  All I wanted to do today was grab a few pints, sit back and watch the Lions-Boks.  Followed by a nice afternoon nap.

But......noooo.  One of the trauma docs who was scheduled to cover A&E today at my hospital suffered a burst appendix yesterday and one of my partner orthopaedists from my office who was supposed to be making rounds became a father a few hours ago (three weeks early) and bailed out.  Baastaards.  So bloody insensitive to my needs and now I have to work today and miss the Lions match this afternoon.  They couldn't freakin wait.  I had told the new father to have his wife 'just hold it' until at least this evening.  Everyone has gone so soft these days and it's all about them and their petty little problems.  To make it worse, I had to go visit both in hospital last night to make sure nothing got bolloxed up and of course everyone is fine.   Grrr.

I warned you about dread Cthulu doc....you wouldn't listen though.

TightHEAD wrote:606 will keep you updated Doc, if SA posters are going to meltdown it can only be good news.

Nah, we don’t melt that easy, we are used to the Sun 

doctor_grey wrote:Pumped full of Xanax and washed down by a bottle of whiskey. How did you know how I prepare for surgery?

Are you sure that you aren't Scottish, doc?

How any of the first three Lions lineouts do you think the Lions will win?

Won't get too perturbed if we lose one early (unless it's near our line). Lose two, however, and I'll be worried.

I predict a narrow Bok win.

I hope that is tightened up. To be fair, SA competed well. Even on the LCD try, they pressured Lawes very well. He did very well to take that.

I predict a red card early in the match

Should be a feisty game. Might boil over.

The singer for their anthem is a bit more enthusiastic this week.

Old Man wrote:I predict a red card early in the match

I worry about that as well, I hope not because it will likely ruin the game

Yep

Anyone else think Ezebeth is a bit over rated?

Yep, they are all overrated

Collapse2005 wrote:Anyone else think Ezebeth is a bit over rated?

No

AWJ trying to get it to boil over.

yup

BigGee wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Anyone else think Ezebeth is a bit over rated?

No

He’s no AWJ

That's why Harris is in the side

It was a hard hit by VDM as well

Very dubious breakdown work by South Africa in those rucks, but let go by the referee.

Was it legal though?

Better knock for touch.

SA hates the high ball

Strong from LCD there against the no arms tackle. He's probably used to practicing against those

we are going to see a boatload of penalties today

Poor discipline from SA. Should make the Lions have to exit from their 22.

Piggybacking now too.

Bok discipline is ocsting them

Frak

He could be in trouble here

Red card for Kobe?

Very lucky for SA there.

O’Keere said Curry stepped into it

Shocking in fact.

Three penalties in a row for three more points for the Lions. Replica of the second half last week. Strong Lions defence before that, good signs.

Colby definitely went in high, but being so small, did not really do any damage to Curry

Ah it would have been very harsh

Conan's tackle on Kolbe there was really important. If Kolbe's footwork gets over the gain line then the Boks get front foot ball. Instead Conan carries Kolbe back, Curry follows it up with a dominant hit and Lawes chops Mbonambi down well behind the gain line which forces a speculative kick, leading to the penalty.

The back row working well for the Lions in defence once again.

Where was Connor Murray at that ruck?

He was way to slow

BigGee wrote:Where was Connor Murray at that ruck?

He was way to slow

And not for the first time.

Interesting that Itoje seems to be calling the lineout. I'd never have expected that ahead of AWJ and Lawes before the tour started.

Although they looked at the Kobe head contact they should have looked at the tackle by the 13 straight after - possible shoulder to head.

That was a lucky let off for the Lions

Remains 6-3 Lions

How was that not a penalty?

Du Toit injured