Category: British & Irish Lions Tour
-
Does the Springboks style matter?
Fresh off a historic series victory the Springboks have been caught in the crossfire of every pundit not in green and gold spitting fire at the dire nature of the way the Boks play. Most Northern commentators called the Boks all manner of things under the sun except the series victors. Does it matter the…
-
What the selections of the Lions and Boks means for Saturdays clash
Boks The settled Boks team has a sense of being comfortable both in personnel and expected game plan. The changes of Cobus Reinach for Faf de Klerk and Franco Mostert for Pieter Steph du Toit was almost a certainty after the final whistle blew in the Boks famous victory. Cobus is considered a better kicking…
-
Gut reactions to the British and Irish Lions vs Boks 2nd test
Roles reversed After the Boks won the first half of the First Test and faded badly in the second half it was the Lions turn to look out on their feet in the second stanza of the Second Test. Not only did the Lions look exhausted but also looked devoid of ideas on attack which…
-
Winners and losers from the British and Irish Lions vs Springboks first test
This was an enthralling encounter not for the quality of the rugby but the high stakes pressure game with large momentum shifts throughout. Winners Gatland’s mind games Warren Gatland spent the better part of the end of the week complaining about having South African TMO Marius Jonker officiate the game and it worked. Jonker was…
-
Gut reactions to the Lions and Boks selections
Looking at the teams selected this week for the first test speaks volumes about what each coach expects from this game. Boks nervous about fitness The selection of Ox Nche and Trevor Nyakane to start over Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff shows us that the Bok brains trust are worried about the Boks being undercooked.…
-
Who do the Springboks want the Lions to select?
I am trying to look at the selection posers for Warren Gatland from a Springboks perspective to see how the makeup of the team will suit the plans of the Boks. This is what I believe the Boks want when Gatland names his team. The Lions have been playing at a tremendous pace which is…
-
British and Irish Lions tour – What we know and what we haven’t learnt yet
What we know: Springbok team selection The Springboks are set on who they want to be playing in the 23 come Saturday with Covid 19 protocols and match fitness putting a few key cogs in question. Handre Pollard and Siya Kolisi are the biggest losses if they aren’t deemed ready to start on Saturday but…
-
British and Irish Lions tour Fact vs Fiction
Yes I believe that we came very close to seeing the tour end before it even really began due to the Covid cases in the Bok camp. It was all about timing and with the congested nature of the tour there is no room for error. If the Boks camp outbreak came later down the…
-
What have we learned after this past weekend’s matches?
Race to 24th July Both the British and Irish Lions and the Springboks are in a race to get ready for the first test. The plans have been laid and the teams mostly picked but whoever has the most match ready outfit will win. The keys players in the Bok team who are short on…
-
What do the British and Irish Lions need to get out of the midweek matches
The easy answer to this question would be wins right? Not exactly. These midweek games are more about sharpening the squad up for the main course – the three Test matches. When people look back at the tours the results of the matches outside of the Test matches are quickly forgotten. Look at the previous…
-
5 Observations of the British and Irish Lions vs Japan
The loss of Alun Wuyn Jones and Justin Tipuric in rather innocuous looking tackles will leave a massive void in the team, outside of their obvious abilities on the field it will be the leadership that is most affected. Looking at the available locks in the squad it seems to be a position of weakness…
-
Winners and losers in british & irish lions tour schedule
Winners: Local SA Franchises: They get to have a crack at the Lions touring party fresh off the boat on hard fast fields in altitude which is incredibly difficult at the best of times. The Lions will be looking to use their superior forward power to slow the game down and kick for territory whilst…