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JOHANNESBURG — The British and Irish Lions can expect “fire and anger” from vanquished South Africa in next weekend’s second Test rugby, Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk has promised after a home defeat in Saturday’s first clash.
De Klerk scored a try at the Cape Town Stadium but it was not enough as the Lions roared back from nine points down at half-time to win 22-17 in an attritional contest to go 1-0 ahead in the three test series.
“We are a proud nation and we’ll definitely make sure that we rectify the mistakes we made,” said the World Cup winning scrumhalf.
“We will definitely come back with a bit more fire in our belly and anger but we need control that anger to make sure our discipline is in check, but I think if our discipline is good we should be all good going forward. But it’s going to be another massive challenge next week. We like our backs against the wall, we can fight back from it.”
Just as they were forced to do in 1997 after defeat in the opening Test against the British & Irish Lions in Cape Town’ South Africa’s Springboks now have to revert to the drawing board. Unlike 1997 when Carel du Plessis presided over a disastrous campaign’ much of the existing scribbles and markings are influenced by Rugby World Cup success two years previously.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’ in close consultation of course with his boss Rassie Erasmus’ will have to find solutions to a tide that turned markedly and decisively in the Lions’ favour in the second half at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Much had been made of the Springboks’ lack of proper preparation in the lead up to the series and the manner in which they fell away in the second half will invite questions about their fitness and ability to stay the course.
In certain areas’ however’ their inability to execute was rooted more in the Lions finding exploitable pressure points’ than fatigue.
The Lions tactical kicking was far superior in the second half and apart from pinning the Springboks in their own half the tourists made valuable gains in aerial combat.
Of perhaps bigger concern was the deterioration that occurred at set-piece after the much-vaunted and celebrated prop pairing of Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff were deployed off the bench.
Earlier Ox Nché’ Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane had left the Boks on a sound footing. On the evidence of how the match transpired, they should surely get another crack from the start’ unless it is felt in the next Test that the Boks assemble their eggs in the second half basket.
It would be dangerous, however.
Apart from losing their mojo in the scrum’ the Springboks were disconcertingly reduced to passengers as the Lions found their grunt in the rolling mauls too. — TimesAlive.
Online Reporter