South Africa A 17 Lions 13: Springboks strike first blow despite coronavirus crisis by edging physical battle
LION KING Alun Wyn Jones checked into his flight, turned on his iPad and instantly realised he was flying into a storm. After making a superhuman recovery from a dislocated shoulder just 19 days ago, Big Al touches down in Cape Town tomorrow. The cavalry arrives just in time – after watching the tourists slip […]
LION KING Alun Wyn Jones checked into his flight, turned on his iPad and instantly realised he was flying into a storm.
After making a superhuman recovery from a dislocated shoulder just 19 days ago, Big Al touches down in Cape Town tomorrow.
The cavalry arrives just in time – after watching the tourists slip to their first defeat in four games from a Heathrow departure lounge
It might have said South Africa ‘A’ on the team sheet – but this was the Springboks in everything but name.
This unofficial Fourth Test, a game in which the Boks started 11 World Cup winners, finally breathed life into a tour affected by so many off-field problems.
The World Cup winners are recovering from a whopping 26 cases of Covid in their squad.
But it will take a hell of a lot more than that to knock-out a country that is on its knees from days of deadly riots and looting.
The Rainbow Nation look to their iconic rugby stars to deliver hope in the backdrop of civil unrest and raging Covid.
And every time their heroes deliver – giving those suffering from a nightmare the dream release.
For Jones, he is hoping this will be a blockbuster ending to a Hollywood career as he returns as skipper.
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The ultimate Lion has made a Terminator-like recovery and now his teammates will look to him to lead them to victory.
And how they will need someone as unbreakable as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character to take down the Boks.
Boss Warren Gatland said: “He’s raring to go and it’s a massive boost for the Lions to welcome a player of Alun Wyn’s stature.
“He wouldn’t be coming unless he was coming to play. He’s back fully fit and is in contention for Test selection.”
Jones comes in hot, but for the last week and a bit South Africa have been locked up in coronavirus quarantine in Johannesburg.
Half of their squad, including skipper Siya Kolisi, are still left behind in The City of Gold.
But three guys Gatland wished were still in their rooms were first scorer Sbu Nkosi, hot-stepping winger Cheslin Kolbe and irritating, but awesome, scrum-half Faf de Klerk.
Golden-oldie Morne Steyn, the hero of 2009, was back haunting the Lions with sublime kicking and perfect pressure play.
Gatland’s boys looked ragged and disjointed and even before kick-off they lost their own top-scorer Josh Adams as he stayed back at the hotel to watch his wife give birth. . . via ZOOM!
Like Jones, Adams would have had one eye on this.
And would have been wincing when Owen Farrell’s chip was charged down by 6ft 7in monster second row Eben Etzebeth.
Damian de Allende broke from their 22 and fed Nkosi for an easy run-in, before Farrell struck back with a penalty some 20 minutes later.
The Boks swarmed on them at every opportunity but Tom Curry took the fight to them in an edgy and tense encounter.
It was a proper scrap – with titanic, one-on-one skirmishes between players.
There was beauty too, when Kolbe hot-stepped past Chris Harris and Louis Rees-Zammit to set up the second try.
With captain Lukhanyo Am on pint-sized Kolbe’s shoulder it was an easy run in for the centre to go under the posts.
The Lions then got a lifeline when danger-man De Klerk was yellow-carded for a head-butting Josh Navidi.
Seconds later, Marco van Staden followed him to the bin for killing the ball.
Prop Wyn Jones was the go-to man for the Lions’ demolition job at the gainline.
And when he scored their first, shortly after half-time, he furthered his claim for the Test no.1 shirt
Another Welshman, Rees-Zammit – the 20-year-old known as Rees-Lightning and now sporting a shaved lightning bolt in his head – had a score chalked off for double movement at 17-13 down with 20 minutes to go as the Lions just came up short.
They move on quickly, though, and there is no time to lick their wounds.
On Thursday Gatland announces his final side for a provincial game to take on The Stormers – but won’t pick Jones just yet.
He will be saved for the big games when they need warriors.