“Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed that he is grown so great?” ― William Shakespeare.
The British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa is but a few months away, scribes and pundits are already beginning to debate, argue, and select their picks for their respective teams starting XVs for the first Test and the eventual result of the series.
However, while the European leagues and cup competitions have continued uninhibited (to an extent), the worry for the Springboks brains trust will be the lack of game time the Springboks (collectively) have had in gathering momentum for the Lions tour. Although you’d never say so reading some of the bullish articles coming out of South Africa.
There is a sweeping and prevailing wind of assuredness or cockiness from some of South Africa’s most respected rugby scribes that the Lions will lose the series 3 nil, especially with the possibility that they will be without their travelling horde of red-clad vociferous fans.
Scribes have also pointed out the lack of progress and result’s from the home nations during the 2019 World Cup and on their current form during the Six Nations tournament this year. While these points may have some validity in assessing and gauging the make-up of the Lions team, to use them as cornerstones for a prediction of total domination from Springboks is foolhardy, errant, and ultimately arrogant.
That arrogance is something we as South Africans are not accustomed to and do not subscribe to, we are not a nation of trash talkers before major sporting events, quite frankly we do not how to even if we wanted to.
The Springboks have produced their most remarkable results when they have been written off, the underdog tag is something that fits comfortably with us, it always has. The motivation it provides has been used on many occasions when the Springboks haven’t been given a snowball’s chance in hell at securing a result.
Being written off for the 2019 Rugby World Cup final made it a personal issue with the Boks regarding the English player’s media attempts to meet the Boks challenge at the coal face, England’s defence coach John Mitchell said as much after the final.
The Lions have been installed as the bookie’s favourites and are predicted to win the series in South Africa, and will certainly be looking to win the series for the first time since 1997.
The Boks haven’t played a Test match since the final in 2019 in Japan and while key players are performing superbly well at home, in Europe and Japan for their respective clubs, that will not necessarily translate into immediate success when they run out against the Lions.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The home unions have been battle-hardened during their Test matches in both Six Nations and Autumn Cup in the lead up to this year’s series, whereas the Boks will be well short of game time. Both teams will play warm-up fixtures, but I can’t help but feel that the Lions will be better prepared for the series.
The Boks still have injury concerns none more so than the availability to star flyhalf Handre Pollard who is recovering from a serious knee injury.
Unlike the Boks forwards stocks which are packed to the rafters, the flyhalf position stocks will keep Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber up until the late hours of the night. The Lions will also have the added motivation of exacting some of their own revenge on the current World Champions, as such the Boks have a major target on their back and likely won’t be able to use the underdog tag for the upcoming tour.
Much has also been made of Warren Gatland’s season at the Chiefs in New Zealand last season whereby they equaled their club record for consecutive losses under his tutelage, however, it would be naïve to look at that as a gauge for how the Lions will fare in South Africa.
Gatland is in charge of his third Lions tour with a rather enviable record, he has overseen the last two previous Lions series (win in Australia 2013, drawn in New Zealand 2017).
While the home nations may have somewhat flattered to deceive during the past Six Nations, you best believe when Gatland assembles his squad they will be more than prepared and mentally frothing at the thought of taking on the Springboks and a shot at immortality.
What we as Springbok fans should be acutely aware of is providing the Lions with extra ammunition through the news articles published about a series whitewash and the like.
Remember the English press wrote similar articles in the lead up to the 2019 final – and we all know how that ended…
If I was Gatland I would be printing various articles in the Lions change rooms before the series kick-off, telling them this is what they think of you, South Africa doesn’t rate you.
Let us hope the Boks fly under the radar with humility and as Shakespeare alluded to, I hope the meat will be on a braai hopefully after a series victory as opposed to chocking on it with a series loss after having been so very sure of a Springbok victory.
Stone
Roar Rookie
Dude, I really hope you get some treatment for that stomach ulcer, it’s eating you alive. I honestly wish you well, and would love to sit down for a beer and chat sometime if possible. But be warned I am a white Saffer, whatever that means … considering the inherent racial mixing in a significant proportion of the population, which highlights the huge complexities found here that can’t be fixed by an upstanding Watson or 2 (… if only you knew)) I’m happy to concede that our rugby & most else, (even white rugby supporters) are quite inferior to anything found elsewhere … so we can go on, but don’t give me a lazy half-baked, mediocre argument and try punt it as truth – cos I won’t be afraid to contest it with you with due courtesy & respect. The vast majority of all Saffers here are kind, well-meaning, respectful folk who love each other despite the divisions being furiously stoked by radical marxists. And dare I say despite much of what the MSM has pushed for decades. Despite all you say about the RWC final & your despising the Boks win, it was a win more significant than a trophy mostly because it showed Saffers that we actually don’t hate each other. The win was a loss for the nasties, and I say it ushered the start of something significant … https://www.sapeople.com/2021/02/05/senekal-community-is-healing-rifts-by-fixing-their-town-together/
Stone
Roar Rookie
haha ... naughty boy!
Stone
Roar Rookie
Umm, ok, so let's see, that's 1 friend (give or take a few dozen you may have met) out of a total population of 57 mil. Yup I think you nailed it! Are you perhaps referring to an expat/immigrant community? Complete with culture shock/culture absorption struggles? If so I don't think that's a healthy sample to be looking at, otherwise I'd say the same things about my English, Italian, Greek & German friends I grew up with and who irritated endlessly about their better everythings. (They were probably right though, except for my Irish mate :-)
Braddles
Roar Rookie
Sorry man but I don’t know where you’re getting your news or opinions from because wow that’s all wrong. Most of what I’ve seen from SA writers and contributors is pretty much reflecting on how difficult it’s going to be for the Boks not on how easy it will be. Everyone wants the boks to get into camp ASAP and hopefully have some warm up games so they have a chance to be competitive against the Lions at the very least.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
They've already played post Currie Cup in a preparation series and now The Rainbow Cup in The UK coming up . Hopefully..
Hazel Nutt
Roar Rookie
Does this mean none of these players will have game time under their belt from the end of the Currie Cup in January to the Lions tour in July?
Stone
Roar Rookie
Man I enjoy Ox, a bit like a galloping rhino with some restrained mongrel about him. Seems like his best is yet to come which the Sharks will surely unlock
Paulo
Roar Rookie
It’s always much easier backing a winner - from a rusted on Crusaders supporter. But your right, lose a few big ones and the tide turns very quickly.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
You obviously haven’t been to Texas :silly:…. But hey I’m really impressed that you’ve met us all.. Mulungus that is.. . ( Zulu for Whiteys).. At least I can’t accuse you of generalizing.. :shocked: I’m also very impressed that you’ve managed to box in the nature of white South Africans because between The Afrikaners, English, Lebanese, Greek, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, etc who make up that collective I still after 60 years of living in SA remain baffled. Thanks for helping me out.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:.. Where did you dig that up? Had a good chuckle over my coffee this morning.
Harry Jones
Expert
Johann, the longtimers on here will know I was having a laugh. Of course it was the best cup win ever!!! I was just doing the “agree with rubbish” tactic.
USrugger
Roar Rookie
All this chatter brings to mind: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=never+met+a+nice+south+african+song&docid=608003447476077127&mid=303CCB24FB4C425EC2EF303CCB24FB4C425EC2EF&view=detail&FORM=VIRE ...always worthy of a great laugh... :laughing:
USrugger
Roar Rookie
Have to disagree. No luck involved for Bill. I honestly think Rassie had a very simple master-plan. He had 2 world class front rows & used them so smartly. That platform - a major set piece, so vital in rugger - set the tone & allowed the backline to do what they did. (A little help from French scrum interpretation...) This time, the Boks face a real hurdle. They're underdone. I watched all the 6N games. There were some outstanding performances across the park. And the brilliant element of surprise will not be there for Rassie...unless he can conjure up some new wrinkle.
USrugger
Roar Rookie
I'm SEfriken...& a Bok supporter...& I laughed out loud! LMAO... I think the arrogance is less than it once was. I credit the 'rainbow' nature of the team, but to say South Africans 'are not accustomed to' arrogance, especially in certain sports, is truly a stretch... True, I do not think of folks like Rassie, Siya...et al...are arrogant.
Wayne
Roar Rookie
Also a bit presumptuous that a person with my name would be a 'White' South African. Maybe BackInBlack should get with the program, stop being a 'Troll' and get himself a real profile here on Roar, maybe even enroll in some cultural sensitivity lessons.
YakAttak01
Roar Rookie
A bit racist here dont you think mate.
YakAttak01
Roar Rookie
Who cares what the fans and media think. It's what the players think that really matters. I dare people to show me signs of arrogance within this group of players. They will know that they have everything to loose.
Harry Jones
Expert
And then ... karma ... and they never again play
Buk
Roar Rookie
Was thinking exactly the same.
But all good again in the 4th apparently...