The British and Irish Lions have roared back to beat world champions South Africa 22-17 in a Cape Town comeback win, with Dan Biggar’s boot proving the key.
Biggar kicked four penalties and a conversion for a 14-point personal tally to take the Lions to victory after they were 12-3 down at halftime on Saturday but came back strongly in the second half.
Dan Biggar kicks a penalty in the first Test against the Boks (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Luke Cowan-Dickie scored the Lions’ only try with Owen Farrell adding a key late penalty while the Springboks’ points came from a Faf de Klerk try and four first-half penalties from Handre Pollard.
The two teams meet again next Saturday in the second Test, also at the Cape Town Stadium.
The Lions roared back into the contest with a vastly improved second-half display as they gained the physical advantage and put the Boks under pressure with the high ball, which turned the tide in their favour.
The home side made too many errors as they visibly wilted in the closing quarter, stung by a lack of match practice and just one Test in 20 months since they lifted the World Cup in November 2019.
After a breathless opening 15 minutes, the Boks were the first on the board when Pollard landed a penalty, and then added another following a late tackle on de Klerk by Sale Sharks teammate Tom Curry.
The hugely impressive Maro Itoje effected two excellent steals on the ground at the ruck, but the Boks continued to apply pressure and Elliot Daly gave away a penalty at the ruck and Pollard made him pay.
There was a rare line-break at the end of the first half by centre Robbie Henshaw, but he spilled the ball forward under pressure from Willie le Roux when he had options for the pass on either side of him for what would have been an easy score.
An invigorated Lions turned down two kickable penalties early in the second half and their ambition paid dividends when Luke Cowan-Dickie scored from a maul that was too powerful for the home defence.
Le Roux looked to have hit back almost immediately with a breakaway try from Makazole Mapimpi’s kick, but he was adjudged to have been marginally in front of the kicker and the effort ruled out.
But the Boks did get their score, Mapimpi again with the kick ahead and this time de Klerk put the finishing touches after there was a suspicion of a knock-on from Pieter-Steph du Toit in the build-up.
But this time South African TV match official Marius Jonker confirmed the try was good.
Biggar kicked two more penalties to reduce the deficit to a single point again, before the Lions led for the first time just past the hour-mark from another penalty as the tiring Boks’ error count started to mount.
The home side had another try ruled out by the TMO for a knock-on in the build-up to Damian de Allende’s score, but Farrell added another penalty with two minutes on the clock and it was the tourists who won the arm-wrestle.
Laurence King
Roar Rookie
Or the Boks kick!? Lol. Next game should be better cheers
Bill Shut
Roar Rookie
A game for the connoisseurs of the Box Kick
Bill Shut
Roar Rookie
Interesting you mention the Waterboy and not the coach - and I think that's part of the problem. Who is actually coaching the team? Rassie is running around the field with a clip board and may have forgotten to take water onto the field. I think it is maybe a bit "wrong" to have the coach running around on the field. Getting sick of the refs having to chase them off every 5 minutes
piru
Roar Rookie
Oh I didn't miss your point (irrelevant though it was).
Tom G
Roar Rookie
If any team could bore you into a coma it would definitely be the Boks
Flyman
Roar Rookie
Its all about opportunities, no matter how small, you take everyone you can get, particularly at this level - the devil is always in the detail.
Flyman
Roar Rookie
Absolute BS about the Tri-Nations - it appears you know zip about living in a 3rd world country and the ravages of Covid. Your conspiracy theory about not wanting to play to maintain #1 ranking is even more ludicrous - SARU does not make the rules - WRB does. Sure, the Boks were undercooked - no surprises there, and the result showed it.
Flyman
Roar Rookie
No, the cough going to put you in a coma soon.
Flyman
Roar Rookie
The point (in case you missed it dear piru), was about box vs boks, regardless of the outcome of this past game, the track record speaks for itself.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
I think they also need to develop a plan 'b' Riccardo. Everyone knows their plan 'a' but they usually do it so well it's hard to stop. Gatland was fortunate to have a half time to reset, while the Boks maybe went in thinking everything was fine and was only going to get better. Different conversations, different mindsets.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
"But I guess both of us have to agree that none of us are “perfect”." Yes, best to move on with that comment, NV.
numpty
Roar Rookie
There are plenty of calls that could've gone another way, but i thought the game flowed and both teams got a fair rub of the green. SA think they're hard done by because they lost, but what they should've known is that Berry always favours the team in possession.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
What’s “proper Test Rugby”? Play the percentages, minimize the risks, solid set piece, don't give away soft penalties, territory, and possession, work the scoreboard. The Boks are not done yet, but to lose the second half 19-5 and not being able to create any kind of structured play for the full 80 minutes is a huge worry for me. They were inside the Lions 22 for a "whooping" total of 26 seconds. And there is just as big chance that the Lions will improve as the Series moves on.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
The lack of impact from the Boks from the pine surprised me Neil. They have to look after the ball better too. The Lions' kicking game was far superior.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
This is a big call Swedish. Boks clearly rusty but still may have gained some ascendancy had they 1) not transgressed in the build up to those tries, and one was pretty marginal, and 2) not kicked the ball away. This was still a small margin and the Boks are not done yet. Both sides will improve, and hopefully provide a better spectacle. What's "proper Test Rugby"?
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
It is telling that the only "mistake" he did was when Etzebeth and PSDT caught him running a bit high.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Marvelous...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
John McEnroe.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Morena Neutral. Maro... Exceptional...
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
I lost count on how many times you have rubbished Itoje. It has been a common theme from you for some time. No matter how good Itoje has played, you have always come across as saying he is a liability and solely been focusing on any mistakes he has done (no matter how small or irrelevant) and ignored his game-changing plays and his hard and solid work all around the pitch. Saying that, in general, I appreciate most of your contributions too. But I guess both of us have to agree that none of us are "perfect".