At the time, it seemed like such an innocuous run, but the more the British and Irish Lions came back in the first Test against South Africa, the more I kept thinking about it.
And not thinking of it as a turning point per se, but rather the best indication of just how much momentum had swung the Lions’ way in the second half in Cape Town.
From an Ali Price box kick inside the Lions’ 22, winger Duhan van der Merwe had chased through superbly to the point of being able to contest the catch with Springboks number eight Kwagga Smith, so much so that van der Merwe was able to bunt the ball backwards toward his chasing supports.
Back-rower Tom Curry had also got through to the contest to pressure Smith, but alongside fresh try-scorer Luke Cowan-Dickie was barnstorming blindsider Courtney Lawes, who pulled the ball in cleanly with his outstretched right hand and set off.
From the ten-metre line, Lawes suddenly looked up to see no defenders in front of him, and it was near halfway when his big left hand made short work of Springboks fullback Willie le Roux.
Five or six metres into South African territory, Pieter-Steph du Toit got a hand on a Lawes boot to somewhat slow him down, but it wouldn’t be until several metres beyond the Springboks’ ten-metre line before Siya Kolisi was able to bring him to ground.
The Lions went wide to the right and found space, with fullback Stuart Hogg getting the ball to the Boks’ 22, and the Lions would play another dozen phases to the left and back right before winning the penalty advantage, from which Dan Biggar would ultimately bring them back to within a point with around 24 minutes on the clock.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
They would take the lead in the 63rd minute, and the rest of the match is history.
Lawes ran for 33 metres for the match, with that one run easily accounting for 25 of those. He and number eight Jack Conan were the Lions’ standout ball carriers, with Lawes getting a couple of offloads away as well. Defensively they got through a mountain of work between them, and were right up there with the best red jerseys on the field.
The Lions’ fortunes seemed to change from the second-half restart and after a couple of excellent mauls, Cowan-Dickie bagged the first try of the Test series in the 44th minute.
By the time of Lawes’ aforementioned run, the Lions were carrying with purpose, had the breakdown in control, and were already determining where the game was being played and on whose terms, courtesy of a kick-chase that was already producing results.
It felt at this stage – to me, at least – that a Lions lead was inevitable.
(Photo by Getty Sports)
And by this stage, the Lions were already playing the most rugby. The Springboks’ attacking raids were really only coming from play breaking down. In the case of Faf de Klerk’s try, a Handre Pollard pass flew a long way behind the intended recipient and another 25 metres back downfield before du Toit picked it up and somehow found space.
The Lions, by contrast, were playing to a plan and to a structure that was creating opportunities for both penalties and points.
Many of you have made comment around the match being tough to watch, and it’s true that this match was a throwback to old-fashioned ten-man rugby.
The 65 kicks for the game underlines this, with the Boks kicking the ball roughly every third time they got their hands on it, while the Lions kicked a bit less than one in every five possessions.
But not in the kick-for-corners way, with both teams preferring the box kick and chase approach and the midfield bomb method. Perhaps if the game was up on the Highveld things might have been different.
But it created a real test of patience for viewers and outside backs alike.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
South Africa carried the ball 83 times, but only 13 times combined by the back three and outside centre Lukhanyo Am.
The Lions were only marginally better: 85 carries for a combined 20 carries from the outside backs. None of them on either side made more ground than le Roux’s 39 metres, and old ‘Spiders’ made two clean breaks in his.
In fact, depending on your stats sheets of choice, Am either carried twice for 18 metres or not once at all. Elliot Daly managed six carries that couldn’t even be rounded up to one collective metre gained. I’m not totally convinced he didn’t put his hand up for that long-range penalty attempt in the second half just to spend some quality time with the ball.
Both Damian de Allende and Robbie Henshaw played the battering-ram role at inside centre when a pass was thrown their way, otherwise the ball was sent airborne with regularity.
The Lions targeted their high balls at Cheslin Kolbe and away from le Roux, and their chase made it work. And the more it worked, the more influence they were having at the breakdown. Hamish Watson was incredible from the minute he came off the bench.
From 12-3 down at halftime, the Lions enjoyed 60 per cent of second-half possession and 64 per cent of second-half territory. They dominated the possession in the opposition half 17-6.
Warren Gatland might not be the most adventurous coach, but he’s found a way to outsmart South Africa at their own game and on their own turf.
And now he’s one win away from a significant slice of British and Irish Lions history.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Brett Good article from you but let's be honest ..... this was a very dull and boring spectacle. Both teams kicked the leather of it
Livale5
Roar Rookie
Aww mate have a day off will ya. The bokke lost end of. You keep droning on & on about this & that, let it go. The lions could write their own book on cheap shots & major grievances playing SA. I get that you don’t like the fact that SA lost but mate it’s Wednesday & your still here whining away.
GregM
Roar Rookie
the Lions have done what they had to do – win the 1st test (albeit ugly), now all of the pressure is on the Boks in a must win game. Hopefully we’ll see more ball in hand running rugby from SAf
Yeah Ive read the date here as Aug 1 for so many weeks thats the date I thought the test was on. Its the 1st Aug in Aus but not in SA of course. have to wait one more week.
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
I liked Spiro because he always had something different and wasn't afraid to go against flow. I didn't always agree with everything thing he said. In fact I would disagree with him far more than say Paul Cully but Paul is not as edgy. Your detective work has failed you on that one. I do have un unfair bias against England, NZ and SA in that order that's true. If Australia aren't playing I like Ireland; Wales and Scotland so not a southern snob. There was a passage of play for about 3 minutes where 4 or five consecutive bad calls went against SA, Stafford I felt was the worst as grabs Kolbe in the air a could have been dangerous. Lions in my honest opinion got the rub of the green there and that was the turning point eventuating in a penalty goal. SA had led the whole match up until then. Appart from that SA were off side more and lions were slowing play/wrong side of the ruck more. Leading up to the first disallowed try I agree the first pass looked forward to me but the TMO said "I'm not sure but" for off side, well if you are not sure then under the rules it's a try and at this level they have to be better. I tend to go for the underdog in most situations where I do not have a clear favorite so leaning to the box but far from a fan lol.
Homer Gain
Guest
I am an England fan who, for a variety of reasons, would like to see the Lions beaten in this series. That allowed me to watch Saturday's game with a much higher degree of objectivity than I would ever normally claim. The match was a dire spectacle, but to claim that SA was on the wrong side of the refereeing ledger was clearly unfair. As previous correspondents have pointed out, for every error against them, they had one in their favour. As regards the tries, to my mind, Berry's mistake was in telling the TMO that the on field decion was a try when most watching them live would have said no try (forward pass, in front of the player, knock-on). The two alleged lifting incidents were at the very mild end of the spectrum (your certain yellow for Watson (H) was mitigated by the fact that the SA player barely left the ground, and was hardly pile-driven into the turf and Cheslin Kolbe's play-acting got precisely what it deserved. Are these matters for debate? Yes? But then so are 20 such incidents in any game and you have clearly chosen only those that went against your favoured team. As for pretending to some degree of neutrality in your analysis, I'm afraid you gave that game away as soon as you quoted the unhinged Zavos as your journalistic exemplar.
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
If this were Australia, perhaps but the fact that it's SA?? I'm on the side of a fair outcome HG. Are you from the north?
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
As I’ve frequently said, the unluckiest lock in selection terms I’ve known, not least because I perceived him the better partner. Jones disagreed with both of us.
Homer Gain
Guest
I think it implies that you are a one-eyed loon. And if you worship at the shrine of that unlamented king of psychotic haters of NH rugby, Sprio Zavos, he's not far wrong.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
This selection looks a bit better. But very very little cover among the backs. Big gamble in what most likely will be a brutal game. See neutral I told you Kwagga would be dropped to be replaced by a heavy weight no. 8. Yeah, you did. Let’s see how much of a difference that makes. Wiese is not exactly a tried and tested stalwart. Six players from the Stormers?!? Since when did they become any good? :silly:
CPM
Roar Rookie
and the Bok team. See neutral I told you Kwagga would be dropped to be replaced by a heavy weight no. 8. Springbok team to face the British & Irish Lions at Cape Town Stadium: 15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 63 caps, 60 pts (12t) 14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 15 caps, 40 pts (8t) 13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps, 15 pts (3t) 12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 48 caps, 30 pts (6t) 11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 15 caps, 70 pts (14t) 10 – Handre Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 50 caps, 477pts (6t, 78c, 93p, 4d) 9 – Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) – 31 caps, 25 pts (5t) 8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 1 cap, 0 pts 7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers) – 57 caps, 25 pts (5t) 6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 52 caps, 30 pts (6t) 5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 41 caps, 5pts (1t) 4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 87 caps, 15 pts (3t) 3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 5pts (1t) 2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 38 caps, 40 pts (8t) 1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps, 5pts (1t) Replacements: 16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 35 caps, 30 pts (6t) 17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 44 caps, 5 pts (1t) 18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 21 caps, 0 pts 19 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 46 caps, 25 pts (5t) 20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 pts 21 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 8 caps, 5 pts (1t) 22 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 25 pts (5t) 23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 5pts (1t)
Harry Jones
Expert
Lions replace Daly with Harris. Vunipola v Malherbe. Conor M back in. Good stuff.
Harry Jones
Expert
Team named. Backline same. But 6-2 split (no Elton, thank heavens). And Wiese at 8. Not a softy. Smart to give Malherbe redemption. Never seen him play badly in consecutive matches. 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Lodewyk de Jager, 20 Marco Van Staden, 21 Albertus Smith, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse.
Harry Jones
Expert
They looked like avocado toast, except EE/PSDT. Need to come like berserkers
FunBus
Roar Rookie
The 2nd test is 31 July, so I presume the new laws don't kick in. In addition, I can't think of any previous series in which laws have been changed mid-series.
Scotty P
Roar Rookie
He's Rassie's alter ego on twitter.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Yes, he failed the HIA. Biggar's been selected, but the protocols state he can't train before Thursday. I'd say it's 50-50 if he plays or Farrell steps up.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Just very different strengths to their game Neil. Kruis is a lineout player and worker in the tight, Launch can carry and defend well, and is a big threat at the breakdown.
Ulrich
Roar Rookie
AFAIK Stick coaches off-the-ball things, like getting up quickly and into position. Not blaming him. I think he does a fine job given his role.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
The pack should be good. Marler has got his act together and is playing out of his skin, and Genge is developing nicely. There's also lots of good youngsters coming through. Watch out for a kid called Alfie Barbeary. He's only 20, and a hooker. He's so good, Wasps have been playing him at number 8 whilst he learns the set-piece hooker arts. If it wasn't for injury he might even have had a call-up at '8' for the England squad.