Springboks v British & Irish Lions III
-
-
Lions didn't take the opportunities, simply put. I'm not sure either team was dramatically better in the last game, tho the boks were probably better through the series
Gatland fucked up by not starting the Price/Russell combo in every test IMHO. Having a 9 & 10 who know each other well is important when you are changing all the other pieces.
Boks won by barely firing a shot. Lions didn't do much more, and couldn't make a tackle on Kolbe when it mattered. That's the difference.
-
@nepia said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
Steyn, 37, hasn't played a test in 5 years. Crazy.
Yeah but how hard is it? Kick the goals, then go stand in the back field and wait for the inevitable bomb, which your wingers or fullback will defuse, for you to clear. The Boks played 4 in the back field for the majority of the game.
It pretty much illustrates where the boks are: try not to lose.
They've added a huge dose of siege mentality with a massive victim complex crossover, this series. They are performing a good job of self-isolation in a way that apartheid can't quite match.
They'll get short shrift when they go up north... IF they ever go up north again.
Will they turn up for TRC?
-
Horrible test, horrible series. Lions should have been out of sight by half time, two butchered tries meant what should have been a 14 / 16 / 18 point halftime lead, but was actually 4, felt like a Springbok victory. Williams' missed one was bad enough, Curry's was unbelievable, such a dumb dumb penalty. He's been a penalty machine across the test series.
Ref was poor again. Seemed to start off OK, but then lost control. How the F was that Bok #8 topedo into Wyn Jones' back at the end of the first half not a penalty? Don't think he knew what was happening in the scrum, and baffled that he let the book just pull down the maul. C'est la vie.
Gatland and the rest of his coaches will come away from this with little credit. Poor, predictable gameplan; poor, weird selections. The back row should have been an area of strength but was average, needed to be changed. Centres - 3 combinations in 3 tests tells a story. Good players not even making the bench while those out of form retained their starting spots.
Boks were Boks, they didn't play particularly well, but they're always tough as hell and play with tenacity and a great spirit.
The worst thing is that when we think back on this tour, there are barely any rugby moments that stick in the mind. All that off-field bollocks is the most memorable part of it. It's dumbfounding that Rassie has been allowed to do what he's done with no consequence other than a "we're a little disappointed" press release from WR. Does not bode well for the future.
Oh well, only another 4 years until the next one - qnd they're coming to me next time. Looking forward to it already. All the best for the Rugby Championship Boks.
-
@gibbonrib said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
All the best for the Rugby Championship Boks.
Let's not count our chickens...
-
@gibbonrib said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
The worst thing is that when we think back on this tour, there are barely any rugby moments that stick in the mind
Conor Murray landing on his face, maybe
-
@nta said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
Lions didn't take the opportunities, simply put. I'm not sure either team was dramatically better in the last game, tho the boks were probably better through the series
Gatland fucked up by not starting the Price/Russell combo in every test IMHO. Having a 9 & 10 who know each other well is important when you are changing all the other pieces.
Boks won by barely firing a shot. Lions didn't do much more, and couldn't make a tackle on Kolbe when it mattered. That's the difference.
When a team is reliant on a couple of Scots playmakers to run the cutter effectively you know that they’re fucked.
Well done Boks, good series victory.
-
I'm in a minority, but I enjoyed that game and the series. The rugby never reached great heights, but it was meaningful competition, and games we don't see often. I was happy with it.
Astonished teh try to Kolbe got awarded though - looked a clear knockon by the Bokke. Still, those 50/50 have defined the series - and arguably Boks were better all the way through.
Australia in 4 yers will be interesting. Hopefully travelling supporters at last!
-
-
@nzzp said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
I'm in a minority, but I enjoyed that game and the series. The rugby never reached great heights, but it was meaningful competition, and games we don't see often. I was happy with it.
Astonished teh try to Kolbe got awarded though - looked a clear knockon by the Bokke. Still, those 50/50 have defined the series - and arguably Boks were better all the way through.
Australia in 4 yers will be interesting. Hopefully travelling supporters at last!
I still enjoyed it, despite it being horrible. Such a huge occasion, stories and history being made. A great shame that covid prevented the team seeing the sights and meeting the people, and of course crowds in the stands.
It's a weird one to look back on. I feel like the Lions were the better team for much of the series. If I was scoring it like a boxing match, I'd say
Round 1 (1st half of the 1st test) was tied
Round 2 - Lions
Round 3 - Lions
Round 4 - Boks
Round 5 - Lions
Round 6 - tied
But that doesn't reflect the fact that the Bok scored points when they were on top, and the Lions didn't. Two tries, both from mauls, across the 3 tests is telling.Also thought it looked like a knock-on, but I can see why it wasn't called. Three key moments in the last 2 tests where the footage was inconclusive (this one, Henshaw's non-try and Am's try) and they just had to stick with the on field call. All 3 favouring the Boks - but I'm not complaining about those, that's just the way it goes sometimes. Close incidents in close matches can go either way.
-
@tordah France have had their moments and so have Fiji but yes to the rest.
-
how is Gatland's coaching rep looking like now? Doesn't seem to have been a great year/season for him.
-
@nostrildamus said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
how is Gatland's coaching rep looking like now? Doesn't seem to have been a great year/season for him.
he is a really really good coach.
In terms of NZers I'd like to see coaching us, it'd be
Rennie
Robertson
Joseph/Brown/Gatland
Daylight
Foster -
@nta said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@nepia said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
Steyn, 37, hasn't played a test in 5 years. Crazy.
Yeah but how hard is it? Kick the goals, then go stand in the back field and wait for the inevitable bomb, which your wingers or fullback will defuse, for you to clear. The Boks played 4 in the back field for the majority of the game.
It pretty much illustrates where the boks are: try not to lose.
They've added a huge dose of siege mentality with a massive victim complex crossover, this series. They are performing a good job of self-isolation in a way that apartheid can't quite match.
They'll get short shrift when they go up north... IF they ever go up north again.
Will they turn up for TRC?
Added?
-
@nta said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@gibbonrib said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
The worst thing is that when we think back on this tour, there are barely any rugby moments that stick in the mind
Conor Murray landing on his face, maybe
That was his back remember? O'Keeffe and Jonker both confirmed it
-
-
@oompb said in Springboks v British & Irish Lions III:
@gibbonrib can't see the Springboks not playing. We are past our 3rd peak.
Hope so, glad to hear that things are getting better there. I'm sure it's a logistical nightmare to organise with all the different restrictions and quarantine rules and bubbles, but they should find a way.
