South African Springboks 9 British&Irish Lions 28
The dead third test rubber was as competetive as expected despite both sides making multiple changes from last week’s second test which the tourists lost with the last kick of the game.
South Africa took an early lead with a penalty from Morne Steyn which was soon equalised by Stephen Jones. The Lions hung tough as the home side struggled in the scrum without the absent Bakkies Botha. The boks wore white armbands with the logo “justice” for their team mate after his two week ban. The IRB may fine the South Africans for wearing the armbands as it could be construed as a political statement which is illegal under the rules of most sporting bodies.
The Lions got the opening try of the match thanks to fantastic work by a trio of Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam winners. Tommy Bowe, who’s increasingly looking the heir apparent to Brian O’Driscoll and had replaced his International skipper at centre made a break and the ball fell to Lions’ skipper Paul O’Connell he slipped it to Jamie Heaslip who offloaded to World Player of The Year Shane Williams who crossed the whitewash. Stephen Jones failed with the conversion as the ball slipped off the kicking tee and his attempt at an emergency drop kick skewered wide.
The Lions got a second try just after the half hour as Riki Flutey made a break he met his own kick forward and flicked the ball inside to the Welsh wizard Williams to bag his and the Lions second try. This time Jones converted. The Boks got a penalty just before the hooter to make it 15-6 at the break.
The Lions increased their lead after 55 minutes as Ugo Monye who was dropped after missing three good try opportunities in the first test defeat intercepted a Boks pass to sprint the length of the pitch and touchdown. Jones added a conversion to give the tourists a sixteen point lead going into the final quarter and some redemption for a bruised and battered Monye.
Morne Steyne reduced the defecitt to 13 with a penalty. As the game approached the final ten minutes a mass brawl erupted with Lions’ scrum half Mike Phillips involved in a punch up with half the Boks but astonishingly Henrik Prossuw was adjudged to have commited a foul as he flung Phillips to the side the pint sized pugilist got up and started to punch his way through the boks. Stephen Jones converted the penalty to restore the 16 point cushion. Jones then put the icing on the cake by popping over another penalty to equal their highest ever score against South Africa achieved on the 1974 tour when the Invincibles under Irish legend Willie John McBride won every match on tour. The Springboks had a try disallowed with five minutes to go it looked as though the ball was grounded by Odwa Ndungana but the video referee disagreed.
The Lions won the match comfortably in the end but the World Champions took the series after two victories over the last fortnight. The Lions did however score more points over the three test series.
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