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Ex-Lions boss Ian McGeechan and 2009 tour out-half Ronan O’Gara have bemoaned how Warren Gatland’s tourists were defeated 19-16 in the deciding third Test series decider versus the Springboks in Cape Town. Both blasts from the Lions past were doing punditry on the match for Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and they were left dumbstruck that the winning South African kick came from a late Morne Steyn penalty just as it did twelve years ago when the Springboks clinch the previous series versus the Lions.
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McGeechan said: “To me, it is a big missed opportunity. The Lions were much the better side today. Missed their opportunities in that first half, could have been ten or twelve points clear, and they had to keep playing. I would have liked to have maybe seen them kick a couple of more penalties but the quality of the rugby today was so different to what had been there before and it created the opportunities and for the first time South Africa were left wondering about what they were doing.
“Finn Russell coming on was very important. He had a big say in almost the win. It won’t be an easy dressing room to walk into and I never thought I would be looking at the same circumstances again two tours to South Africa on the trot. I know what those players and coaches will feel. It’s a tough, tough place to be.”
It was current La Rochelle boss O’Gara who conceded the penalty that allowed Steyn to strike the 2009 winner in Pretoria and he admitted he was left admiring the ability of the Springboks to find a way to win again versus the Lions. “I don’t think anyone anywhere near had the colossal mess-up I had (in 2009),” he said.
“From a team point of view, they [the Lions] will be very disappointed. It’s brutal, it’s ruthless this level of sport because the higher you go the margins get smaller and smaller and that is what we see. There are tiny little things.
"His wisdom will be of huge value"
– Is this the lucky omen from 12 years ago that can tilt the outcome of the 2021 Lions series in favour of the Springboks? #LionsTour2021 #LionsRugby #RSAvBIL #CastleLionsSeries
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 7, 2021
“I agree with Ian in the fact that the boys in red will have regrets because there were probably two chances to win the series. In the first Test, they did the business and then the first 40 minutes of the second Test they had the foot on the throat and they didn’t kill off South Africa. And you look at today it probably came down to Liam Williams hitting Josh Adams or Duhan van der Merwe outside him to score and those decisions cost you.
“In cup rugby, it is imperative you take your points. It’s easy on the couch but it’s not easy when your heartbeat is going up 200 beats a minute but that is what composure is. You have to give huge credit to South Africa in the fact that great teams find a way to win. It may not be pretty to some people but at times today when their scrum was needed, their maul was needed and what is completely underappreciated is when you have got a genius like Kolbe it matters.”
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"WOW!"
– How the Sky Sports commentators reacted to the 11th-minute sight of Finn Russell replacing the injured Lions No10, Dan Biggar#LionsTour2021 #LionsRugby #BoksvLions #CastleLionsSerieshttps://t.co/ZhMF0J68X8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments