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Lions stoke the third Test tension with Springboks 'handbags' quip
Courtney Lawes has lit the touchpaper ahead of Saturday’s finale to the Lions’ already fractious Test series versus the Springboks, the blindside explaining his team has no interest in any fighting or niggle and only want to go and play some of the rugby they were prevented from doing so in last weekend’s 27-9 second Test loss in Cape Town.
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The Test series has been besmirched by various antics such as concerns over the non-neutral TMNO in South African Marius Jonker, Rassie Erasmus’ incredible 62-minute video criticising the match officials as well as instances of foul play and dust-ups on the pitch.
It has all left a tempestuous collision delicately balanced ahead of this Saturday’s third Test decider where the Lions are looking to speed up the play and have called on referee Mathieu Raynal not to allow the Springboks to get away with the alleged slow play tactics that were in use last weekend.
These are allegations that have been refuted by Springboks assistant Mzwandile Stick, but the Lions believe a quicker tempo and steering clear of any rough stuff will be a successful blueprint as they see to add a Test series victory in South Africa to their 2013 success in Australia and the 2017 draw in New Zealand.
“There are very legal ways in rugby to be physical and we showed that in the first half and the second half we got it wrong,” said Lawes, the first-choice Lions No6. “We will look to correct our mistakes and the discipline is a massive part of that… It’s the nuance things, penalties and things like that, we can’t give them an in to impose themselves in the maul and the scrum. If we can keep them moving around that is going to help us.
The tension ahead of the Test series decider has ratcheted up following Friday's respective Lions/Springboks media sessions #LionsTour2021 #LionsRugby #RSAvBIL #CastleLionsSeries
https://t.co/sGSg8UjSOl— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 6, 2021
“We can’t get too caught up in the niggle and scrapping and that stuff because it just slows down the game and it doesn’t really help us. We like a high-tempo game – we are a fit team, we want to run around, we want the ball in hand so we can’t get caught up in that and we need to try and speed the game up as much as we can.
“It’s going to be tough and it will be a conscious effort to stay out of that dog fight and niggle because I am imagining that is what they are going to want to bring again. We need to make a conscious effort to leave it alone and get back to what we want to do, which is trying to bring tempo into the game. They can throw the handbags around as much as they like as long as we can get that ball out and play some rugby.
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“They came with a clear game plan last weekend and that was to slow the game down. We are a really fit team and we want to move the ball and play a lot. The second half of the first Test showed that if we do that they are going to struggle to keep up with us and it affects their scrum and maul,” continued Lawes, a veteran of the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand.
“Their strategy paid off in the second Test. They were able to slow it down and when they are not tired they are going to scrum well and they are big, strong men and they are going to maul well, especially when you are giving them penalties and the aerial battle is heavily contested. They are going to get some joy.”
'If we’re honest, the Lions have gone back into their shell ever since Elliot Daly got absolutely smoked by Lukhanyo Am'
It's time for the Lions to play, writes @AndyGoode10 👨💻 #LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #rsavbil https://t.co/2cU3ADxS1j
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Firstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
99 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
99 Go to commentsHo hum.
99 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
99 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
99 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
99 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
99 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
99 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
99 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
99 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
99 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
99 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
99 Go to comments