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Lions to arrive in South Africa wracked by third wave of virus

By AAP
(Photo by PA)

The touring British and Irish Lions will arrive in South Africa on Monday to a country wracked by a new wave of COVID-19 infections, facing harsher lockdown restrictions and opponents who have reported their first cases of the coronavirus.

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SA Rugby, however, on Sunday moved to allay fears of any threat to the tour, which already bears no resemblance to the festive atmosphere which has been a hallmark of the four-yearly Lions experience.

The first tour to South Africa since 2009 is condemned to being played in empty stadiums, without any spectators never mind the red-clad touring hordes the Lions traditional bring with them.

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Maro Itoje | All Access | Episode 2 – What is it like playing for Saracens rugby club?

Jim Hamilton sits down with Vitality ambassador and former teammate Maro Itoje before he jets off to South Africa for the British & Irish Lions Series.
The Saracens lock told us all about Saracens rugby club and the defining effect it has had on his rugby career.

Video Spacer

Maro Itoje | All Access | Episode 2 – What is it like playing for Saracens rugby club?

Jim Hamilton sits down with Vitality ambassador and former teammate Maro Itoje before he jets off to South Africa for the British & Irish Lions Series.
The Saracens lock told us all about Saracens rugby club and the defining effect it has had on his rugby career.

Instead of safari drives, pub tours and traditional outdoor barbecues, the Lions face being cloistered in hotels for the entire eight-match, six-week tour.

South Africa’s world champion Springboks have moved into a bio-secure bubble but three players tested positive when they arrived on Saturday to continue preparations for the three-test series. The team cancelled a planned training session on Sunday.

Scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, prop Vincent Koch and winger S’bu Nkosi were named as the three players but South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said it would not impact on the tour.

“I don’t think it’s a big cause for concern but we want to keep everybody as safe as possible,” he told a news conference on Sunday.

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Both Johannesburg and Pretoria, where the Lions play their first three matches against provincial opposition, are the grip of a third wave of the pandemic with further lockdown restrictions expected later on Sunday when President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation.

South Africa recorded more than 18,000 new infections on Friday, with 215 deaths, and acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said it was likely the peak of the third wave would surpass that of the second wave in January, when more than 21,000 new daily cases were recorded.

New coronavirus infections appear to be dominated by the Delta variant that was first identified in India, scientists said on Saturday.

South Africa is the continent’s worst-affected nation in terms of coronavirus cases and deaths, accounting for roughly a third of confirmed infections and more than 40% of deaths.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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