S AFRICA 9, GB&I LIONS 28
Lions hand out justice to bleating Boks
THIS was justice all right. Justice for a squad who fought fire with fire but ultimately came up agonisingly short.
Justice for Ian McGeechan, who bowed out as the greatest of all Lions coaches with a victory his tightly-knit squad richly deserved.
Justice for a team who didn't resort to thuggery and dirty tricks.
The series may have slipped from their grasp in Pretoria last week but the Lions left a simmering Ellis Park with their pride intact.
The Boks wore armbands pleading for "Justice" for banned lock Bakkies Botha, who they believe should not have received a two-week ban for charging Adam Jones last week.
They conveniently forgot Schalk Burger received a scandalously light eight-week suspension for gouging Luke Fitzgerald's eyes in the same game.
Childish
It was a childish response to a serious issue and will surely land them in more hot water from the International Rugby Board, who last night indicated they were investigating the matter.
Laughably, Bok skipper John Smit refused to answer questions on the subject - referring reporters to a pre-prepared statement on the South Africa Rugby Union website.
The Lions were more concerned with righting the list of injustices they feel have left them on the wrong end of a host of close calls this series.
Barmy
Burger's yellow card for gouging, some barmy refereeing in the First Test and Morne Steyn's last-gasp penalty have all contributed to a sense of 'what might have been?'
Yesterday's game was played out between two sides who have given their all in an absorbing series.
Both sides made a raft of changes after last week but this was a game played between two wonderfully- committed sides.
Shane Williams put his miserable tour behind him to claim the man- of-the-match award with two tries and Ugo Monye gained redemption for his Durban horror show.
Pride
Phil Vickery restored his dented pride with a battling display against Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira two weeks after being badly mauled in Durban. When Stuart Dickinson blew the final whistle, the Lions had outscored the home side by three tries to none and registered their first Ellis Park win since 1955.
They also avoided the ignominy of a first series whitewash here in 118 years. That would have been the biggest injustice.
If the Boks seek real injustice they should step out onto the deprived streets just yards from the Ellis Park gates where murder, rape and fear form part of everyday life.
The Lions just got on and played their rugby. But despite this hard-earned triumph, there is no hiding from the fact the Lions are without a series win in 12 years.
Bullied
This one was lost when their scrum folded in the first half heat in Durban. Under-powered and under the cosh, the Lions pack was bullied in a manner none thought possible. The Lions coaching team must take the blame for pairing Alun-Wyn Jones with the equally lightweight Paul O'Connell in the second row.
Then there's the captaincy, McGeechan defending skipper O'Connell to the hilt but his words sounded hollow.
Honest and brave to the point of masochism, O'Connell is a very good international lock but he is a notch below world class.
Martin Johnson would never have allowed his pack to be bullied in the way the Lions were at times. O'Connell should not have been captain and the theory the Lions needed a big man to intimidate the Boks was flawed.
Robbed
Centre Brian O'Driscoll, captain of Ireland and cruelly robbed of his chance to lead the Lions by Tana Umaga's assault four years ago, should have got the job.
The Irishman was a pillar of strength in the opening two Tests and the only Lion who would be certain of a place in a world XV.
O'Driscoll stood toe-to-toe with bully-boy Botha when the heat was on in Pretoria as the Boks used every trick to batter the tourists into submission.
What is it about the Boks? They're bad losers but even worse winners.
Spineless
After all the great work World Cup-winning coach Jake White did to clean up their image, they have regressed back to the villains of old.
The spineless and crazy leadership of coach Peter de Villiers is a major factor. In attempting to defend the indefensible by refusing to condemn eye-gouger Burger, De Villiers took rugby back to the dark ages.
His team's misjudged protest yesterday was symptomatic of a team run by players, not coaches.
McGeechan did not deserve to be drawn into the childish war of words over whether he had congratulated De Villiers on the Boks' series win last week.
The Lion king deserved a more fitting way to end his reign. He got it yesterday.
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This article has 11 comments
Congrats south africa on a series win!However this clap trap about southern hemisphere rugby being the most open and attractive is rubbish,7 tries to 5 and how many chances did we squander all the rugby this series was played by the lions and well done them for playing sport in the right way!
By darren goodridge.. Posted July 5 2009 at 5:06 PM.
Congrats south africa on a series win!However this clap trap about southern hemisphere rugby being the most open and attractive is rubbish,7 tries to 5 and how many chances did we squander all the rugby this series was played by the lions and well done them for playing sport in the right way!
By darren goodridge.. Posted July 5 2009 at 5:05 PM.
are you sure you where not cheated yesterday
By rk .. Posted July 5 2009 at 4:56 PM.
south africa fielded a weak team so that you could win a game"
Isn't idiocy a wonderful thing to behold
By Keith Price.. Posted July 5 2009 at 3:51 PM.
south africa fielded a weak team so that you could win a game,what about lions dirty play ,are you one sided or blind
By rk.. Posted July 5 2009 at 10:54 AM.
where are all the Boks today? Your team under your old manager was were a great expample of good players maiking a fantastic team. This mob of thugs are led by an ingrate coach that if, as we hear, the country don't want there, get rid of him. Oh no thats right you can't because of politics and the fact that this crime laden country is so bombastic to the core that reality arely gets an insight. My pals have just returned from a trip to The Con Fed cup and they were scared to move around and will not be going to support Spain in the big one. All you Boks must be very proud men!!!!!!
By steve.. Posted July 5 2009 at 1:38 PM.
"bokke are better men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The row of exclamation marks tells us you don't believe that either. The Boks are better thugs, mands down. Why interbational refs are afraid of carding them in their own country God only knows. The Lions hammered them good and proper. In a 5 test series we'd have won 3-2. One derved red card for Burger away from winning a 3 test series in South Africa . That is awesome
By Keith Price.. Posted July 5 2009 at 10:30 AM.
if you lose you where cheated if you win you dont see south africa complaining that they where cheated ,bokke are better men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By rk.. Posted July 5 2009 at 10:09 AM.
Talk about bleating Sam; are there any other excuses can come up with about why the Lions lost the series.
The first half mauling in Durban clearly showed they weren't up to job and the Boks backed off.
de Villiers is a political appointment and we should all be mourning the demise of one of the great rugby playing nations.
The protest about Bakkies is legit. If you feel there is a problem with social justice in SA take it up with the ANC which you helped put in power. If you can afford the bribe that it takes to talk to anyone with influence
By Rob Oats.. Posted July 5 2009 at 9:23 AM.
De Villiers is an absolute prat, kick him out now before the tri-nations, he's only there because he's black, there are fasr better black and white coaches than this idiot.
By haydn jones.. Posted July 5 2009 at 8:25 AM.
The British Lions were a deserved Burger red card away from a well deserved Series win in South Africa. Too mnay international refs bottle it badly when they officiate in that country. They need to grow some, cease being homers and give the team trying to play the rugby the rub of the green
By Keith Price.. Posted July 5 2009 at 1:11 AM.