Lions tour review
IN THIS MATCH
Damian de Allende won his 50th cap and helped South Africa secure back-to-back series wins over the Lions for the first time since the Sixties, following up their 2009 success with another last-gasp victory here.
And it was the same man kicking the winning penalty as 12 years ago – fly-half Morné Steyn, now 37 and the first player in the pro era to triumph in two Test series against the famous tourists.
The Lions rued missed opportunities in the first half, most notably when Liam Williams failed to pass to Josh Adams in a simple two-on-one. They drew level with a Finn Russell penalty in the 74th minute but Steyn put the Boks back in front with 30 seconds left, the hosts fortunate that Herschel Jantjies’s inexplicable quick tap wasn’t taken from the mark, so play was brought back.
Russell’s restart was perfectly weighted for the Lions to regain and they were then awarded a scrum – but a Boks penalty at the set-piece allowed them to kick the ball off for the win.
MAGIC MOMENT
Who else but Cheslin Kolbe! On 56 minutes, the ball ricocheted following a high kick before falling to Lukhanyo Am, who spotted that the Lions were short of numbers on the blind side. He released Willie le Roux, who found
Kolbe on the wing – and the smallest player on the pitch delivered the biggest blow to the Lions’ hopes.
He stepped inside Liam Williams, shrugged off Luke Cowan-Dickie and touched down to give South Africa the lead for the first time since the early stages. There was a lengthy TMO referral for a potential knock-on by Jasper Wiese under the high ball, but with no clear evidence the try stood.
STAT ATTACK
Ken Owens became the first Welsh hooker to score a Test try for the Lions since Bryn Meredith did so in 1955. Finn Russell kicked 400 metres and passed 19 times in his 69 minutes on the field, compared to Handré Pollard’s 298 metres and seven passes in 65 minutes.
The Lions dominated possession and territory (both 63%), beat 29 defenders to the Boks’ 12, and made twice as many clean breaks (six to three) and passes (119 to 55). But they simply weren’t clinical enough in the red zone.
WINNERS’ PODIUM
Coach Jacques Nienaber: “I had my head down between my legs when he (Steyn) kicked that last penalty goal to be honest – I just couldn’t watch.
“The ebb and flow of the game was like the World Cup final. We knew we had to hang in there and make sure every player stayed in the game. This was a serious test of decision-making and character, and we came through.”
AND THE LOSERS…
Coach Warren Gatland: “You know it’s not going to be easy going away and playing the world champions. It could have gone any way and our congratulations go to South Africa.
“The penalty count was 15-12 against us and at this level it’s so important. Your aim is to keep penalties under ten; if you can do that it makes a big difference. You get one or two chances at this level and you’ve got to make the most of it.”