The Second Test
IN THIS MATCH
Steven Kitshoff made his 50th appearance for South Africa while Makazole Mapimpi took his try tally to 15 in 16 Tests when collecting a kick-pass from Handré Pollard. It was another kick, a grubber from Faf de Klerk, that set up the second try for Lukhanyo Am.
While the Lions dominated first-half possession (60%) and territory (61%), the Boks took control in the second after Dan Biggar’s penalty hit the post at 11-9.
The tourists’ error count didn’t help as the set-piece faltered and they struggled under the high ball – the Lions’ backs made eight handling errors and conceded ten turnovers. Warren Gatland later bemoaned the eight penalties the Lions gave away in the final 20 minutes.
There were also two yellow cards within two first-half minutes as Duhan van der Merwe tripped Cheslin Kolbe and Kolbe took out Conor Murray in the air – an offence most observers felt warranted a red card. The TMO referrals around those incidents contributed to a 63-minute first half! Not such a surprise given the focus put on the officials following that Rassie Erasmus video.
MAGIC MOMENT
The main turning point came just before the break. The Lions were playing under penalty advantage close to the Boks line. Conor Murray chipped the ball over the top and Robbie Henshaw plucked it out the air, but Siya Kolisi got his hands under the ball as he tackled the centre over the line. The ball was deemed to have been lost forward – no try.
Had the Lions scored then they would have taken a 13-6 advantage into the second half. Instead, play went back for the penalty, the tourists took only a three-point lead and the Boks seized the initiative after the interval.
STAT ATTACK
The 18-point defeat was the heaviest the Lions had suffered since losing 38-19 to the All Blacks in 2005. It was also the first time they had failed to score a point in the second half of a Test since 1986, when they played the World XV.
Alun Wyn Jones was the game’s top tackler with 15, while the Lions’ lack of creativity was highlighted by the fact that Dan Biggar made just three passes.
WINNERS’ PODIUM
Captain Siya Kolisi: “That was special. For me as a leader it’s been the toughest week I’ve had to face. But I’m grateful for the management and coaches that we have. Our focus was intentional this week – we knew what mistakes we made and how not to repeat them.”
AND THE LOSERS…
Coach Warren Gatland: “We got nothing from the air in the second half – South Africa kicked 22 times in the second half. We’ve tried to play rugby but never got into the game in the last 20 minutes. If there’s any (refereeing) issues we’ll go through the right channels. I won’t take to social media to express my views.”