The Springboks vs British & Irish Lions 1st Test Thread

[Chilli]

Go Bokke scrum.

[Sandstorm]

This is the best that I have ever seen Kolisi play.

It’s 14 against 14. Lawes is just as invisible today.

[Enzedder]

A high tackle for that. Fk me.

Bent saffa TMO, right?

Misdirection. He's giving the Lions something inconsequential now as a smokescreen for giving a real homer of a call later on.

Tackler himself acknowledged he was too high.

Agree that is was a minor offence, like the Curry late tickle.

[OomStruisbaai]

Sorry Trevor.

[Big D]

Lions need to braver. Both with ball in hand and decision making.

The Daly penalty should.have been sent to the corner.

[Torquemada 1420]

1st half summary
- Lions back row entirely ineffective
- Lions midfield entirely ineffective

Lose this test and they go down 3-zip.

[Sards]

Proper test. We'll done Rassie

[And 1 guest]

Lucky only to be 9 points down. Need changes early in the second half but not sure this bench can deliver much

[ASMO]

Lions dumb penalties handing SA this game, other than that they have created fuck all, havent needed to to be fair

[sorCrer]

Bent saffa TMO, right?

Misdirection. He's giving the Lions something inconsequential now as a smokescreen for giving a real homer of a call later on.

Tackler himself acknowledged he was too high.

Agree that is was a minor offence, like the Curry late tickle.

The only issue with the ate tickle is it was a shoulder charge.

[ASMO]

1st half summary
- Lions back row entirely ineffective
- Lions midfield entirely ineffective

Lose this test and they go down 3-zip.

Agreed, this is anti rugby

[OomStruisbaai]

Our defense is high risk but something of a beaut.

Kwagga is awesome

[Gumboot]

Ropey first half by the Lions. Gave away too many soft penalties and set piece was wobbly. Gatland needs to give them a rocket.

[Biffer]

Lawes anonymous. Front row in the battle we’d thought it would be (Vunipola will be eaten in the scrum when he comes on, Owens might add something). Itoje excellent, AWJ decent but not quite 100%. Curry seems to have disappeared after giving away penalties. Difficult to judge the backs as there’s been very little ball for them.

[Yr Alban]

Lucky only to be 9 points down. Need changes early in the second half but not sure this bench can deliver much

Have to agree. Several players having poor games, the only standout is Itoje, and even he made a bad error early on.

Biggar missing the pen there reminded me of Hastings in the 1991 RWC. You’d bet the house on him kicking that.

[Cartman]

Did you guys see that almost intercept by Ox? That would have been a beauty

[Blake]

Boks MUCH better than I expected, Lions MUCH worse.

Happy with the way things are going. Think we did the business in the first half and the Lions pack are going to start feeling it soon.
Going to be interesting to see who fades in last quarter. Boks have done a number on the Lions, but I think the Lions have better conditioning.

Pretty much every Bok has been good out there. Wish we had Marco van Staden on the bench instead of Elstadt. We need somebody to counter the Itoje on the ground.

[handyman]

Guscott, what is our opinion of him?

[Blake]

Our defense is high risk but something of a beaut.

Kwagga is awesome

Best game of XVs I've ever seen Kwagga play. What a time to step up to the plate. Well done lad.

[handyman]

SA need to sign Rassie and Nienaber for the next decade.

[Cartman]

Our defense is high risk but something of a beaut.

Kwagga is awesome

Best game of XVs I've ever seen Kwagga play. What a time to step up to the plate. Well done lad.

Yeah starting 8 may be his best position

[handyman]

BIL outplayed or outcoached?

[And 1 guest]

Let's face it, we can bring on an inferior front row, a similar back row and 3 backs with zero impact

[Hal Jordan]

I think it's obvious why LCD only has eight starts for England, his throwing in is mince.

Lawes shit at 6, what a shock.

[Yr Alban]

Let's face it, we can bring on an inferior front row, a similar back row and 3 backs with zero impact

The backs currently on the pitch have had almost nothing to work with.

[Sandstorm]

Henshaw’s break showed the first time the Boks defensive structure broke down. Was 9 Lions vs 4 Boks on short side. Willie and Pollard went the wrong way.

[Lemoentjie]

We're magnificent. This is why we're World Champions.

Just a shame no fans to see a 3-0 series win.

[Gumboot]

Hope you Boks supporters aren't getting ahead of yourselves - both sides have been pretty average so far imho.

[sorCrer]

How the fuck can Itoje play that when Faf already has his hands on it?

Still on the ground.

His knees?

[Torquemada 1420]

Lucky only to be 9 points down. Need changes early in the second half but not sure this bench can deliver much

Sinckler needs to be on and, much as I hate to say it, Farrell too. At least he tackles and can provide another kicking option at 12.

[Lemoentjie]

How the fuck can Itoje play that when Faf already has his hands on it?

Still on the ground.

His knees?

The ball. Ruck wasn't formed (but that's irrelevant to the ball being on the ground).

[handyman]

We're magnificent. This is why we're World Champions.

Just a shame no fans to see a 3-0 series win.

Settle.

[Blake]

Henshaw’s break showed the first time the Boks defensive structure broke down. Was 9 Lions vs 4 Boks on short side. Willie and Pollard went the wrong way.

That Faf slip was also critical. He is so key to our defense it's actually scary how vital he is as a player.

[Lemoentjie]

We're magnificent. This is why we're World Champions.

Just a shame no fans to see a 3-0 series win.

Settle.

The Mockers are asleep, it's fine.

[Sandstorm]

We're magnificent. This is why we're World Champions.

Just a shame no fans to see a 3-0 series win.

Shhhhh idiot

[Sards]

Lucky only to be 9 points down. Need changes early in the second half but not sure this bench can deliver much

Sinckler needs to be on and, much as I hate to say it, Farrell too. At least he tackles and can provide another kicking option at 12.

Still no tries scored. No need to panic yet

[handyman]

Hope you Boks supporters aren't getting ahead of yourselves - both sides have been pretty average so far imho.

For a country ravaged by covid, poverty, political issues, aids, looting etc up against the might of the british empire, I think we're doing ok.

[JM2K6]

Lawes anonymous. Front row in the battle we’d thought it would be (Vunipola will be eaten in the scrum when he comes on, Owens might add something). Itoje excellent, AWJ decent but not quite 100%. Curry seems to have disappeared after giving away penalties. Difficult to judge the backs as there’s been very little ball for them.

Lawes has made more tackles than every other player on the pitch, in his defence. Need more from him with ball in hand and at the breakdown though.

Curry unlucky with the first two pens - second one he was pinned before the tackle was even completed - but the third was braindead. He carried and competed after that penalty so not quite sure "disappeared" is fair.

Daly is dumb. Henshaw's one good bit of play was ruined by a schoolboy error. Hogg's made some mistakes. Front row has disappointed. AWJ hasn't done much. Price doing alright given everything going on around him.

The Lions are shapeless and look like they've just met. Difficult to judge exactly what their plan is beyond belting the ball in the air. They look poorly coached and it's largely individual off the cuff stuff.

Referee is total garbage but even with that this is poor from both teams.

Biggest disappointment for me is... Me. I just don't really care about this game. It's like I'm watching a bad cosplay of a Lions test.

We need more than a couple of players standing up to be counted.

[Biffer]

I’d get Owens on for LCD and Beirne on for Lawes pretty quickly.

[Blake]

Hope you Boks supporters aren't getting ahead of yourselves - both sides have been pretty average so far imho.

Some are; but I'm still a bit worried.

I think the Lions are better conditioned and will have the momentum in the 4th quarter. The question is if the Boks can build a big enough buffer in the 3rd.