iafrica.com columnist BJ Botha reviews the first Test between the Springboks and the British and Irish Lions, previews the second and predicts more of the same for the touring side at Loftus on Saturday.

Well it was clearly evident in the papers this week, following the first Test in Durban that everybody was talking about how the Springboks took their foot off the gas in the final 20 minutes against the Lions!

Personally, I never doubted that we would win the Test, but with the way we started I thought we would have put 40 past the Lions in Durban. Particularly after that driving maul, which resulted in a try for Heinrich Brussouw and displayed our dominance in the physicality department! Nonetheless we won the first Test and are now halfway there!

It is obvious that the Boks took their foot off the gas and whether it was because of poor substitutions by us, or good substitutions by the Lions, it is clear that the momentum of the game changed when the replacements took to the field. The Lions camp were forced to ring the changes especially in the front row where they were smashed off the park and this worked in the Lions favour as they slowly started to give their dangerous backs some decent ball to attack with. However, the same cannot be said of the Boks' changes, which were evidently the cause of the momentum shifting in favour of the tourists in the last 25 minutes.

The Boks' substitution of both props where we had no problem dominating throughout the game is difficult to understand. Particularly in a massive game, it is always beneficial to the prop coming on to have one of the starting props on the field, so that he can give him some pointers on how the scrums have gone, what they can do in the game to fix any problems, or how they can continue to dominate. By having two new props coming on at the same time they both went in cold…

Do or die for Lions

Despite the problems, however, it was incredibly important to secure the win and even if it had been by one point, that is all that matters at the end of the day. By winning in Durban we have put the pressure firmly on the Lions ahead of the second Test.

I feel that we have Ellis Park won — we have a fantastic record in Johannesburg — and while our record at Loftus is not great, the Lions have no more chances – they have to win on Saturday.

It will be tough for the them though and they have been struggling with a lot of injuries, with players being sent home and replacements flying in, while some of them will also be mentally scarred after Durban - such as Vickery and Mears, who got nailed by 'the Beast'’ last weekend, and was subbed after 45 minutes.

Vickery effectively gave away nine points in the first Test. Take that away and the Lions could possibly have won the game – that can take its toll on a player.

The return of Schalk Burger for the Springboks will be a big boost for us as well because he is such a massive presence in the side. He will be playing in his 50th Test, which will be a great occasion, but beyond that his inclusion will lift the rest of the guys as well.

Schalk always puts his body on the line and will be a huge asset to the Boks at Loftus. Brussouw did really well in Durban, and it is a good call to keep him on the bench for the second Test, but Schalk brings a physical presence to the game that Brussow does not have. The breakdown will again be massive in Pretoria and both players will undoubtedly excel there, which is good new for the Boks and bad news for the Lions.

Boks to win another tight affair

There are a number of people who are expecting the second Test to be more expansive than in Durban, but I think it is going to be even tighter. The Lions will be a lot more consistent than in the first Test and they know the level they need to be playing at now. Before Durban they had not been tested by any of the teams and they will be looking to lift their game considerably on Saturday.

The Boks, of course, will also come out with more fire power, however, and they will also have the considerable Loftus crowd behind them! Touring teams really feel the pressure in Pretoria, and the tension is palpable, with the home fans staring the opposition teams down…

In the end I see it going the same way as the first Test. It will be tight, but the Boks will have too much for the Lions in Pretoria, and should win by at least seven to clinch the series.

  • BJ Botha's Northern Exposure will appear weekly on iafrica.com, so log in next week for more from the Springbok powerhouse or leave a comment below!


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