South Africa's renowned forward power, a pack based on the all-conquering Bulls, will have too much muscle for the touring British and Irish Lions.

World Cup-winning Springbok coach Jake White, who watched the Lions struggle to subdue a patchwork Royal XV in their opening tour match in Rustenburg at the weekend, suggested that the visitors do not have a forward pack capable of competing with the Boks.

The Lions needed a late rally - 24 points in the final 15 minutes - to overcome the Royals in what was an error-ridden performance, with the Lions eventually winning 37-25.

Most pundits had predicted and easy win for the Lions, some as much as 40 to 50 points, but for most of the match the scratch team gave the tourists a run for their money and three late tries eventually saved the Lions' blushes.

Having observed this, White had a word of warning for Lions head coach Ian McGeechan.

"One concern for Ian McGeechan and the coaching staff was that was almost their Test pack," White told Sportsweek on Radio Five Live.

"People in South Africa would have thought that pack they put on the field would be the pack to play in the first Test match, and the way they played was by no means good enough to take on a Springbok pack of forwards in the first Test match.

"I was a bit surprised. I thought it was going to be a one-sided affair. I thought the Lions would dominate the game.

"There are not too many big names in that Royal XV but you realise that to play rugby in South Africa is a different challenge.

"I am sure there will be lessons learned for the Lions yesterday."

While Lions coach McGeechan has repeatedly stated that he would give every player a chance at making the Test team, White suggested there is not much outside of the opening match combination that would trouble the Boks.

"It is always going to be an uphill battle to get the combinations right, particularly with the Leinster and Leicester players not available for the first weekend," White said.

"That made it a lot more difficult for the coaching staff to get a team together."

White believes the Springboks - boosted by the Bulls' Super 14 title triumph at the weekend - will prove too strong for the Lions when the Test series begins.

"South Africa have got a very special group of players together," he said.

"They have won the Super 14 campaign. There are players part of the Springbok set-up who have won junior World Cups, senior World Cups and now the Super 14.

"There is no reason why South Africa can't win the series with the group of players they have."

365

RSS
Digg
de.li.cious
facebook