The former England captain and British Lion, Lawrence Dallaglio, writes for The Northern Echo.
A LOT of the talk since the Lions defeat in Pretoria last weekend has questioned the credibility of the tourists after a seventh successive Test without a victory.
In my opinion, Loftus Versfeld was the setting for one of the most utterly absorbing Test matches for many years. I genuinely felt for the Lions in defeat, because the least they deserved was to be going into the final Test this weekend with everything still to play for.
The game set off at a breathless pace, with the Lions carrying on in the same manner they had finished the game in Durban.
The Lions led 10-0 after ten minutes in Pretoria, and might have been further in front.
Even when South Africa responded with a score, the Lions did not take long to regain control and that was because they made good in a number of areas they had struggled with in the first Test.
It was really inspiring to see them match and even surpass the physicality of the Springboks.
One of the most important moments of the game occurred when Adam Jones popped Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira out of the top of the scrum five metres from the Lions’ line. What a turnaround from a week before.
When a team collectively makes such a gallant effort it is perhaps wrong to single out individuals, but Jones had an immense game, before having to come off as the casualties mounted.
Even that contribution, however, was overshadowed by the performance of Brian O’- Driscoll, who had his best game in a Lions jersey as far as I’m concerned.
His commitment was awesome and, although the South African defence was better organised than it had been for the last half hour at Kings Park, O’Driscoll, in tandem with Jamie Roberts, was still able to carve out chances.
One tackle on Danny Russouw epitomised the Irishman’s commitment. He threw himself at one of the biggest and hardest Springboks without thinking about the physical damage he could have done himself.
Unfortunately that tackle was also a turning point. Neither Russouw nor O’Driscoll recovered properly from that collision and after five more minutes it was clear O’Driscoll had to be replaced. Shortly afterwards, Jacque Fourie ran over Ronan O’Gara to score in the corner. Had that been O’- Driscoll, I am not sure the South African would have found it quite so easy.
Simon Shaw was another huge presence, as I knew he would be, having vouched for his inclusion from the start of the series.
South Africa have arguably the finest lineout in world rugby but neither Bakkies Botha nor Victor Matfield could get the better of Shaw.
The Englishman won his lineouts and competed fiercely and effectively in the loose and I am not the first to suggest that he resembled Table Mountain in the second row.
Such great sporting encounters never pass without an element of controversy and this match was no different.
In fact, it took Shalk Burger less than a minute to get caught by the touch judge gouging Luke Fitzgerald’s eyes. That offence is a disgrace at any level of rugby and there is no doubt in my mind that Burger should immediately have received a red card.
Instead, Burger spent ten minutes in the sin bin and returned to the pitch to play the key role that a lot of pundits expected of him after he missed the first Test through injury.
Such an excellent player simply doesn’t have to resort to such tactics and I’m afraid he will never be described as a great player if he carries on that way.
The most galling thing for the Lions is that if the referee had applied the letter of the law I am certain they would have levelled. As it was, the Lions played heroically for 80 minutes against a full-strength and brutal South Africa side.
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