A step-up in physicality and speed seemed to take the Lions by surprise as the South Africans rushed to a 17-3 lead and yet it was the Lions, who had played four warm-up matches against a team just coming out of isolation, and should have been prepared for what was the biggest match of the tour so far.
The Boks management took the opportunity to field a number of potential Test players in a match that gave them their first chance of ‘testing’ players against the tourists in a match that didn’t count.
Unfortunately, the early games appear to have given some of the Lions players a false sense of the level of rugby they were likely to face when playing against a South African team.
The ease with which the A players took the game from the Lions, even when reduced to 13 on the pitch must have been a wake-up call not just for the Lions players, but the management team as well.
Warren Gatland may have to rethink his strategy although I am pretty sure he wouldn’t have been fooled by the early results and the ease with which they were achieved.
The Lions have a tough week ahead of them as they prepare for the first Test and even though they have the advantage of having played a number of games, they now know where they have to be if they want to win the series.
Esta historia es de la edición July 18, 2021 de The Rugby Paper.
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Esta historia es de la edición July 18, 2021 de The Rugby Paper.
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