British Lions Must Overcome Springbok Forwards To Square Series

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

On this display, they have more of a superior backline than the World Champions, or certainly one with more purpose and guile.

They made four clean line breaks while the Springboks made none. Every member of the Lions backline beat defenders and offloaded at least once, while no South African back could manage this.

But rugby is a game of possession, and if the collective might of the home union forwards cannot stand up to the South African forwards, the remaining two test matches on the Highveld will lead to losses and a second consecutive series whitewash.

The Lions will draw inspiration out of the way they came back into the match, but this encouragement could be a mirage, as the Springboks will not switch off in Loftus Versfeld or Ellis Park in the coming weeks.

While the South Africans continuity suffered with the raft of changes, made by coach Peter De Villiers, both the enigmatic coach and the players themselves have harshly acknowledged the fault.

Have the Lions lost their only opportunity to strike while the Springboks were down?

They will now have to overcome history, as only the 1989 British and Irish Lions team that toured Australia has recovered from a 0-1 deficit to take a series.

At least the Lions will know though that behind the Springboks imposing starting forward pack, they are human. And while the South African replacements appeared to be a notch below their starters, again the tourists will know that they have the collective resources of the home unions.

Certainly it will likely be an all-Welsh front row wheeled out by the Lions in Pretoria, with the bulk of Andrew Sheridan likely giving added scrum power on the bench.

But in the loose, overall, the Lions will need to lift their performance several notches if they are going to have any chance of now recording an improbable series success.

Quite simply, man for man, the Lions forward pack was outmatched.

Whereas the South African eight will, on form, win this series for the World Champions.

In the backs, the Lions will sweat on the fitness of Lee Byrne, but Rob Kearney is an equally brilliant custodian. While some might feel that Ugo Monye may not be a preferred option, the trinity of Tommy Bowe, O’Driscoll and Roberts looks far beyond any combination that the Springboks will be able to field.

Their next match is against the Emerging Springboks in Cape Town on Tuesday, before they march on Pretoria for the second test. 

It is a happy hunting ground for the Lions, having won there in 1955, 1974 and 1980. 

And Ian McGeechan has never lost a second Lions test, either as a player or a coach.

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