Donal Lenihan: On this evidence, we are set for a monumental Test series

British & Irish Lions' Anthony Watson is tackled by S'busiso Nkosi of South Africa A. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland

Nothing describes this increasingly exacting Lions tour better than the mantra to emerge from the panicked scenes leading up to the first game against the Cell C Sharks in Johannesburg last week.

Daily existence for this Lions tour party has become defined by their catchphrase “chaos, adapt, change.” That just about sums up this most unusual of tours.

Even more bizarre, the extraordinary circumstances facing the South African Rugby Union, once the scheduled game against the Blue Bulls was cancelled due to a Covid outbreaks in their squad, searching around to see if there were any teams available to play the Lions that satisfied the criteria necessary in respect of being in a bio-secure bubble for a five-day period.

The solution of course proved to be under their noses. Having just faced the Sharks, why not just play them again? At least the fact the game could take place 65km up the road at the Bulls famous home at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria would offer some form of variety.

When talk first emerged surrounding the prospect of the Lions facing the vanquished Sharks squad, three days after their comprehensive 7-54 win at Ellis Park, I thought it was a joke. However, the necessity to satisfy the lucrative Sky broadcast contract that stipulates eight games on tour in South Africa dictated otherwise.

After all there is precedent here. The Lions have played back to back fixtures against the same provincial opposition before, albeit back in 1910. Suffice to say the necessity to double up on that occasion, which incidentally happened twice on that tour against Natal and Border, had nothing to do with broadcast commitments.

At least the coach trip to Pretoria last Saturday offered a welcome change in scenery for a squad confined to the of their Johannesburg hotel and training ground for the entirety of the tour to that point.

Given that the Lions only visit the top three Southern Hemisphere rugby playing nations once every 12 years, for an Australian, New Zealand, or South African club or provincial player, being afforded the opportunity to play against the legendary tourists represents a career highlight. The chaotic nature of this tour is reflected by the fact that several Sharks players managed that feat twice in a four day period.

With so many issues affecting both camps, the opportunity for incidents of media bashing that normally go hand in hand with these tours has also been missing. The closest we’ve got to date is the request from Rassie Erasmus, who has stepped back into the role of Springbok head coach with his replacement Jacques Nienaber still isolating due to his positive Covid test, that the pre-tour schedule be altered with the Stormers forfeiting their game against the tourists next Saturday in favor of a second outing against a Springbok A.

Erasmus is even suggesting that, from a medical perspective, this might be a safer option for both camps. Who is he trying to fool? The response from Warren Gatland? “Thanks, but no thanks.” How right he is.

Why should the Lions agree to any alteration to the fixtures geared solely towards improving the lot of the home side with the first Test looming. If I was in Gatland’s shoes, I’d have given the exact same response and left no room for misinterpretation. “We won’t be playing them again on Saturday.” Good on him.

With 181 points scored and just 52 conceded in the three games played in South Africa to date, last night’s contest against a Springbok A selection, with 11 World Cup winners in their starting side, was not only going to present the Lions with their first real examination but also offer some concrete form lines and data on exactly where Nienaber’s men stand 10 days out from the first Test.

Their squad sessions have been severely compromised to date with at least 20 positive Covid cases in their squad which led to the cancellation of their second test against Georgia last Friday night, a setback Nienaber and Erasmus could have done without.

In the circumstances, with so many players locked up in isolation in their hotel bedrooms, it must have been an incredibly frustrating week for a group of Springbok players who have reassembled from all over the world in a race against time to recapture the element of togetherness that ultimately delivered a World Cup victory in Japan.

So what did we learn from last night’s eagerly-awaited contest? The biggest message to emerge for me was, despite the uncompetitive nature of the warm up games and the lack of preparation for the hosts, we are set for a really cracking series.

The nature of this exhilarating contest suggests that, despite the absence of any supporters, the upcoming series promises to be intensively competitive with so many quality performers on show. In the circumstances, I am happier that the two sides don’t meet again next weekend and offer a 10-day breathing space to come back even stronger for that opening test.

Despite the many obstacles thrown at the Springboks, its clear to me, just like the way the demanding nature of this tour has galvanized the Lions, it has also served to accelerate the collective will and togetherness of a proud Springbok squad that has been scattered across the great rugby playing nations of the world for almost two years now.

Despite their lack of preparation, that mental fortitude was there for all to see in the opening half, epitomized by an incredible defensive shift that saw them keep their line intact despite losing two players to the sin bin within minutes of each other.

On the flipside the Lions, trailing 17-3 at the break, used that numerical advantage to close the gap to four points in the third quarter. Despite their best efforts, the tourists just couldn’t breach the collective stubbornness of a host team that defied the odds and looked a far more cohesive unit than we might have expected.

Despite this first defeat on tour, the Lions will have garnered far more from this gripping contest than victory might otherwise have offered. The message is clear. With one more provincial game to come against the Stormers in Cape Town next Saturday, the farcical nature of those contests against the tourists will have no bearing on the outcome of this series.

For the first time on tour the Lions faced a strong mix of the best players this rugby mad country has to offer and both camps will be better for the experience. In the circumstances, I’m even happier that Gatland turned down Erasmus’s request for a further “A” game next weekend.

On the evidence of what we witnessed last night, we are set for a monumental test series.