Lifeless Lions learn from struggle

IAN MCGEECHAN might well have good cause to thank his Springbok rival Peter de Villiers for leaving out the Cheetahs’ back row man Heinrick Brussow from his 28-man squad to face the British & Irish Lions this month.

Not so much because Brussow was such a nuisance to his Lions as they stumbled to a third successive win in Bloemfontein at the weekend, but more because he taught the tourists some invaluable lessons on how to play the breakdown area.

Having established a 20-point lead in as many minutes at the start of the game it looked as though Paul O’Connell’s men were going to run up another cricket score to rival their 74-10 hammering of the Golden Lions three days earlier.

But Brussow and home skipper and number eight Hendro Scholtz had other ideas and while the Cheetahs were reeling at the start, it was the Lions who were hanging on by their fingertips at the end.

An 80-metre interception try from centre Corne Uys with seven minutes left set-up a frantic final fling.. Had a long-range drop goal attempt from replacement out-half Louis Strydom been five metres to the left it would have been curtains for the Lions. That, along with three earlier penalty misses, robbed the Cheetahs of their chance.

At least now the Lions forwards know what to expect in the battle for the ball in the contact area, as try-scorer Stephen Ferris admitted.

“It was very weird and difficult at the breakdown and something you don’t experience in the Magners League that I play in week-in, week-out,” he said.

“There seemed to be two men on the ball all the time. The way it is being refereed now is that the first man is able to compete and the second man in isn’t supposed to be in there.

“Every time they seemed to have two or three players in there and it was very hard for the referee to ref and for us to play. The game was very stop-start and we couldn’t get any momentum.

“In the first 20 minutes when we scored those points we put a couple of phases and nice moves together, but we just couldn’t maintain that momentum. No doubt the Sharks will watch this video and look at our weak points to find out where they can attack us.

“But we will be working very hard on the breakdown this week and making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Ferris had a highly eventful afternoon on his first start in a Lions jersey, as he also picked up a yellow card and the man-of-the-match award to go with his try.

Having been stung by Ferris’ early 30-metre charge for the opening try, and then conceded a soft second to Munster centre Keith Earls after he latched onto a neat chip ahead by James Hook.

However, the home side then helped themselves to 14 points with tries from wing Danwel Demas and prop Wian du Preez while Ferris was in the bin. Hook gave the Lions a nine-point cushion at the break with his third penalty, but the second half was a different story.

Hook swapped penalties with Jacques-Louis Potgeiter in the third quarter, but they were the only points the Lions could muster in the second half.

The Lions move on to Durban to meet the Sharks on Wednesday and at least they will be much wiser for their narrow squeak in Bloemfontein.

Scorers for Cheetahs: W du Preez, D Demas, C Uys try each; J Potgieter 2 cons, pen; L Strydom con.

Scorers for Lions: Tries: S Ferris, K Earls try each; J Hook 2 cons, 4 pens.

CHEETAHS: H Daniller; J Jonker, C Uys, M Bosman, D Demas; J Potgieter, T de Bruyn; W du Preez, A Strauss, K Calldo; N Breedt, D de Villiers; H Brussow, F Uys, H Scholtz (capt).

Replacements: G Odendaal for de Bruyn (45), F Viljoen for Breedt, W Nel for Calldo (both 47), R Strauss for A Strauss (50), L Strydom for Potgieter (60), K Floors for Scholtz (64).

LIONS: L Byrne; L Halfpenny, K Earls, L Fitzgerald (G D’Arcy 75), S Williams, J Hook, H Ellis, A Sheridan, R Ford (M Rees 63), E Murray (A Jones 63), D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell [capt], S Ferris, J Worsley (N Hines 68), A Powell

Replacements: A Jones for Murray, M Rees for Ford (both 63), N Hines for Worsley (68), G D’Arcy for Fitzgerald (75).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)