The day the Lions met their match

ONE might have thought that facing down the hugely physical and intimidating Springboks was enough of a challenge for any British and Irish Lion, but, for a group of brave tourists, they dared getting up close and personal with their real-life brethren.

Ian McGeechan might not have been too chuffed as he watched Tom Croft, Ugo Monye, Jamie Roberts and Ross Ford risk life and limb when jumping into a cage with a lion, but McGeechan thankfully doesn’t have any more injury worries to report this morning. All his tour needed now was a report headlined, “Lion eaten by lion”.

Desperately in need of some R&R and time to lick their wounds following a bruising Pretorian experience against the Boks, the Lions headed on safari for two days to the Entabeni Game Reserve situated in the Waterburg area of the Limpopo Province north of Johannesburg.