Brave Lions go out with a roar

THE smiles were back and promises kept as the 2009 British and Irish Lions produced the performance of this South African tour to emphatically avoid a whitewash at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Saturday with a victory that highlighted just how unlucky they were to lose the three-game Test series.

The Lions swamped South Africa on Saturday with the intensity of their rugby, the understanding between backs and forwards and the sheer brilliance of a number of individuals.

Among that elite group was Shane Williams, who won the man-of-the-match award for his stunning contribution of two tries and countless runs that stretched the Springboks’ defence, Tommy Bowe for some powerful surges in midfield and for two try-saving tackles, Jamie Heaslip for a stunning display that helped him stand out as the best back rower on the field and Paul O’Connell for his leadership.

O’Connell was immense, particularly in a 10-minute spell when the Lions had to labour without the services of Simon Shaw, yellow-carded in the 36th minute. That the Lions survived without conceding a try was due in large measure to the brilliance of the captain.

There were many more heroes, men such as Riki Flutey, Mike Phillips, Stephen Jones and the incomparable Rob Kearney; Martyn Williams, Phil Vickery, Matthew Rees and substitute John Hayes weren’t half bad either as the Lions pack ruled the roost.

The Lions enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but when they deservedly took the lead through Jones they were only able to sustain the advantage for two minutes.

From the kick-off, Williams sliced the ball to touch, the Boks won the line out and from a subsequent ruck they won a penalty that Morne Steyn converted. The Springboks went on the rampage at the midway point and almost snatched a try from winger Odwa Ndungane but Rees brilliantly came to the rescue with a last ditch tackle and the Lions managed to turn over possession out of the tackle.

The Lions went back in front in the 24th minute with a smashing try from Williams; Heaslip’s surge down the touchline made the try that Jones failed to convert when the ball fell over as he began his approach to the kick.

But the Lions were not to be denied. Williams brilliantly created another scoring chance in the 28th minute before he stretched the lead in the 32nd. The Lions turned over a ruck and Flutey chipped ahead, re-gathered momentarily and flicked straight to Williams who went in under the posts for a try that Jones converted for a 15-3 advantage.

They looked comfortable with that until Shaw’s yellow card offence and Kearney’s failure (his only mistake in a five-star display) to find touch from a defensive penalty. The Springboks kept the game alive as time ticked past the 40th minute mark and were awarded a penalty that Steyn kicked to pull back three points and change the momentum of the game.

That momentum swung back in the 53rd minute shortly after Bowe’s brilliant tackle on Zane Kirchner stopped a Springbok try. From a subsequent South African attack, Ugo Monye intercepted and streaked away for a try at the posts that Jones converted to effectively seal the deal. Jones knocked over two subsequent penalties to exert firm control on the contest and Bowe brilliantly came to the rescue again in the dying moments as the beaten Boks went in search of a consolation try.

Bowe managed to force Ngungane onto the white chalk of the touchline as he grounded and the score was disallowed after four minutes of video examination.

SOUTH AFRICA: Z Kirchner (Bulls); O Ndungane (Sharks), J Fourie (Lions), W Olivier (Bulls), J Nokwe (Cheetahs); M Steyn (Bulls), F du Preez (Bulls); T Mtawarira (Sharks), C Ralepelle (Bulls), J Smit (Sharks), J Muller (Sharks), V Matfield (Bulls), H Brussow (Cheetahs), J Smith (Cheetahs), R Kankowski (Sharks).

Replacements: R. Pienaar (Sharks) for du Preez (40, injured), B du Plessis (Sharks), for Ralepelle (40), , F Steyn (Sharks). For Fourie (54), P Spies (Bulls) for Nokwe (64), G Steenkamp (Bulls) for Mtawarira (71), D Carstens (Sharks) for Smit (71)

BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS: R Kearney (Leinster and Ireland); U Monye (Harlequins and England), T Bowe (Ospreys and Ireland), R Flutey (Wasps and England), S Williams (Ospreys and Wales); S Jones (Scarlets and Wales), M Phillips (Ospreys and Wales); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks and England), M Rees (Scarlets and Wales), P Vickery (Wasps and England), S Shaw (Wasps and England), P O’Connell (Munster and Ireland, capt), J Worsley (Wasps and England), M Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), J Heaslip (Leinster and Ireland).

Replacements: R Ford (Edinburgh and Scotland) for Rees (37, injured) , H Ellis (Leicester and England) for Flutey (53, injured), J Hayes (Munster and Ireland) for Vickery (54), T Croft (Leicester and England) for Worsley (65), A-W Jones (Ospreys and Wales) for Shaw (66), D. Wallace (Munster and Ireland) for Williams (75)

Referee: S. Dickinson (Australia).