Business picked up in the third week of the British & Irish Lions tour as players in the South African set-up proved their worth while several members of the touring party put their hands up for Test selection, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
A Springbok team in the guise of South Africa ‘A’ fired the most significant shot of the tour thus far when they handed the Northern Hemisphere all-stars their first defeat in a bruising midweek battle at Cape Town Stadium, where they started strong and held on for a hard-fought 17-13 win.
Warren Gatland’s men bounced back emphatically at the same venue three days later, thrashing local franchise the Stormers 49-3. Earlier in the day, most of the second-choice and wider squad members selected in a true South Africa ‘A’ side squandered their opportunity to impress the Springbok coaches as they succumbed 17-14 to the Bulls.
The standout individual performances of the week saw Cheslin Kolbe and Marcus Smith wield memorable magic, Tom Curry provide some spice and others making their presence felt ahead of the three-Test series kicking off this Saturday. In the spirit of the Olympic Games, which also gets underway this week, these stars in Green and Gold and Red and White grabbed gold, silver and bronze in the respective games:
SA ‘A’:
MIDWEEK MATCH v B&I LIONS:
Cheslin Kolbe
All hail, king Kolbe! South Africa’s magic man showed why he’ll be one of the key players in the Test series with a magnificent Man of the Match performance. It was a towering homecoming by the smallest man on the field, a spectacular showcase of game-breaking brilliance, exceptional work rate and exemplary positional play. The terrific try he created for captain Lukhanyo Am was vintage Kolbe, he smashed Louis Rees-Zammit with a big hit and stepped him in a phone booth, plus, he was great in the air and even ably moonlighted at scrumhalf while Faf de Klerk was in the bin.
Eben Etzebeth
The second-row savage set the tone for the hosts’ physical domination with a thumping early hit on Liam Williams, which led to the first turnover and injury casualty of the bruising battle. The feared enforcer resembled a fire-breathing dragon as he knuckled down and shut off the line, explosive intensity that saw him charge down Owen Farrell’s try, which resulted in the opening try, and obliterate the England flyhalf in one of his 17 tackles on the night.
Damian de Allende
The Munster midfielder returned to the national fold with a bang, delivering a masterful display of brawn and brains, which he kick-started with a textbook breakdown penalty in the second minute. De Allende absolutely dominated Bundee Aki, who’s renowned for his physicality, and showed his smarts when he screened Farrell by holding his line after unleashing Sbu Nkosi to give his wing an easy run-in.
SATURDAY’S SHOWDOWN v BULLS:
Aphelele Fassi
Back at No.15 after making his Springbok debut on the wing, Fassi continued his good form with a complete performance. That few of his teammates put their hands up made him stand out that much more. The blue-chipper is a real baller – a player who wants to contribute and injects himself into the action better than most. The clearest example of this was the great line he ran off Cobus Reinach to score the opening try (time-stamped below). He created an opening for Rosko Specman with a perfectly-timed pass from a kick-return and threatened at first receiver as well, while his positional play was top notch.
Cobus Reinach
Surrounded by stuttering second-stringers, Reinach showed why he’s in the Springbok matchday 23 with a classy 50-minute display. He offered direction, starting with a beautiful touch-finding chip, inspiration and ingenuity, as summed up by his sniping break and well-timed pass for Fassi to score. The enormous pressure he put on opposite number Zak Burger and No.8 WJ Steenkamp at the back of the scrum was another mark of his motivation to give his all to the cause in the bigger scheme of things.
Jean-Luc du Preez
A hammer with heart and plenty of promise. How he was able to not only get up from what looked like a serious knee injury but actually grow in stature following the squeamish incident was part minor miracle and all heart. The best of the South Africa ‘A’ forwards, his passionate performance showed what the opportunity to be back in the national set-up meant to him and that he could do a job for the Springboks in the second row. Explosive, powerful and industrious, the utility forward made seven carries, nine tackles and secured 10 lineouts.
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS:
MIDWEEK MATCH v SA ‘A’
Tom Curry
If the result had gone the other way, Curry would’ve claimed the Man of the Match award. The England flanker showed off his impressive motor – and mongrel as well – as one of the few British & Irish Lions forwards who were able to stand up to the physicality of the opposition. He gave the under-fire visitors some much-needed momentum with a barnstorming break and continued to lead the way with a joint-team-most seven carries and 37 metres (including nearly scoring a try), a team-high 12 tackles and won a key maul turnover in his 22 with 11 minutes remaining.
Maro Itoje
Under the cosh for the first time, the British & Irish Lions needed a senior player to come to the fore and Itoje was that man. The England lock was the rock of resistance whose physical and mental toughness was key in keeping the tourists in the contest and eventually sway momentum in their favour. His high rugby IQ and skill shone through as he created his team’s first line break with a slick pop pass to Curry in one of a team-high 11 carries, snatched a lineout in the 53rd minute and won basketball-like rebounds with clever support play under high balls.
Anthony Watson
Shifting from wing to fullback, the versatile Watson was the best of the Red and White-clad backs by a country mile. A threat every time he touched the ball, the in-form England flyer beat a joint-team-high three defenders en route to rushing for a team-best 49 metres. He made a major contribution on defence as well, most tellingly, a try-saving tackle on Sbu Nkosi in the early going.
SATURDAY’S SHOWDOWN (v Stormers):
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Played like a man possessed to pick up the Man of the Match award and strengthen his case to hold onto the No.2 jersey for the Tests. In the thick of the action, the England hooker was excellent in the set pieces and even better in general play, making eight tackles, 27 metres from eight carries and getting onto the scoresheet (try time-stamped below). His dominant display at the breakdown was particularly impressive, winning three turnovers, one of which nearly resulted in a try. Equally adept at prop, he’s a welcome dual dynamo for the Test series.
Marcus Smith
South Africa, meet Marcus Smith. The 22-year-old had the epitome of a dream debut to introduce himself to local fans who didn’t follow the Gallagher Premiership. The prodigious pivot starred in Harlequins’ title win over Exeter, took to Test rugby like a duck to water earlier this month to earn a late call-up to the British & Irish Lions and showed out in the red No.10 jersey. Running the show and circles around the Stormers in spectacular fashion (87 metres from seven carries), as well as slotting all seven of his kicks at goal, local fans now know why he’s considered a future superstar and it’ll be interesting to see if Gatland rushes him into the matchday 23 for the opening Test.
Adam Beard
Emptied the gas task in an all-action 54-minute effort. The Welshman covered oceans of space in open play, including running an incisive line to score his first five-pointer for the British & Irish Lions and showing good ball skills to help put lock partner Jonny Hill, who also had a great game, over for his try. Elsewhere in the pack, Tadhg Beirne made a good final push for a place in the Test team, while fellow back-rower Jack Conan crushed it with ball in hand, earning a pack-high 47 metres and scoring a try in nine carries.
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