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Did the better side prevail in Pretoria?

Frank Praverman

The injustice. The cruelty. The pain.

The Lions are licking their wounds this morning, knowing that the series is over. Five heroes lay in hospital and the rest are scratching their heads wondering what went wrong.

Saturday's match was one of the greatest internationals ever and arguments will rage long after the tour is ended.

Schalk Burger has since been given an eight-week ban for gouging Luke Fitzgerald's eye only 32 seconds into the match and Bakkies Botha has received a fortnight's suspension for a dangerous charge on Adam Jones.

Mike Phillips, the Wales scrum half, labelled Burger's behaviour "disgusting" and wants to know why he did not receive a red card. He's not the only one. And had the rightful punishment been meted out there and then, the Lions would have held a one-man advantage for almost the entire game.

David Hands, The Times Rugby Correspondent, asks "what if ...".

"What if Burger had been given a red card rather than a yellow for gouging Fitzgerald’s eye in the first minute? Or the game had not gone to uncontested scrums for nearly all of the second half, or the Lions midfield had remained intact?"

But South Africa are not world champions for nothing. Simon Shaw, who gave his best performance of his 15-year senior career, and Paul O'Connell, his captain, acknowledged that the Lions lost their way in the third quarter.

The Springboks took advantage - and this is what good sides do. They never let the Lions get out of sight, even when they were getting battered in the first half. They always looked like they had something in the locker, and so it proved when Bryan Habana sprung through.

So did they deserve their victory or were the Lions hard done by? Have your say below.

Debate: who should the Lions drop for the second Test against South Africa?

 

Richard Neale

The Lions must win the second Test in Pretoria on Saturday to retain any hope of winning the series against South Africa.

There are two ways of looking at the 26-21 reverse in Durban, depending on whether you are the sort of person who looks at the glass as half-full or half-empty.

The Lions were outplayed for an hour, they were hopeless in the scrum and the line-out, saw too little of the ball and at one stage looked like they were going to be on the end of a good hiding.

South Africa removed several of their influentuial players at three-quarter time, offering Ian McGeechan’s side a lifeline which they seized with both hands.

Indeed, had Ugo Monye’s hands been safer on the wing, they might have been looking at a famous and unlikely comeback victory as opposed to what might have been.

The question therefore, is whether you believe that the result flattered the Lions and whether changes need to made for the second Test, or if you think the likes of Phil Vickery, the prop, and Monye deserve a second chance to redeem themselves.

Please vote in our poll and we welcome your comments as to who you think would be deserving of a call-up for the next Test.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Back of the net: Jeremy Guscott's drop goal

Jeremy Guscott kicked three dropped goals in his ten-year international career but the only one that mattered was from within the South Africa 22 at Durban with four minutes remaining in the second international of the 1997 Lions series.

The Lions had won in Cape Town but trailed 15-9 in the second half in Durban. Neil Jenkins drew the touring side level with two penalty goals but time was ebbing away when Neil Back stole the ball at a ruck and Keith Wood hacked it downfield to set up a final attack. The Lions mauling was superb, sucking in men to give Guscott space for the series-winning kick.

Vote for your Lions XV

Richard Neale

Lawrence Dallaglio, David Walsh, Stuart Barnes and Stephen Jones of the Sunday Times have all listed their ideal Lions team to play the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.

Do you agree with their choices? Have a look at their sides then vote below for your starting XV and let us know in the comment box why you went for who you did.

Lawrence Dallaglio
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Ronan O’Gara (Ire), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Simon Shaw (Eng), Paul O’Connell (Ire,capt), Tom Croft (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), David Wallace (Ire).

David Walsh
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Luke Fitzgerald (Ire); Ronan O’Gara (Ire), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ire, capt), Tom Croft (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), David Wallace (Ire).

Stuart Barnes
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Nathan Hines (Scot), Paul O'Connell (Ire, capt), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

Stephen Jones
Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

Bentos's Moment: how the 1997 Lions tour was turned

Frank Praverman

The Lions’ crushing defeat of the Golden Lions was a step in the right direction but the smell of fear still hangs in the air as the first Test approaches in South Africa. Often, inspiration is found in the most unlikely of places. In 1997 it was provided by John Bentley, the unfashionable winger who is credited with turning the tour with his quicksilver, swerving 70-yard dash for the line. Have the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as you watch “Bentos's Moment” again, and start to believe in the class of 2009.

Rafa Nadal leads the way, but who are the world's most sporting sportsmen?

Times Online

Rafa Nadal has won new friends around the world due to the graciousness with which he accepted his first defeat at the French Open on Sunday.

After four straight victories at Roland Garros, it would have been understandable for the world No 1 to shun the press, hop on a plane and sulk at home in Mallorca.

Far from it. Nadal, speaking exclusively in his Times Online blog, insisted his defeat to Robin Soderling in Paris "was not a tragedy". "It was only a tennis match," he said. "No big drama. It happens, and I knew it would happen one day. I played really bad and on top of that he played well.”

Readers of his blog have been quick to congratulate the Spaniard on his attitude. “The way that you and Roger Federer conduct yourselves, win or lose, is a great credit to you both and your sport. I wish people in other sports could learn from that,” said Chris.

Lions told to get out to meet and greet

 

David Hands

The air always seems clearer, the sky bluer, when you come into South Africa via Johannesburg. In eight previous visits it has not changed and the arrival of the 2009 Lions, who will be based on the high veldt for the opening phase of their tour, will enjoy the same vista - if not that familiar tightening of the lungs that comes with the thinner air.

Even if the locals were not already revelling in a sustained year of sport, they would know the Lions are in town. Two blood-red coaches (the wheeled variety, not Ian McGeechan and his colleagues) decorated with the initials of the sponsoring company, HSBC, will transport the touring party to training and to games in Rustenburg on Saturday and at Ellis Park (now sadly known as Coca-Cola Park) against the Golden Lions next Wednesday.

HSBC has had a good year of fostering events connected with the Lions, both at home and in South Africa, raising rugby kit for underprivileged communities. Another takes place tomorrow (Wednesday) at Masibambane College, some 45 minutes away from the team hotel in Sandton. There will be tree planting and tag rugby involving the youngsters at the college alongside six Lions and three of their (human) coaches.

Where has it all gone wrong for England?

Do you remember what happened on November 22, 2003? It is only five years ago, but seems like a lifetime for followers of England rugby. That day, of course, was the one where England beat Australia 20-17 in Sydney to lift the Rugby World Cup for the first time. How everyone enjoyed that wonderful celebration in Trafalgar Square afterwards.

Much water has passed under the bridge since: Clive Woodward, the victorious coach, resigned to pursue other interests, many of the team that had carried all before them got old and retired (in the case of Martin Johnson, among others) or got hurt so frequently that they were rarely available to give of their best (Jonny Wilkinson, The Times columnist and Newcastle Falcons fly half hobbles instantly to mind).

Andy Robinson came and went as head coach without ever convincing that he was a strong enough character to step out of Woodward’s shadow, and although Brian Ashton steered England to the final of the Rugby World Cup again last year, it was quite evident, even with magnificent performances against Australia and France, that here was a group of players who were overachieving.

This year has been something of a disaster. Yes, a second-place finish was achieved in the RBS Six Nations Championship thanks to a convincing final-day victory over Ireland at Twickenham, but there followed two convincing summer Test defeats at the hands of New Zealand.

Martin Johnson, installed as the new head coach, enjoyed a winning start against the Pacific Islanders three weeks ago before reality bit and bit hard. Successive home defeats to Australia (14-28), South Africa (by a record margin, 6-42) and latterly New Zealand on Saturday (6-32) shows just how far the Red Rose has plummeted down the pecking order in world rugby. In fact, the new rankings announced today will show them sixth, behind New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Wales.

Perhaps we rarely have had the flair in the backline to open up world-class defences, but even the normally dominant forwards struggled against the All Blacks. So where has it all gone wrong?

Is there simply a dearth of quality talent to choose from at the moment. Are there too many foreigners in the Guinness Premiership hindering the progress of good young home-grown players? Are we expecting too much from an inexperienced coach like Martin Johnson?

Whatever your thoughts, we would be delighted if you would share them with us by leaving a comment in the field at the bottom of this post.