Springboks keep tourists off the scent

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Jun 21, 2009 | by Alasdair Reid at ABSA Stadium, Durban

The prop did come back, but his humiliation was complete when he was withdrawn five minutes later.

Brussow stretched the home lead, but the game was soon to swing the Lions' way. They came back with a Croft try in the 68th minute - O'Driscoll again the provider - before Philips got his late score.

The Springboks were hanging on for dear life at the finish, their time-wasting comically blatant. Maybe there is hope for these Lions yet.

South Africa: F Steyn, JP Pietersen, A Jacobs, J de Villiers( J Fourie, 60), B Habana, R Pienaar( M Steyn, 65),= 2 0F du Preez( R Januarie, 68); T Mtawarira( G Steenkamp, 65), B du Plessis, J Smit( captain; D Carstens, 65), B Botha( A Bekker, 60), V Matfield, H Brussow( D Rossouw, 52), J Smith, P Spies.

British and Irish Lions: L Byrne( R Kiernan, 38); T Bowe, B O'Driscoll, J Roberts, U Monye; S Jones, M Phillips; G Jenkins, L Mears( M Rees, 50), P Vickery( A Jones, 45), Alun-Wyn Jones, P O'Connell( captain), T Croft, D Wallace( M Williams, 66), J Heaslip..

South Africa tried to fix something that wasn't broken and surely won't make the same mistake again ' '