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Lions stoke the third Test tension with Springboks 'handbags' quip

(Photo by EJ Langner/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Courtney Lawes has lit the touchpaper ahead of Saturday’s finale to the Lions’ already fractious Test series versus the Springboks, the blindside explaining his team has no interest in any fighting or niggle and only want to go and play some of the rugby they were prevented from doing so in last weekend’s 27-9 second Test loss in Cape Town. 

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The Test series has been besmirched by various antics such as concerns over the non-neutral TMNO in South African Marius Jonker, Rassie Erasmus’ incredible 62-minute video criticising the match officials as well as instances of foul play and dust-ups on the pitch. 

It has all left a tempestuous collision delicately balanced ahead of this Saturday’s third Test decider where the Lions are looking to speed up the play and have called on referee Mathieu Raynal not to allow the Springboks to get away with the alleged slow play tactics that were in use last weekend. 

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    The latest RugbyPass Offload looks ahead of the Lions series decider

    These are allegations that have been refuted by Springboks assistant Mzwandile Stick, but the Lions believe a quicker tempo and steering clear of any rough stuff will be a successful blueprint as they see to add a Test series victory in South Africa to their 2013 success in Australia and the 2017 draw in New Zealand.  

    “There are very legal ways in rugby to be physical and we showed that in the first half and the second half we got it wrong,” said Lawes, the first-choice Lions No6. “We will look to correct our mistakes and the discipline is a massive part of that… It’s the nuance things, penalties and things like that, we can’t give them an in to impose themselves in the maul and the scrum. If we can keep them moving around that is going to help us. 

    “We can’t get too caught up in the niggle and scrapping and that stuff because it just slows down the game and it doesn’t really help us. We like a high-tempo game – we are a fit team, we want to run around, we want the ball in hand so we can’t get caught up in that and we need to try and speed the game up as much as we can.

    “It’s going to be tough and it will be a conscious effort to stay out of that dog fight and niggle because I am imagining that is what they are going to want to bring again. We need to make a conscious effort to leave it alone and get back to what we want to do, which is trying to bring tempo into the game. They can throw the handbags around as much as they like as long as we can get that ball out and play some rugby.

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    “They came with a clear game plan last weekend and that was to slow the game down. We are a really fit team and we want to move the ball and play a lot. The second half of the first Test showed that if we do that they are going to struggle to keep up with us and it affects their scrum and maul,” continued Lawes, a veteran of the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand.

    “Their strategy paid off in the second Test. They were able to slow it down and when they are not tired they are going to scrum well and they are big, strong men and they are going to maul well, especially when you are giving them penalties and the aerial battle is heavily contested. They are going to get some joy.”

     

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    Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


    “The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

    I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


    “Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

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    JW 5 hours ago
    French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

    Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


    They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


    That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

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