The scrum had been the Lions' big weapon in the games leading up to the Test, but it emerged that the South Africans had been putting in an amount of scrums against their second team, The Emerging Springboks, behind closed doors, and they were ready for the Lions.

Wasps and English tight-head prop Phil Vickery is one of the most respected props in World rugby, but he was destroyed by Tendai Mtawarira, a 23-year-old who has been playing prop for only three years.

Tendai was originally a Number 8 on the South African under-20 side, and got the nickname 'The Beast' for his rampaging runs.

One of the Blue Bulls coaches persuaded him to move to lose-head prop and, on last Saturday's showing, he is one of the best in World rugby.

His father even calls him the Beast, but the lad himself apparently attends church every Sunday and is a very modest fellow.

As it turned out, the Beast may have finished Phil Vickery's career in international rugby. He drove the once proud World Cup-winning prop in every scrum.

There is no doubt that he was driving up illegally at times, but New Zealand referee Lawrence hadn't a clue how to referee the scrum. He penalized Vickery time and time again, and turned a blind eye to The Beast. The Springbok kicked three of those scrum penalties at vital stages in the game.

At half-time, the South Africans were 19-7 ahead and looked to be coasting for a big victory.

Paul O'Connell and Phil Vickery were in deep conversation with the referee as the teams left the field at half time.

Both Lions were disturbed by the amount of penalties awarded against them at scrum time.

The Lions management eventually decided to take Vickery off with just a few minutes gone in the second half and he was replaced by Welsh tight head Adam Jones.

Now, Adam is known as The Hairy One but he is a smaller man that Vickery and The Beast was unable to get under him to lift him.

The Lions scrum settled and the team began to get renewed hope.

Ironically there was a reverse situation in the front row on the 1997 Lions tour.

On that tour, Springbok prop Os du Randt was a massive loose-head prop and he was expected to make mince meat of Paul Wallace, who was a much smaller man.

Wally though, got so low in the scrums that big Oz couldn't get down to him and the '97 Lions had a solid scrum in all the Tests.

The Beast got 'man of the match' but it will be interesting to see who the Lions pick to pack down against him for the second Test on Saturday.

Adam 'The Hairy One' Jones looks to be the most lightly but John 'The Bull' Hayes is now with the squad and 'The Bull' might be just the man to sort out The Beast.

Front row forwards are a different breed to any other position on the rugby field, and on occasions the small prop can give the bigger man a torrid time.

Declan Madden of Garryowen was a small but very strong tight head and 'Ben', as he was called, destroyed many a loose-head prop's reputation.

I remember a few years ago Old Crescent brought in a New Zealand big prop that looked the business.

Johnny Downes and Jim Bradshaw, two Old Crescent stalwarts, couldn't wait to see the big Kiwi play his first game against Dolphin.

Down went the first scrum and up went the big boy into the air.

“He wasn't settled,” said Johnny.

The next scrum went down and again the Kiwi shot up.

Johnny looked at Jim as the third scrum went down and the new signing was again airborne. “I'm going home,” said Johnny.

The Lions almost made the South Africans pay for making so many substitutions in the second half.

The home side got a wee bit arrogant when they led by 26-7 with 30 minutes to go and they emptied their bench.

The Lions, with their scrum now functioning much better, were wounded when they saw this and they lifted their game. Indeed, they were unlucky at the end not to have stolen it.

If Lady Luck had smiled on them they could have had a few more scores, as Ugo Monye twice and Mike Philips almost got the touchdown, and the Lions finished the stronger side.

The omens are not looking good for next Saturdays Second Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

It's the home ground of the Blue Bulls, the winners of the Super 14, and real Afrikaner (Dutch) territory.

They love to score a lot of points in that ground and I don't think the South African coaches will make wholesale changes during the match.

It will be a real test of Paul's character to get the Lions up for this one.

I see 'The Sunday Times' man Steven Jones has dropped Paul from the side he would pick for the next Test, and given the captaincy to Brian O'Driscoll.

Jones's article didn't appear in the Irish version of the Sunday Times.

He wrote: “There must be changes by the Lions, they must know that South Africa have probably given already their worst performance of the series. Adam Jones was a runaway success in stabilising the scrum when he arrived. He will surely stay, and the Lions are again faced with a core question; is a second row partnership of the exuberant Alun Wyn Jones, together with Simon Shaw or Nathan Hines, lightly to be far more effective than one containing the beavering Paul O'Connell?”

The Lions coaches, of course, won't do that. I think they should also pick Donncha to go into the second row with his Munster and Irish partner.

Rob Kearney had a super game when he came on for the injured Lee Byrne and he should start.

Ronan O'Gara is a better out half than Steven Jones whose place and general kicking was not good.

South Africa are firm favourites to win.

Backs to the wall, Paul.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment