The spotlight is on Worsley
The Lions tour comes to an anti-climactic end this Saturday as they seek to avoid a South African whitewash in Johannesburg.
In changing ten players, the Bok management has already demonstrated that its priorities lie elsewhere than ensuring a 3-0 series victory. In changing eight players, the Lions have given a clear indication on just how emotionally and physically draining last week's last-ditch 28-25 defeat was.
Neither side would have been able to field the same team, but a 60 per cent turnover in starting personnel from last week means it has almost the feel of a completely new Test.
South Africa's selection of a string of comparatively green and second-choice players also gives it a slight air of one of those Test squads designed to warm players up for Tri-Nations and separate the men from the boys. The Lions have stated their aim of 'freshening things up a bit' in their quest to avoid complete humiliation, but many of the changes were forced. It feels like an end-of-year tour. Test match fever has gone, replaced by Test match 'bit of a sniffle'.
Given the bitterness and fall-out from last week, perhaps it is a good thing that it is not the same personnel. The Schalk Burger issue has been put to bed - despite the inordinate number of people popping heads round the door to check it is still sleeping - but the mealy mouth of Peter de Villiers has ensured that the local fans' grace in victory has been largely ignored, and that his side has made far fewer friends and garnered far less respect than it ought to have.
He has, it appears, finally been gagged by his superiors, but the damage is done. Even the New Zealanders and Australians are sharpening the knives for the looming SH extravaganza. PDV has made a rod for his own back wherever he goes now - by extension, he has done the same for his team. How long will they be able to keep quiet - how long will John Smit be able to keep it all together, particularly with a number of retirements and departures of players to foreign climes looming?
The Lions will troop away with reputations intact, win or lose. It's been a super tour, with a good balance of modern sanitised professionalism and old school touches. The series is lost but in no way were the tourists humiliated. Nobody would begrudge them something from this Saturday.
Will they take it? Possibly. There are more weak links to target this time. Pressure can be applied to Morné Steyn, Zane Kirchner and Chiliboy Ralepelle, all key areas.
Kirchner in particular ought to be fleeing for cover under a hailstorm of high balls, while Phil Vickery might enjoy Ralepelle partnering the Beast instead of Bismarck du Plessis, who was just as responsible for Vickery's misery in the first Test as the giant Zimbabwean was.
On the other hand, with a more skilled back row and adventurous runners in the backs, the Boks could run riot. The Lions were congratulated on playing all the rugby last week, but there were serious defensive shortcomings off first phase that cost the Lions dear.
Hence the call-up for Joe Worsley for a first Lions Test is not just to freshen things up. Worsley did a bang-up job on Jamie Roberts for England in the Six Nations, and with the Boks likely to send Jaque Fourie heading down the middle at a rate of knots, Worsley will be tasked with matching his estimated 20 tackle a game rate.
Cutting off the supply to Fourie is also a priority, so Martyn Williams could also be tasked with 'doing a job' on Steyn. Pressurise the Boks' first phase ball and set pieces and you might end up leaving them with nothing, as they do seem a team that struggles to create opportunities from open play.
Yet Ryan Kankowski's running and the likely stream of ball from Heinrich Brüssow could counter all that too... you can argue yourself into knots about the possibilities in this match. It will not be a damp squib, that's for sure but it's a huge task for the Lions to pick themselves up and deliver one more winning effort against a team as fresh as can be.
Ones to watch:
For South Africa: However good Francois Steyn proved to be at full-back, Zane Kirchner is fast becoming the real deal as far as specialists go in the position.
For the Lions: Tommy Bowe's choice at centre is odd to many, but he has excelled in the position many times for the Ospreys this season. Obviously this is another level, but he does pick a fine running line.
Head to head: Phil Vickery v the Beast. The big rematch from the first Test will be fascinating, not only to see if Vickery can get over any mental scars, but also to see if Chiliboy Ralepelle gives Beast the same support in his demolition role that Bismarck du Plessis did.
Prediction: Tired Lions no match for fit Boks with points to prove before the Tri-Nations. South Africa by 15.
The teams:
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Johann Muller, 3 John Smit, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Guthro Steenkamp, 18 Dean Carstens, 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Pierre Spies, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Frans Steyn.
B&I Lions: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Ugo Monye, 13 Tommy Bowe, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Joe Worsley, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 John Hayes, 18 Alun-Wyn Jones, 19 David Wallace, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Harry Ellis, 22 James Hook.
Date: Saturday, July 4
Kick-off: 15:00 (14:00 BST)
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Weather: Dry, sunny, 15°C
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assistant referee: Christophe Berdos (France), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Television match official: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assessor: Tappe Henning
By Danny Stephens in Johannesburg
Comments
fonz says...
I must say DeV has done himself no favour, but everyone knows he is an idiot. However, had you not lost, this whole issue would have sputtered out very rapidly. You weren't cheated. The better team won. The lions took both games to teh wire, but they weren't quite good enough, although the difference was tiny. Get over that, too
Posted 09:14 04th July 2009
fonz says...
Typical whinger that gives UK rugby fans a bad name. Those I meet are good sports and great guys. What is it about your journalists and a few of your players?
you cannot see what damage this has dome to your team to all outside the UK. Island mentality again, methinks. Yes, Burger played foul. So did many Lions - Sheridan, and ROg in particular, not to mention all the high and late tackles your commentators seemed to think were fair game. I have yet to hear a single Saffer complaining excpet in reaction to your poor sportsmanship. Burger was cited, specifically cleared of deliberate gouging, and punished. You lost the series. get over them both.
Posted 09:05 04th July 2009
Ding_Loughlin says...
Balanced, but really hard to see how we will make up ground on this Test. We have been competitive, but our failure to recognise on the field problems has led us in to this corner. The Boks react faster than any of us northern hemisphere lot. Having been there twice in last month, I cannot tell you how special the Bok public hold the Lions. They are true rugby loving people and our hats off to them all, without exception. Keep our treasured game alive and in rue health.
Posted 07:27 04th July 2009
rich says...
Planetrugby, please find an unbiased journalist who knows something about rugby rather than a bitter, disgruntled Lions fan to write these articles. This used to be my favourite website for rugby news but not anymore
Posted 20:00 03rd July 2009
rich says...
How on earth can you argue that these whinging Lions have their reputations intact? I used to like Mike Philips and Jamie Heaslip, but after their pathetic whinging after the second test, I no longer respect them - and I've heard the same sentiment from Lions fans. But Moanin' O'Gara takes the biscuit - after self-riteously refusing to shake hands with South African opponents, he then loses his side the series - classic!
Posted 15:49 03rd July 2009
brazilrugger says...
rather poor reporting dont you think/ first you say the lions have a quest to avoid complete humiliation, then later you say even though they lost there has been no humiliation. Well which is it? This is becoming like reading a tabloid.
Posted 15:45 03rd July 2009
dsds says...
Shame you couldn't match South Africa's grace in victory with a little more grace in defeat - especially the shrill shrieking of the Lions-favouring press. (Yes Stephens, this means you...)
Posted 15:24 03rd July 2009
pete210780 says...
"Tired Lions no match for fit Boks"
I suspect this is a humiliation "get out clause"....
you and your peers, should be put under a panel like any International Ref is, whereby we can erradicate bias and hate journalism, to stop bringing the spirit of rugby down to a degenerate level like your stereotypical football thug!
3-0... go the Boks
Posted 14:42 03rd July 2009
oela says...
Still finding it quite hard to be objective, eh Danny? Better attempt though....
Posted 12:35 03rd July 2009