Matthew Rees: 'We want that 'W'
Wales hooker Matthew Rees has shaken off all manner of criticism over the past few weeks to become the Lions Test hooker.
He has been accused, at different times down the years and in different places, of either being too slow, inaccurate at line-outs, or not punching his weight.
But this tour has brought the best out of Rees, who came on with Adam Jones to stabilise the scrum in the first Test in Durban and then played a huge role in the second Test before he lost both his props simultaneously to injury and the scrums went uncontested.
Even with Victor Matfield's hands grabbing for any stray missiles at line-out time, his throwing was pinpoint. There were two throws ruled not straight, but one of those calls was vary harsh. The rest went where they should have.
He will be the Welsh meat in an all-English sandwich for the Lions this weekend, with Andy Sheridan and Phil Vickery propping him up and with Rees confident he and Vickery will not fall prey to a Bok front row ambush as happened in the first Test.
"Phil's looking forward to the challenge laid down by the first Test, you know what he's like," said Rees.
"The first Test was a bit of an eye-opener for us, but the last Test we scrummed very well before Adam and Gethin went off. We'll be bringing that (on Saturday).
The starkest scrummaging memory of that second Test was when the Boks had forced a 5m scrum on the Lions' line.
The red machine piled into the Boks, popping Tendai Mtawarira up as he had done to the Lions in the first Test and winning a crushing penalty.
All commentators since then have been unanimous in their opinion that the Lions' game was blunted by the removal of their two props and the scrumming power they had bought to the occasion.
"I thought we had them in the scrum and it was disappointing when they went off," said Rees.
"I thought it spoiled the game as well. An extra prop on the bench is definitely something to look at, with the physicality and intensity of the game as it is at the moment.
"That scrum on our line, that's what we are about.
"We made the right call there and came away with a penalty. It is a specific call to do that. We knew they would come at us then and we met fire with fire.
"It was about everything that scrum. It combines physicality and technique, maybe 70-30.
"If you are gong to smash them, you have to get that complete hit. We won the engagement, as you want to do with any scrum from a front row perspective."
Saturday's Test has been a little blunted, with nothing at stake beyond pride and a Bok side showing ten changes from last week - in many ways a second-string side.
That has not taken the edge off it all for the Lions, who will arrest a seven-match losing streak if they do win but who will also reap just reward for their efforts which have not deserved a 2-0 series scoreline.
"It's our last Test and we want that 'W'," said Rees.
"It's been great to see the amount of support that's come over, we want to do it for them as well as ourselves and our management.
"Some of the boys have been feeling a bit battered since last week. But it's our last game of the season, so we've had some good rest time this week and are ready to give it our all on Saturday.
"We are putting on a Lions jersey, some of the boys won't do it again after Saturday, so it's important for them to have a big game.
"Some of the boys haven't played for a week and a half either, so they'll be up for a big one to prove themselves... from our side it is going to add a bit of extra edge to the game."
By Danny Stephens in Johannesburg
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