Loose Pass: No thriller and issues at the top for Boks

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with the questions ahead of the second Test between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions…

We watched, as many probably did, together with a few mates and some liquid refreshment. We cheered, groaned, debated and praised. And at the end, the Lions won, which made some of us happy. Then, an hour later, most of us tried to remember the game in detail.

Not many of us could. Granted, the refreshments would have contributed. But a social media post by an acquaintance this week from a Lions fan posited: ‘Great result, great game, go Lions!’

A great result from the Lions’ point of view to be sure, but a great game? The other reason most of us couldn’t remember the detail of the game is that there wasn’t much worth remembering. That which we could remember was more about the controversy than the breathtaking play. The first real dangerous break of the game was Robbie Henshaw’s on the stroke of half-time.

All the rage

Four minutes into the second half, the Lions managed to take a rolling maul over the line. Another maul try. Woo. South Africa’s try was scored when a set play broke down some 25 metres behind the gain line; Anthony Watson and Ali Price had fine games but neither will want to see the video of how Pieter-Steph du Toit gathered up the ball and galloped past them. After that it was a scramble from a kick, a 50-50 situation that went the hosts’ way.

There were a couple of other moments: Maro Itoje’s magnificent goal-line turnover, Courtney Lawes’ free-running, South Africa’s disallowed try. But it’s significant that of the 10-minute highlight package available on YouTube, more than a third of it is given over to things happening outside action time, such as intro, outro and TMO deliberations.

Perhaps this is why everybody seems to be so niggly and grumpy about it all. Talk of mind games is all the rage at the moment – as if trying to deliver a Test series under Covid conditions wasn’t mind game enough – but outside of praising the performances of Itoje, Lawes, and the under-appreciated Jack Conan there has not been much talk about the rugby; there wasn’t much of it.

Both coaches are right in their money zone right now ahead of the second Test, with very different questions being posed to them.

For South Africa, the questions are quite far-reaching. What, exactly, is the relationship between the coaching team and the squad? If Jacques Nienaber is head coach, why does director of rugby Rassie Erasmus feel compelled to be water boy (water optional) delivering messages to the team on the pitch? There used to be an obvious bond of trust between coaches and team for the Boks where the team was allowed to think its way through games. That bond now seems shaky at best, as does the bond of trust between Messrs. Erasmus and Nienaber.

Then there is a question of culture generally. South Africa’s World Cup-winning side earned as many plaudits for its humility and good nature as it did for its precise and well-executed gameplan. The team continues to conduct itself well, but Mr. Erasmus’ lamentable alternative persona on Twitter is not a good look and a lot more reminiscent of the South African coaching staff from the 2009 tour.

Whoever is in charge, something has gone wrong. The ‘A’ team 10 days ago looked significantly more organised and calm than the Test team did on Saturday. That is, in part, a tribute to Warren Gatland and company’s preparation. but it wasn’t just the intelligence and accuracy of the Lions’ performance. South Africa looked uncertain at times and absolutely out of both ideas and puff towards the end. The decision to change the entire front-row at half-time is mystifying as well, scrums had not been much of an issue.

Meanwhile, over in Hotel Lions, the questions are more pleasant. The selection of Conan was criticised but the Irishman fully paid back his coach’s faith with a terrific all-round display. Ken Owens was also a surprise omission from the starting XV but he absolutely turned the game when he came on. Perhaps against South Africa his fizz is best left corked until late in the party.

On one of the three changes made on Tuesday, Elliot Daly just didn’t have a very good game, with Chris Harris getting recognition for his form this time. But if South Africa are running low on energy late on, wouldn’t Marcus Smith (or if fit, Finn Russell) had offered something more unpredictable for tired opponents to think about than Owen Farrell?

Happy questions, the kind of questions a coach much prefers having to answer than ones about how to gather a team together and whether the off-field organisation is set up right.

Externally, there are also questions. Marius Jonker’s TMO-ing was hesitant at best; his wording: “we believe that green 15 was in front of the kicker” is not the sort of decisive phrase that TMOs are there to deliver. Right at the end of his verdict, he did actually reinforce it with “he was definitely in front” but mumbled from the back of his throat in the manner of someone who clearly would rather not offend.

His appointment was openly questioned in advance by Mr. Gatland, with much legitimacy after it emerged that the TMO originally appointed had signalled his intention not to travel as early as July 15, perhaps even earlier. His appointment has also been openly questioned retrospectively by an unforgiving South African public, who have branded Mr. Jonker ‘despicable’ and ‘a coward’. In between a rock and a hard place, he had at least four calls which were as borderline as can be and in an ugly game quite likely to feature a TMO outcome having a decisive impact, no wonder he mumbled and hesitated.

But if World Rugby knew so far in advance about the lack of an independent TMO, it is staggering there was not a contingency plan in place. It is also staggering that Mr. Erasmus – water optional – continues to flaunt without censure the spirit of the regulation stipulating that coaches may not enter the playing enclosure. Even in rugby backwaters coaches get scolded by referees for doing this. Surely this is not a hard regulation to change?

Questions everywhere, some harder than others. Hopefully the answers will bring us a second Test reminiscent of 2009 rather than last week’s opener.

Loose Pass compiled by Lawrence Nolan

The Lions claim first Test victory

The British & Irish Lions came from behind in a dominant second half to seize an early lead in their series against South Africa with a tense 22-17 win at Cape Town Stadium.