Earls features in bruising Port Elizabeth encounter

THE British & Irish Lions, with Limerick’s Keith Earls featuring at full-back, completed the build-up to their first test against South Africa with a hard-fought 20-8 win over the Southern Kings in the Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Although the Lions’ 12-point winning margin would suggest otherwise the clash with the Southern Kings proved a bruising encounter.
And, today Ian McGeechan is counting the cost with Euan Murray (ankle) and James Hook (concussion) now listed as doubtful for Saturday’s battle with the South Africans in Durban (2pm, Sky Sports).


The Lions struggled for long periods against the Southern Kings and were grateful for a penalty try which allowed the touring side a little breathing room late in the second half.
Munster’s Donncha O’Callaghan captained the side and although David Wallace was named on the bench he played no part in Tuesday’s game in Port Elizabeth.
Ronan O’Gara, who was outstanding when introduced as a replacement in the 12th minute and who could now have forced his way into the test side, drew the sides level at three points apiece before pushing the Lions into a three-point lead with another penalty just after the break.
The Munster out-half then picked out winger Ugo Monye with a superb cross-field kick for the Lions’ first try which the Cork man also converted.
Referee Nigel Owens awarded a penalty try against the Southern Kings in the 68th minute for infringements at the scrum and O’Gara converted to give the tourists a seventeen-point lead (20-3) entering the final minutes. The Kings did score a late try, but such resistance proved futile.
The Irish fly-half also pulled off a superb try-saving tackle on the Southern Kings’ Wylie Human after the Lions defence had been initially shredded at a crucial juncture in the game. It is also worthwhile noting that Welsh referee Nigel Owens sin-binned two Southern Kings players - fly-half Van der Westhuyzen and Ross Skeate.
Having played twice previously in the centre for the Lions Keith Earls was, this time, handed the full-back role. The Limerick man sliced through the Southern Kings’ defence on occasion, but it is unknown at this point whether Earls’ display, allied to his try-scoring performance on Saturday, was enough to force his way into Ian McGeechan’s thinking.
The guessing games will finally come to an end tomorrow afternoon when the Lions’ starting team for the first test will be revealed.
Lions XV v the Southern Kings: K. Earls (Munster); U. Monye (Harlequins), R. Flutey (London Wasps), G. D’Arcy (Leinster), L. Fitzgerald (Leinster); J. Hook (Ospreys), M. Blair (Edinburgh); A. Sheridan (Sale Sharks), R. Ford (Edinburgh), E. Murray (Northampton), S. Shaw (London Wasps), D. O’Callaghan (Munster), N. Hines (Perpignan), J. Worsley (London Wasps), A. Powell (Cardiff Blues). Replacement: S. Williams (Ospreys) for Monye, R. O’Gara (Munster) for Hook, M. Rees (Scarlets) for Ford, A. Jones (Ospreys) for Murray.

Meanwhile coach Allen Clarke has named his Irish under-20 side to face Wales this evening in the IRB Toshiba Junior World Championship - Ireland will face the Welsh in a fifth place play-off game in Fukuoka (5pm).
Allen Clarke has made several changes to the side that defeated Uruguay 45-0 on Saturday in their final pool game of the tournament.
Irish under-20 team: Ian Madigan (Leinster), David Kearney (Leinster), Danny Barnes (Munster), Eamonn Sheridan (Leinster), Michael Keating (Leinster), Ian McKinley (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster), Thomas Sexton (Leinster), Adam Macklin (Ulster), Dominic Ryan (Leinster), Mark Flanagan (Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Exiles), Brian O’Hara (Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster). Replacements: David McGregor (Ulster), Paddy McAllister (Ulster), Joe Moran (Connacht), David O’Callaghan (Munster), Matthew Healy (Leinster), Andrew Burke (Munster), Jonny Shiels (Ulster).

BRIAN MCDONNELL