Lions must beat South Africa in Pretoria

MUNSTER flanker David Wallace followed in the illustrious footsteps of elder brother Paul by playing in a Lions Test against South Africa in Durban last weekend. But the third member of the Wallace family to play for the Lions will be hoping for a different result this Saturday as the tourists face a must-win second Test against the Springboks in the hostile environment of Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (2pm Irish time).
Ian McGeechan’s British & Irish Lions must beat the World Champions if they are to keep the three-match series alive going into the final Test on Saturday week at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg.


After their whirlwind start, which saw skipper John Smit score within five minutes, the Boks looked set to swamp David Wallace and company when they stretched out to a 19 point lead at the start of the second half.
But then came the Lions’ fight back and, by the end, Paul O’Connell’s men had outscored their hosts by three tries to two – and bombed several other chances.
“It was an unbelievable experience to be involved in a Test team. I would love to get another chance,” David Wallace said this week.
“We definitely believe we can still do it. We know its going to be very hard to win the next two games, especially at altitude, but there were plenty of positives to take out of the first Test and we have to back our fitness.
“We gave them such a lead at the start and we were always chasing it. That made life difficult for us.
“Their kicking game was very good, but we felt we could do damage when we moved the ball. We’ve got to start Pretoria as we ended in Durban
“The sense in the crowd was that we could go on and win the game. There was a huge belief building, but then it just didn’t materialise.
“But to have come back from where we were and end up within striking distance gives us huge confidence for the next two Tests.”
Lions skipper Paul O’Connell says that, despite the overwhelming sense of disappointment after Saturday’s defeat to the Springboks, there are plenty of encouraging signs to take forward into the remaining two Test matches.
The Munster second row lost his fourth successive international with Britain and Ireland’s elite but he says there are enough positives in the 26-21 reverse to suggest a better outcome against the same opposition this weekend in Pretoria.
“We are playing a good brand of rugby,” lock O’Connell insisted.
“I think we ran out of time. We were playing quite well. When we did what we wanted to do, we were getting over the gain line and we were opening them up a bit. The more we did that, the stronger we grew.
”If a few of our try-scoring chances had stuck, it would have been game over and we would have won it.”
Schalk Burger will win his 50th international cap when he returns to the Springbok side in the only change head coach Peter de Villiers has made for the second Test in Pretoria.
Burger missed last weekend’s 26-21 win in Durban due to a calf injury but the former IRB World Player of the Year is now fit enough to start at Loftus Versfeld. The Stormers flanker replaces tryscorer Heinrich Brussow, who drops to the bench.
The Lions starting line-up for the do-or-die Test will be revealed this Thursday.

South Africa: Francois Steyn; JP Pietersen, Adi Jacobs, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, John Smit; Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield; Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies. Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Deon Carstens, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Heinrich Brussow, Jaque Fourie, Morne Steyn.

Colm Kinsella