Lions 2009 - Emerging Boks earn draw at the death

Eurosport - Wed, 24 Jun 16:52:00 2009

Replacement Willem de Waal landed a touchline conversion in injury time to earn the Emerging Springboks a 13-13 draw with the British and Irish Lions in attrocious conditions in Cape Town.

Willem de Waal - Emerging Springboks 2009 - 0

With the last play of the game at a wet Newlands, Danwel Demas was put over in the corner after a well-worked Emerging Springboks move to set up de Waal's chance to claim a deserved draw for the hosts.

Despite the wind and rain that had been falling all evening, de Waal (pictured) nailed his kick perfectly as the Lions failed to bounce back with a victory after their defeat in the first Test last weekend.

The Lions management will not be impressed with the way the Lions let their youthful opposition back into the match after building a 10-0 lead thanks to a converted try from Keith Earls and a Ronan O'Gara penalty.

The Emerging Springboks chipped away at the Lions lead with two penalties from fly-half Earl Rose before ending their 100 per cent record in tour games with their thrilling finish.

Newlands is a heavy pitch on a good day and the constant rain made life very difficult for both sides. But it was the Lions who began more strongly, with O'Gara controlling the game well and keeping the hosts pinned back in their half for long periods.

In the ninth minute the Emerging Boks conceded a penalty for entering a ruck from the side and O'Gara punished the offense with a simple penalty from in front of the posts, having minutes earlier missed from a similar position.

Six minutes later, following a passage of aerial ping pong, Riki Flutey charged down a Zane Kirchner kick and launched an attack deep into the Emerging Boks' half.

When the ball was recycled Earls claimed it as first receiver, cut inside three tacklers and touched down just left of the posts. O'Gara added the conversion and at 10-0 the Lions were comfortably in charge.

But the Emerging Springboks, with scrum-half Jano Vermaak finding his kicking range, upped their game in the second quarter and kept the ball tight with some effective driving from back-rowers Duane Vermeulen, Jean Deysel and skipper Dewald Potgieter.

They were rewarded for their efforts four minutes before the break when the Lions were penalised for hands in a ruck and Rose made it 10-3 going into the interval.

Ten minutes into the second half the Emerging Boks earned a five-metre scrum after another effective high kick from Vermaak. The Lions kept out the first attacking wave thanks to a huge hit from Flutey on Rose, but they had encroached offside and Rose landed the penalty to make it 10-6.

Although the Lions were unable to add to their lead, they were mostly comfortable defending their advantage with the conditions making it difficult for either teams to score.

Both sides made the most of their benches in the final quarter and when replacement fly-half James Hook landed a 77th minute penalty to make it 13-6 it looked like the Lions were home and dry.

But with a minute left on the clock the Lions conceded a penalty to allow Rose to kick for the corner.

The home side comfortably won their throw and after Franco can der Merwe was held up just short the ball was spread wide for Demas to dive over in the corner.

With conditions as they were, few would have given de Waal much of a chance of landing his conversion but he judged the wind brilliantly to secure a thrilling draw.

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport

Comment 7 - 26 of 26

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  1. Shane should start, its a no brainer, we suffered with­ finishing, created plenty just lacking at the last, let­ him play in the test side , he deserves that after all.

    From trufftastic, on Wed 24 Jun 10:48PM

  2. IM SORRY BUT SHANE WILLIAMS SHOULD NOT START SATURDAY!!­ ON THE BENCH MAYBE BUT I HAVENT SEEN HIM DO ANYTHING ON­ THIS TOUR. HIS TACKLING ISNT GREAT EITHER.
    YOU WILL ALL­ PROBABLY JUMP ON ME NOW, BUT THATS MY OPINION
    MONYE TO­ START.

    From paul, on Wed 24 Jun 10:28PM

  3. Can't understand the calls for Fitzgerald to­ feature on Saturday ahead of Shane Williams, and­ particularly the comment that it is Fitzgerald that is­ the "big game player"?? He is merely a pup­ in comparison to Shane's big match experience (not­ to mention his world-wide recognition as the IRB World­ player of the year), as is Monye, whose inexperience­ showed when failing to convert the chances presented­ themselves in the first test. Should those chances­ appear again in the second test, it is Shane that is­ far likely to finish them than Fitz or Monye.
    As for­ all the talk of Shane's 'poor' form, I have­ a further point to make. He has suffered this tour in­ being selected in Lions sides that have not performed.­ As a winger, the most peripheral of positions, this­ effects the quality of opportunities and space­ considerably.
    The only occasions The Lions have really­ clicked this tour, is when the 'A' team pairing­ of O'Driscoll and Roberts have played in midfield­ (often with Phillips and Jones inside), and Shane has­ not been selected in these matches once. Take a moment­ to think back to Monye's and Fitzgerald's more­ impressive contributions on tour! They have all arisen­ in matches playing with the 'A' team, where the­ team was playing well and creating chances. Shane's­ been starved of opportunities struggling on the outside­ of Earls (remember his performance in first match),­ D'Arcy and Flutey, and thus been labelled as being­ in 'poor form'.
    I accept Shane is not in the­ rampaging form of last year, but being stuck in what­ has effectively been 'the reserves' has­ misrepresented his current form as being poor.
    Put­ Shane in the second test (with the 'A' team),­ in what will hopefully be an attacking Lions­ performance akin to the 2nd half of the first test, and­ we, The British and Irish lions WILL reap the rewards.

    From apdmanning, on Wed 24 Jun 9:18PM

  4. thought the centres were apalling, Flutey nearly cost­ us our only try with his glory hunting, terrible­ conditions, Shaw played well, Martyn Williams should­ start, alot of the forwards went missing in conditions­ that they should have ruled. Shane in for Monye , think­ he will repay a bit of confidence in him. Hook was a­ street ahead of O Gara, hes so week in defence it­ scares me. l think the lack of go forward is a­ relection on the players, most of them wont be putting­ boots on again and it showed. Shame really would have­ been good for the rest of the team.

    From trufftastic, on Wed 24 Jun 9:08PM

  5. hahahahahaha.. almost got your had your @#$%'s­ handed to you by a bunch of kids! just shows the­ Authourity of the Southern Hemisphere and South­ Africa's young powerfull talent... Cant wait for­ the next test!! Bring on the Lions!

    From sergio.ramos01, on Wed 24 Jun 7:37PM

  6. Who was supposed to be defending the wing when Demas­ scored his try?

    From Salamander, on Wed 24 Jun 3:57PM

  7. i would assume from the replacing of him that ROG will­ be playing on saturday, just hope he stops these­ aimless kicks from hand when its on! williams at 7 and­ hines in the engine room! lets see what ref we are­ gonna get before we pick the front row!!!! oh, get rid­ of moyne too! very shoddy indeed!

    From Tim, on Wed 24 Jun 2:49PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    stop talking @#$% kid! the lions will win the next­ game!

    From Nils D, on Wed 24 Jun 1:16PM

  9. Well done SA!!! No mater who was or was not­ playing!!!!!

    From MATTHEW, on Wed 24 Jun 1:05PM

  10. Hahaha, Brit and Mick losers! 3-0 to the Bokke, GONNA­ BE 3-0 TO THE BOKKE!!!!!!!!!!!

    From joestone99uk, on Wed 24 Jun 9:07AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    MURRAY WILL WIN A SLAM . . .

    HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE­ HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE EE @#$% HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE­ HEE HEE

    From JEEMS, on Wed 24 Jun 7:55AM

  12. david.griffiths10 are you serious? Lions playing­ without O'Connell is like Federer playing without a­ racket. He may not be having a great tour but he's­ still one of the best second-rows in the world and a­ brilliant line-out operator. Every player will tell you­ he has an unbelievable presence on the field too......­ And Kearney should be at 11- Williams left his form in­ Wales when he was packing for South Africa

    From Daniel, on Wed 24 Jun 7:28AM

  13. What a difference a ref makes. Look how he refereed­ the scrum, especially when Vickery's went down. ­ Shane Williams did well; more like his old self. ­ Fitzgerald not too shabby. I think Ireland will enjoy­ good things in the centre next season. Will Ford or­ Hines make it to the bench on Saturday?

    From Mark, on Wed 24 Jun 7:06AM

  14. Awfull. That's not good enough.

    From murphy_eoghan, on Wed 24 Jun 7:02AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    one down got two go for win shane at 11 shaw for o­ connell martin williamms at 7 AWJ as capt

    From david.griffiths10, on Wed 24 Jun 6:36AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    YER BALLS NOT A BALL ITS NOT BALL SHAPED NUMBSKULLS

    From sherbet_d, on Wed 24 Jun 6:27AM

  17. Shane showed what a great footballer he is, Shaw must­ also play with Martin Williams. Stephen Jones to stay­ with Hook on the bench with Alun Wyn Jones unless­ O' Connell steps down - then Shaw and AWJ. Why was­ AWJ lifting O'Connell and why was O'Connell­ jumping with AWJ at same time with only one lifter for­ AWJ, neither approaching anything like height of­ Matfield. HM's try was good. confusion between ref­ anf 4th official arm beneath ball swept backwards, not­ dislodging ball which hence subsiquently was grounded!!­ Cenzo

    From vincesingsjazz, on Wed 24 Jun 6:01AM

  18. cases for each of the wings (aside from tommy bowe who­ shud start 99% sure)
    Shane Williams: did A LOT of work­ tonight in terrible conditions, BUT still lacks a­ test-edge
    Luke Fitzgerlad: did relatively nothing­ tonight and has a weak boot, BUT can cover the­ midfields AND is a big game player
    Ugo Monye: should­ have scored at least one of the tries last week and has­ a weak defensive brain, BUT was victim of amazing­ defence to deny him the tries and is a pocket-rocket
    my­ heart says Shane , but my head says Fitzgerald with­ Monye on the bench

    From moggie2727, on Wed 24 Jun 5:46AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Boys and girls - we are good at indoor tiddlywinks and­ not bad with a round ball.
    When they changed the shape­ o the ball thats where it all went wrong. :)

    From teatotaller, on Wed 24 Jun 5:24AM

  20. guarantee you stevegrey that a few players who started­ tonight will start on saturday. And it's not just­ about starting spots it's also about the bench.­ O'Gara has at least cemented his place in the 22 as­ has O'Callaghan, Fitzgearld, M Williams. If you­ really think that any of these games are just run outs­ you really don't know much about Lions tours.

    From markear1, on Wed 24 Jun 5:16AM
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