Rate it!

0 votes

The British and Irish Lions will get a more physical approach from the Springboks forwards and an improved display from the backs in Saturday's second Test, South Africa assistant coach Dick Muir said.

"We've got tough guys up front and the typical South African style is to get stuck in. They like physical confrontation and the Emerging Springboks showed in midweek that when things got messy against the Lions in Cape Town, we matched them physically," Muir said.

"We want the forwards to get right in there early on and control the game. In the first test, we gave away too much possession at the end and the Lions controlled the game. So on Saturday we want it to be physical."

While the Springboks dominated the forward exchanges in Durban, the Lions won the battle of the backs, with centres Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll regularly cutting through Jean de Villiers and Adrian Jacobs.

But four South Africa backs were making their return to rugby after missing the end of the Super 14 with injuries.

"Ruan Pienaar is a special player and we knew we could throw him into fly-half without much match practice, but all the backs will be better for having played last weekend.

"We defend as a unit so you can't just single out one player and I'm confident we've sorted out the defensive issues this week."

There has been speculation that Jacobs was still carrying a shoulder injury but Muir insisted the outside centre was fully fit.

"Adi is certainly not injured. He had a shoulder injury in the Super 14 and he had rehab, which he came through fine," Muir said.

Muir said the Springboks were highly motivated by the chance to clinch the series in Pretoria and make up for the 1997 loss to Martin Johnson's Lions.

"There's a lot of excitement and enthusiasm in the camp. We didn't play that well in Durban and they're a group of proud individuals so they will make sure they go up a level on Saturday," Muir said.

Reuters