Lions 2009 - Lions can hold heads high: press

Eurosport - Sun, 28 Jun 15:13:00 2009

The press hailed a "brave" performance by the Lions who were beaten by South Africa with a last-gasp penalty which won an enthralling second Test and the series.

RUGBY British and Irish Lions lock Simon Shaw is dejected after a 28-25 defeat to South Africa in Pretoria hands the series to the hosts - 0

Lions substitute Ronan O'Gara stumbled into Springbok scrum-half Fourie du Perez in mid-air in the closing seconds of the match. Morne Steyn stepped up to convert the penalty kick and seal a dramatic victory.

The Observer said the Lions could hold their heads high after the enthralling 28-25 defeat in Pretoria, concluding they "might have lost another series, but they have salvaged their battered reputation on this tour".

"The Lions will not return home with a stained character - unlike in 2001 and 2005," the paper said.

Former Wales captain Eddie Butler, writing in The Observer, said: "A match of the highest intensity and tightest drama was decided by a split-second of recklessness by Ronan O'Gara. Contact is not his thing."

The Sunday Telegraph asked: "Has there ever been a game like it? This was one of the great matches of all time, a drama which defined how good Test rugby can be."

The paper's analyst Ieuan Evans, another former Welsh international, said the Lions were unlucky to suffer so many injuries which eventually undermined their potency in a gruelling encounter.

"If the sight of Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones departing at the same time was not enough for supporters then the situation became grave when both centres, Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll, departed later in the second half," he wrote.

But, he said, the difference between winning and losing was South Africa's "try-scoring ability".

"They gained three good chances and took the lot," he wrote.

The Mail on Sunday questioned why "an act of craziness" by Springbok flanker Schalk Burger in the opening minutes had gone largely unpunished.

Burger had been "lucky not to have been sent off" for making contact with the eyes of Luke Fitzgerald, it said, and his dismissal could have influenced the outcome of the match.

AFP

Comment 28 - 47 of 47

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  1. .one bit of bad play we say hold your head up whats­ that about we lost,we are just not hard enough.

    From jack, on Mon 29 Jun 10:56PM

  2. bigrich?

    From mike, on Mon 29 Jun 9:02PM

  3. The perpetual tears and digit pointing soured the­ series I am a Bok supporter but think Burger should­ have got the red card also O'Driscoll,Sheridan­ too.The Lions lost and is supremely lucky that the Boks­ missed so many penalties very lucky indeed

    From ruggers, on Mon 29 Jun 7:45PM

  4. The Lions are not holding their heads high. A blind­ person could see that.

    From Jane, on Mon 29 Jun 4:24PM

  5. If you watch clips of 70s Lions tours the Afrikaners or­ Boere(springboks)
    use the Lions as punch bags through­ out the game.
    Ive played rugby in SA and alls i can say­ is i gave as good as i got.
    The way to beat them is to­ fluster them,by knocking the wind out of them(or seven­ kinds of shiite) through super hard tackles,look at­ what Samoa did to them in the world cup.
    You cant­ pusssy foot about and then complain when you get a­ thumping.

    From ,...,, on Sun 28 Jun 7:55PM

  6. In no way am I saying what Burger did was right. Hell,­ he should be banned. But what gets to me is these­ idiotic idiots calling South African cheats! Why is­ playing dirty cheating? if it is, then the lions are­ the biggest cheats.

    Countless high tackles, Shaw in­ particular had at least 2. BOD clearly tackling Danie­ Rossouw without using his arms, taking both of them off­ the field. And the worst of all, Sheridan hitting­ Bekker in the n*ts. What is worse than punching someone­ in the n*ts? Come on, stop crying, it was a hard game­ of rugby, and both sides played dirty.

    From a rugby­ perspective, this was a great test match from both­ sides. Well done lions for a good performance.

    Pitty­ about the sour grapes afterwords, Check Steven­ John's article in the Times. what a joke, he is an­ absolute plonker. Saying shaw dominated bakkies botha,­ botha makes shaw his b%tch in every game

    From Riaan, on Sun 28 Jun 7:40PM

  7. Huh, you might have won at rugby but we can still whip­ your arse at folk dancing.

    From grantxv, on Sun 28 Jun 5:41PM

  8. can i just say well done to simon shaw, i never­ approved of his selection of the squad, but he really­ did himself proud yesterday, he was so upset at the­ end, he played his heart out, not to say the rest of­ the team did, but i really felt for him as it was his­ first test after being on three tours. Burger is a­ cheating scum, and for de villiers to say it was not­ even a yellow is a disgrace to rugby,himself and his­ nation. There is no place for that awful behaviour in­ rugby, trying to blind someone, hope he gets a lenthy­ ban. O'gara should have never been on the bench,­ should have been hook, would have not missed that­ tackle, o'gara is really weak in the contact area. ­ The whole team did us proud yesterday, no matter what­ we go home with our heads held high, well done lads,­ well done.

    From bmuirboy, on Sun 28 Jun 3:42PM

  9. just a great game. two hardcore teams of different­ abilities producing a game that only lions and boks can­ do. have you watched the nz italy and aussie france­ games this weekend? not even a patch in intensity,­ passion, blood and hardcore. only lions sa games do­ that and thats why they must continue. lions is romance­ on a rugby field. think anything different and youre a­ rugby peasant. go and watch soccer or something. both­ teams in the others faces, blood all over the place.­ pride wins. good on sa. good on the lions. long live­ good rugby like that. i love it. 2012.....

    From Richard, on Sun 28 Jun 1:40PM

  10. i love rugby and i love the lions..sad to see them­ loose but to all who have lost faith we'll be back­ stronger and better to kick some @#$% in 2013.....long­ live the lions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From larry, on Sun 28 Jun 1:04PM

  11. lloyd, i think he is an Aussie so you must make­ allowances.

    From Colin H, on Sun 28 Jun 12:46PM

  12. comment34, take it you are an Aussie, well as an­ England fan i will look forward to knocking your team­ out of the World Cup AGAIN, har har har har har.

    From Colin H, on Sun 28 Jun 12:43PM

  13. Rookie Monster Why mention the english there were only­ two in the starting line up

    From p.lloyd142, on Sun 28 Jun 12:38PM

  14. Richard B. Clearly more understanding than you. Before­ calling someone an idiot , first look in a mirror

    From p.lloyd142, on Sun 28 Jun 12:34PM

  15. forget the if, ands or buts, this was some game, sure i­ would have liked the Lions to win, but all in all i­ would say the winner is rugby, had it all. Nothing­ wrong with a bit of slagging off and pi$$ taking, i­ love this game and i can see why it grows in­ popularity.

    From Colin H, on Sun 28 Jun 12:29PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    The same old peasant english twittering on.. about how­ the opposition cheated.
    When are you pommies gonna­ admit YOU LOST... coz u was shiiite...

    From teatotaller, on Sun 28 Jun 12:11PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    When you play sides as physical as this south africa­ side you need big strong phyisical players and the­ british isles lack them unfortunatly.Taking old and­ small players on a tour like this is stupid...

    From poleman, on Sun 28 Jun 11:57AM

  18. It was a great game except for Burger's rash­ behaviour - what a MUPPET!!!! - we'll all be better­ off without him - Justice will be done when he's­ banned!

    From Ceri, on Sun 28 Jun 11:50AM

  19. Tony C it was not Shaw who punched the bloke in the­ nuts it was andrew sheridan.

    From matthew, on Sun 28 Jun 11:46AM

  20. Great game, it is a pity that a side lost in this clash­ of giants, as a Bok supporter I’m obviously glad we­ took the series, as a rugby supporter I would have­ rather seen a draw or a Lion’s win, with all to play­ for in the last test. To the Lion’s supporters - you­ can take great pride in the performance your team put­ together in the two tests so far, which could have gone­ either way, take solace in the fact that Rugby won. No­ need to blame individual players, everybody played the­ best they could and held nothing back. I’m really­ looking forward to next week’s clash, the Boks will­ want to make it a whitewash 3:0 and the Lion’s pride­ will not allow themselves to roll over and meekly­ accept defeat. Viva Lions tour Viva. Viva Amabokaboka­ Viva.

    From joking2b, on Sun 28 Jun 11:34AM
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