Lions 2009 - Steyn seals epic Test for Boks

Eurosport - Sun, 28 Jun 12:10:00 2009

South Africa secured a series win over the British and Irish Lions after a Morne Steyn penalty in the last minute earned them a 28-25 victory in an epic second Test in Pretoria.

Morne Steyn - South Africa 2009 - 0

In what was an almost unbearably exciting finish to a classic encounter at Loftus Versfeld, replacement Morne Steyn (pictured) punished an illegal tackle from Lions substitute Ronan O'Gara with a monster kick from inside his own half with the last play of the game.

The defeat was all the more heart-breaking for the Lions as only a minute earlier the outstanding Stephen Jones landed a touchline penalty to level the scores and keep the series alive.

Unlike in the first Test, the Lions started superbly and built up a 19-8 lead before South Africa justified their world champions tag by reeling in the injury-hit tourists.

The Lions will rightly feel it was an opportunity missed but luck was not on their side as they lost both props and both centres to injury as the Springboks finished the game strongly.

But the scoreboard will show that the Boks out-scored the tourists by three tries to one with JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana and replacement Jaque Fourie crossing, the latter six minutes before the end to claim the lead for the home side.

There were several outstanding performances for the tourists, not least try-scorer Rob Kearney, who produced one of the great full-back performances in Lions' history.

Stephen Jones can also be proud of his efforts as he scored 20 of the Lions' points with a conversion, five penalties and a drop goal.

The Lions might also feel aggrieved with the decision of referee Christophe Berdos not to punish Schalk Burger with a red card for a gouging incident on Luke Fitzgerald early in the game that earned the recalled flanker a spell in the sin bin.

The tourists continued where they left off last week in Durban and tore into their hosts from the first minute, refusing to give an inch up front and moving the ball into midfield at every opportunity.

Indeed, the Lions had the edge in the front row, with loosehead prop Adam Jones getting the better of Tendai Mtawarira, and also in midfield, where Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll were again outstanding.

But by the 68th minute the Lions had lost all three plus tight-head Gethin Jenkins to injury, and with their departure the visitors' chances of squaring the series looked in serious doubt.

The Lions took the lead with an early Stephen Jones penalty and made the most of Burger's absence when Kearney showed great composure to go over in the right corner four minutes later after an excellent offload from Stephen Jones.

South Africa, although on the back foot, wasted little time bouncing back and scored the first of their tries when Pietersen came off his wing to take a superb scoring pass from scrum-half Fourie du Preez.

With outstanding veteran lock Simon Shaw leading the challenge up front, the Lions continued to get the better of the early exchanges and punished the Boks again in the 15th minute when they were caught offside.

Fitzgerald had a couple of chances to add another try as the Lions developed a good attacking position for Stephen Jones to extend their lead with a drop goal four minutes before the break.

By this stage Andrew Sheridan had come on for Jenkins, who suffered an eye injury in a tackle on Habana, and the Boks went into half-time 16-8 down after a Francois Steyn penalty from within his own half.

The Lions lost Adam Jones with a shoulder injury five minutes after the restart and were lucky not to be penalised for their indiscipline when Boks fly-half Ruan Pienaar twice missed shots on goal in the 48th and 53rd minutes.

With Pierre Spies finding his running game, the Boks started to stretch the Lions defence but it was the tourists who added to the scoreboard, with Stephen Jones's third penalty just after the hour making it 19-8.

A minute later O'Driscoll flattened Boks' replacement flanker Danie Rossouw with a barely legal tackle. Rossouw had to leave the pitch and it also signalled the end of O'Driscoll's influence on the game.

South Africa scored their second try moments later when Habana came off his wing at speed and burst clear under the posts, with the conversion making the score 19-15.

With O'Driscoll and Roberts having left the field, the Lions were in disarray, with replacements playing out of position and the Boks gaining confidence from the injuries.

Morne Steyn and Stephen Jones swapped penalties to make it 22-18 going into the last 10 minutes, but it looked just a matter of time before the Lions defence cracked.

That moment came in the 76th minute when Fourie was worked into space in the right corner and showed excellent strength to fend off the tackle of Mike Phillips and dot the ball down.

The television match official needed several looks at the score before rightly awarding the try.

Morne Steyn landed a glorious touchline conversion to make it 25-22, but the drama was not over as a high tackle from replacement Andries Bekker on Stephen Jones handed the Welshman a chance to tie the scores.

The fly-half showed remarkable composure to land the penalty from the touchline and the Lions were back in the series.

But with the last move of the game, O'Gara gathered a ball deep in his own half and proceeded to take out du Preez in mid-air as he chased his own kick ahead.

Morne Steyn had been brought on for just such a moment and the Blues fly-half wrote his name in South Africa rugby history with the winning kick from 55 metres.

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport

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  1. I am fed up of people using these sorts of comment­ sites as a tool for their own agendas (political or­ abusive). I live in England, I am English and I read­ these types of comments to get a better Idea of what­ has happened during a match. The Boks are a good side­ and have managed what England did not after their world­ cup win; that is to have good players coming through to­ maintain their dominance of the current international­ game.

    I will now have to trawl through (I have no­ doubt) loads of rubbish to find the better comments on­ the match, to help me understand what happened during­ the match.

    So please can we have less abuse and­ politacalising of sporting events here, where fans are­ supposed to put there views.

    Those who wish to make­ abusive or political comments find a web page for that­ and those that get annoyed and rise to the bait,­ don'y lower yourselves to that level.

    Thank you,­ one and all

    From CLIFFORD, on Sun 28 Jun 8:01AM

  2. R.J.....sorry never realised I was involved in rule­ making.......but pretty certain the rules are made by­ the IRB, of which your country plays a major part­ in!!!

    And if you want to be civil, don't insult my­ country by calling everyone thieves.

    From Matthew Cocks, on Sun 28 Jun 7:33AM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    How is it @#$% Matthew @#$% (appropriate name for you)­ how is it the ref cannot give a red card because he­ didn't see an incident and only give a yellow if a­ linesman did, so what are the linesman for I thought to­ assist???? but the ref can decide on a try etc given by­ someone watching a TV.... so cocky boy the rules may be­ the rules but made by idiots of which you are one! Keep­ your comments civil in future @#$% head!

    From r.j.hall, on Sun 28 Jun 7:26AM

  4. i think the lions, management have to take some share­ of the blame for the lions, defeat yesterday because­ when the lions sustained injuries,as should have been­ expected given the intensity of the second test with­ the series at stake, there was little in the way of­ like for like in the manner of substutions and the­ decision making here by the management was poor. the­ substitutions, in the main, did not add up to even a­ half decent patch up job - the players did their part­ on the pitch ( and how ! ) but the managent off it was­ poor ! in future tours against southern hemisphere­ sides where the PHYSICALITY is so intense, we will need­ to have key positions more adequately covered. ever­ the optimist, though possibly severely hampered by­ injuries to key payers, i can hope for a miracle next­ week.

    From P W, on Sun 28 Jun 7:25AM

  5. Good points, Cocky.
    You are right about the issuing of­ red cards. I suspect Burger will be banned by the­ disciplinary committee.
    I would be happier to see­ Brussow to start in any case. The boy can play!
    I­ disagree on one point: I thought the comeback was­ terrific, the passion was huge and that we deserved to­ win.

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 7:07AM

  6. R.J. Hall.....when rules govern a game and they­ determine the correct way of doing things. I am not­ condoning the action, but rules are rules!!!!! Deal­ with it idiot!!!!!

    From Matthew Cocks, on Sun 28 Jun 7:05AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I think the SOUTH AFRICANS need the therapy because all­ I ve stated is the truth welcome to the ranks of the­ working class Rugby in South Africa is Political you of­ all people should no that and as calling me a sad­ person quite the opposite. Why do people rabbit on in­ Afrikan here only the white people speak Afrikan

    From hausen79, on Sun 28 Jun 7:02AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    when is a red card a yellow card........ when in SA, it­ seems theiving goes on on the pitch as well as outtside­ the ground!

    From r.j.hall, on Sun 28 Jun 6:55AM

  9. Guys, I am a South African supporter......but very­­ sorry, Burger's action was wrong and he should be­­ banned from the citing commission for a long time. Why­­ didn't he get a red card? Because the referee did­­ not see it. He cannot give a red unless he sees it­­ himself. Becuase it was referred by the assisstant­ ref,­ he can only give a yellow.

    Let's remember­ that it­ was your management who decided that the­ referees for­ the three tests could not be based on the­ IRB ratings.­ Of the 5 best refs in world rugby, SA has­ three,­ Kaplan, Lawerence and Joubert. In the super 14,­ the­ best refs were used, no matter what country they­ are­ from and it worked brilliantly! It was suggested­ this­ could happen in the lion's tour. But, the­­ lion's management refused this option. Thus, you­­ have no right to complain about the ref's­­ decisions. It was your choice not to have the best­­ refereeing available in the world..........

    That come­­ back yesterday proves very simply why we are world­­ champs. We are good enough to be 15 points down and­­ still win the test match.

    And to call us thugs is a­­ joke.......there were as many off the ball incidents­­ from the lions as from the boks. Both teams­ contributed­ equally and it added to what was a cracker­ of pure test­ match rugby! Did we deserve to win?­ Probably­ not.....but we will take it!!!!!

    Up the­ Bokke!!!!!

    From Matthew Cocks, on Sun 28 Jun 6:50AM

  10. hausenian
    Why are you still here? This is a rugby blog.­ You post does not deserve a response.
    Go and seek­ attention somewhere else, you sad little person.

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 6:24AM

  11. Ag 'skies Byron P: ek bedoel "poeste"­ ...anders werk die grappie glad nie. Anyway, its a real­ oldy (but a goody!) and you knew what I meant.

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 4:35AM

  12. hausen79

    I think you mean "Japie". I think­ that Mbeki would break a rib laughing if someone called­ him a japie. Geeze, do you have any idea what that term­ even means?
    It's not good enough character­ assassinating the ref (Frog as you so broadmindedly­ call him) or the Bok players, you also have to have a­ go at the whole country. Wow, you are so bitter.

    And­ your point is........what exactly? That you were­ whipped today by a the team from a rough, uncultured, ­ nation? Hey, I'll take that. All the sweeter that­ you would expose yourself in such a poor light.

    I­ don't see any Saffers trash-talking Britain's­ support of the Bush government for their illegal war in­ Iraq, or their despicable rape of their colonies over­ centuries, or some Brits xenophobic attitude to all­ things French, German, Italian (in fact anyone­ foreign).
    It's rugby. Just plain simple rugby. And­ you lost.
    So knock that colossal chip of your shoulder­ and contribute, or otherwise take it to some other­ political website/ blog/ moan session... whatever.

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 4:29AM

  13. Byron- ek stem saam boet! Dis voel soos 'n Gynae­ se kantoor: so veel poste op hierdie blog!­ Boknaaaaaai!!

    mesteele: you are the one throwing­ racial slurs. It is your hateful rhetoric that is­ Hitler-like. I just called you on it, china.

    So­ exactly which Boks are you talking about? The coach is­ cape coloured, the assistant coach and captain are­ english-speaking south africans, and I have already­ listed the rest. (I assume you mean "boer"­ - not "boor"? I don't know, its really­ hard to tell where you are going with this one, the­ grammar is so poor.)

    So I am not sure exactly what­ your point is: are you talking about the Boks (clearly­ not because hence your pathetic attempt to qualify your­ racist argument - exposed yourself wide open on that­ one), or do you have some sort of twisted political axe­ to grind? If so, you are clearly on the wrong blog.
    ­
    Even if there was some warped logic to your emotional­ venting, it must really hurt that such a cultured and­ educated nation such as yours be whipped by a bunch of­ inbred morons such as ours.

    Hawu, you must really be­ pissed to play that little obtuse race card!

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 4:11AM

  14. well done the boks, maul the brits.

    From inverkenny, on Sun 28 Jun 3:40AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    This is typical Yarpie @#$%, a president whos a­ gangster and a rapist the highest level of AIDS in the­ world and a cheating off the ball bunch of Boers I have­ ever met.And to add to that a Frog Referee.

    Burger­ should have been of the field for Gauging but then so­ should have 3 others wearing a green shirt they dont­ play Rugby its Thuggery.

    From hausen79, on Sun 28 Jun 2:50AM

  16. klomp doose as jy my vra!! hell invent the language but­ too thick to spell or write it correctly, Lost soft­ little nation losing it grip on reality!! BOKBEVOK!!!­ BROER!!!

    From Byron P, on Sun 28 Jun 2:41AM

  17. @PW #196 Txs and well done for commenting on the game,­ without ranting and raving - must admit I thought for a­ while I was on the wrong page, be glad when the UK­ Football season starts again, many of these kids here­ toninght will be to busy slanging each other off on­ those pages ...

    From Yottie, on Sun 28 Jun 2:33AM

  18. bosvark and others....with your incredibly narrow­ minds, and eagerness to jump to hitler rants, i expect­ that you have missed the fact that i only refer to the­ big inbred messes.......habana and the others are­ quality.....gorillas they are not.
    Meat head inbred­ mess, take a look in the mirror boors...biological­ fact....inbred mess's

    From mark, on Sun 28 Jun 2:30AM

  19. Lions and proud .........

    From paulmatthews41, on Sun 28 Jun 1:59AM

  20. as a rugby fan I think the boks or whatever you guys­ stand for should have a beer at any home nation stadium­ and we will welcome you . but you are going to get your­ @#$% kicked sorry for being a lion

    From paulmatthews41, on Sun 28 Jun 1:38AM
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