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

Comment 191 - 210 of 250

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  1. please state where the arrogance was shown ?

    From Shane, on Sun 28 Jun 1:31AM

  2. trouble , think your username gives it away . you­ obviously have issues beyond rugby . wow im actually­ taken back by your comments , im was born in south­ africa my parents are from spain and portugal but i­ have always believed myself to be south african through­ and through . the comments that you posted on this­ thread are not only outdated but stand to highlight­ your ignorance and disrespect for all that has been­ achieved in our wonderful country . running to another­ country cause you could not cut it says alot about your­ character and all i can say is good riddance you left .­ please dont tell any one else you come from south­ africa i would still like to hold my head high when i­ say that i am . shame man , i agree with the pygmy­ theory please leave your idiotic views for sites like­ i.am@idiot.expat . to all other bloggers i would like­ to apologize for his comments maybe at some mental­ institution they allow their patients internet access­ not all south africans are so misinformed , deranged­ and idiotic . well done BIL you played brilliantly and­ to john smit and his men congratulations .

    From Shane, on Sun 28 Jun 1:29AM

  3. london_england_1966 - I'll tell you what SA gave­ the world. Rugby Lessons!!!

    From Carl C, on Sun 28 Jun 1:28AM

  4. 1966

    The "Boks" come to England to klap you­ stokkend at Twickenham.
    "South Africans"­ come to England to broaden their minds and education­ and have a jol.
    Of course you have never been to SA-­ your comments clearly show that.
    So where's the­ furthest you've ever been, 1966? Skegness?­ Ibiza?
    Come to Africa- it'll blow your mind!

    Now,­ do you have anything to say about the game?

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 1:18AM

  5. A rugby match is 80 minutes long and the winner is the­ team with the most points on the board at the final­ whistle. Unfortunately this team on two occasions was­ the Springboks. Their three tries today were out of the­ top drawer and no amount of missed penalties, wild­ claims of 'cheating', whinging, recriminations­ etc etc will take away the quality of those world class­ moves.
    All we can do is sit back and enjoy the­ wonderful spectacle that is rugby next week in­ Johannesburg.
    The Lions are a fine outfit but maybe­ just maybe they were beaten by a slightly better­ outfit.
    The boys played their hearts out and can hold­ their heads up high - maybe we should question the­ merits of the coaching team who didn't exactly do­ wonders with Wasps this year!!

    From gcurrie, on Sun 28 Jun 1:17AM

  6. Trouble - yes, you are truly a special needs person!­ This thing about taking someone out of the bush but not­ the bush out of them seems relevant here!

    From michaelsmith470, on Sun 28 Jun 1:15AM

  7. As an SA supporter I'd like to say Congrats to the­ Lions on a well played match, it could have gone either­ way. Fantastic game, neither team deserved to lose. But­ history stands, and the boks took it. Arguing or­ whining will not change anything.

    From Carl C, on Sun 28 Jun 1:15AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I think trouble speaks for a lot of Englishmen both old­ and new (and welcome to you trouble by the way, the­ sort of immigrant we need, hard working and loyal to­ the country) when we say there is hardly another nation­ on the planet that has more arrogant people in it than­ South Africa.

    Which is funny by the way. After all­ apart from apartheid what exactly has South Africa­ given the world?

    Oh I know, your President telling all­ and sundry that HIV doesn't cause aids and the­ belief that Mugabe is a nice chap who needs­ support.

    Crackpot country, crackpot boks.

    From london_england_1966, on Sun 28 Jun 1:14AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Michaelsmith you get more and more ignorant with each­ posting. Did you not get it right at the start. I hate­ the country now and the Boer/Afrikaander. All my first­ postings were about how I hate it when they win. Now­ you are telling me to go back there. You get thicker by­ the second. I guess you must have gone there one time­ for a holiday or a member of the Barmy Army and now you­ think you are an expert, all that Boer war stuff. This­ is about sport, you started the political shi.t with­ the Boer war comments. I hate it when the arrogant Boks­ beat England my new country. Remember, that is what I­ have been saying, why would I go back there you­ numbskull

    From trouble, on Sun 28 Jun 1:06AM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Bosvark, i wouldn't go to Suth Africa if I was paid­ large amounts

    How is it loads of boks come to England­ to serve us drinks? Or are bar wages in London­ "large amounts" for a south african?

    Never­ mind with the visa system there will be far fewer,­ which means of course you can stay at home and help the­ south african economy because by god it needs help.

    From london_england_1966, on Sun 28 Jun 1:03AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Klipkap, I can't spell an Afrikaans surname­ properly because I was born in a township with­ virtually no education. I came to England because I­ could sing and dance and was in a stage show that came­ to England and I stayed. I was educated in England. I­ was educated by friends and the charity of the English.­ I am black and consider myself English because they­ treated me as a person. They did not call me John as­ the Afrikaaner did, even though my name is not John. So­ how would I know that if I only claim to be an EX south­ african. Maybe you are so young you do not remember­ when your Afrikaaner brothers called all blacks, John.­ Also the English did not call me Kaffer. Your­ Afrikaaner friends did. When I lived in South Africa I­ worked in a shop in Brakpan, cleaning and carrying. In­ 1974 the shop was closed when the British Lions beat­ the Afrikaaners at Rugby. I went to work but could not­ because the shop was closed. They did not pay me. But I­ could sing and dance, so I got a permit to came to­ England. My pleasure is when SA rugby and cricket lose­ to England. I hate it when they win.

    From trouble, on Sun 28 Jun 1:00AM

  12. amazing game wonderful rugby very proud of all the­ lions

    From yaosullivan, on Sun 28 Jun 12:59AM

  13. dempsterjackie is another bitter rugby fan who is­ limited to rugby exposure . why cant we be proud of­ our rugby instead of this typical football penalty­ attitude . O Driscoll ,Shaw , Jones ETC . wow !

    From paulmatthews41, on Sun 28 Jun 12:52AM

  14. Trouble my comments stand for all items. Clearly you­ missed the point of that reference to the past. But­ given the intellectual level of your comments, I should­ not have expected anything better! Also my comments­ about your special needs stand! Seek help immediately.­ As for being an idiot, I have to take this on the chin­ and accept the foolhardiness of trying to responding to­ your puerile comments!

    From michaelsmith470, on Sun 28 Jun 12:48AM

  15. LOL. Your name says it all london_england_1966.
    Smart­ Brits are leaving their country in droves. Those South­ Africans must be real dumb for wanting to go there.­ Perhaps, after all, you are right about their suspect­ nature (sarcasm).

    From klipkap, on Sun 28 Jun 12:46AM

  16. Trouble do the UK a favour and return to the country of­ your birth. It is now free and a huge international­ player. And remember this should have been commentary­ on the current rugby match and not a forum for your­ political bull@#$%. There are political sites for such!

    From michaelsmith470, on Sun 28 Jun 12:46AM

  17. london_england_1966

    Ha! You should know that we­ expatriate all our murderers to Shepherds Bush so that­ they may serve our mighty colonial rulers as penance.­

    China, why are you even on this blog? Clearly you­ should be licking your wounds with your footy mates and­ lamenting Englands inability to get anywhere near win­ the world cup since 1966?
    Talk rugby or sod off

    From bosvark, on Sun 28 Jun 12:42AM

  18. Don't let him bother you MichaelSmith. He has a big­ ego. But even worse, far worse, he makes racist­ comments about people who have reached the pinacle of­ sport in the country he claims to come from, and are of­ the colour he claims to be. That is the pits. Yet he­ can't even spell a common Afrikaans surname­ properly.

    From klipkap, on Sun 28 Jun 12:41AM

  19. Michaelsmith, South Africa, when France refused to sell­ them spare parts for the Mirage jets that they­ previously sold to South Africa, SA started building­ their own military jets, the Impala. When they­ couldn't buy troop transporters because of the­ sanctions, they built their own, it was so good, they­ then exported it around the world. When they­ couldn't get oil in the 1970's they developed a­ system for extracting oil from coal. The rest of the­ world had failed for years to find a viable system for­ doing this, scientists in south africa found a way.­ Christian Barnard performed the worlds first heart­ transplant in South Africa. This is not and never was a­ small insular country. Quite the contrary. But the­ Afrikaaner is a very bad loser, and very arrogant with­ it. Full stop

    From trouble, on Sun 28 Jun 12:40AM

  20. Trouble my comments stand for all items. Clearly you­ missed the point of that reference to the past. But­ given the intellectual level of your comments, I should­ not have expected anything better! Also my comments­ about your special needs stand! Seek help immediately.­ As for being an idiot, I have to take this on the chin­ and accept the foolhardiness of trying to responding to­ your puerile comments!

    From michaelsmith470, on Sun 28 Jun 12:32AM
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