Vickery backed to tame Beast
3 Jul 2009
Joe Worsley believes Phil Vickery will be ‘over the moon’ to face Beast Mtawarira once more at scrum-time.
Mtawarira’s dismantling of Vickery in the first Test has been well documented, but the English prop has another chance to attempt to restore his reputation in the final match at Ellis Park. Factors favouring Vickery compared to the first Test are that the Lions will field a much heavier tight five, while his front row partners of Andrew Sheridan and Matthew Rees are stronger scrummagers than Gethin Jenkins and Lee Mears.
Worsley, who will make his Lions debut on the flank, says club team-mate Vickery will relish the opportunity.
‘I have known the guy for years,’ said Worsley. ‘When you do have a bad game or things go against you, you are just waiting for the next opportunity to go out there and do something about it.
‘I bet he’s over the moon that he has got a chance this weekend, rather than stewing all summer.’
Worsley claimed there will be no psychological scars and said Vickery’s strength of character will also be a positive.
‘There are a lot of tough nuts out there, and he’s one of the toughest.’
Vickery also received praise from coach Ian McGeechan.
‘Phil is a world-class prop and an outstanding tourist,’ said McGeechan. ‘He put all his efforts into supporting Adam [Jones] when he got the position for the second Test, and you couldn’t have asked for any more.
‘Technically, he helped him, worked with him, and that’s the way he has kept himself very close to what we have been doing. He has been tremendous in the support he has given.’
32 Comments
3 Jul 2009, 08:19 am
Bring it on. Can’t wait
3 Jul 2009, 08:25 am
Check this out:
http://www.wonkie.com/2009/07/02/peter-de-villiers-related-to-julius-malem/
3 Jul 2009, 09:05 am
Ek voel amper jammer vir die ou man…..hy gaan weer sy ribbes sluk saterdag!!
in alle eerlikheid, ek dink die slotte was ook n probleem in die eerste toets vir die leeus. simon shaw is sterker en behoort n verskil te maak.
3 Jul 2009, 09:10 am
beast to embarass this ou toppie again, go tendai!
3 Jul 2009, 09:13 am
good luck phil.
good luck.
3 Jul 2009, 09:13 am
The scrum will be a different ballgame without Bakkies, don’t expect a repeat of two weeks ago…parity at best.
3 Jul 2009, 09:14 am
Shame, they just don’t learn do they? blerrie bleeksiele
3 Jul 2009, 09:14 am
BEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 Jul 2009, 09:14 am
No contest.
Vickery/Beast.
As long as we don’t have uncontested scrums again.
Tendai don’t like those…..
3 Jul 2009, 09:15 am
#6 Koos: spot on…..and they have shaw
3 Jul 2009, 09:22 am
“Vickery backed to tame Beast”… ha ha ha, ja right.
3 Jul 2009, 09:27 am
It reminds me of the WC.we hammered england once, but when we were due to face them the second time they acted as if for some reason they had our number and were quite confident that they were in fact the superior side..we all know what happened.
Some ppl dont learn..unfortunately for vickery and the rest of his touring party when we beat them again and vickery has his own emergency medical unit waiting on him and a stretcher already booked out with his name on it…even then they probably won’t acknowledge that we aren’t the ones who were lucky..our team is far superior, it is they who were so lucky to have even had a sniff at victory.
perhaps the whole team on a flight back to the uk on stretchers might make the point.(of course no eye-goudging tho
)
3 Jul 2009, 09:32 am
#2 Uitkyk my larney:
While very funny this is not fair do pdv. Don’t get me wrong I am a firm believer that pdv should not be the coach and that he is completely out of his depth but julius is a Complete and utter Idiot … wait … sorry I mustn’t insult the idiots like that … JM has no redeeming features and pdv has at least won the lions series. But as for the matter of pdv, he is a stubborn arrogant man that won’t take advise or help from anyone and that is a shame.
3 Jul 2009, 09:34 am
i hope the beast scrums his ears off this time. beast only did a half a job in the first test, they were still hanging by a thread
3 Jul 2009, 09:44 am
“Over the moon” is where he may end up!!
So Worsley is right!!
3 Jul 2009, 09:59 am
#15 tight head:
he will be getting a good look at his own moon.
3 Jul 2009, 10:00 am
#6 Koos: you forget koos the sharks scrum whipped the bulls scrum with bakkies in it
yes i know the bulls won the game , well done to them but fact is in the scrums the sharks ruled and thats without a bakkies
it was with a muller and a sykes
think about it
3 Jul 2009, 10:04 am
#15 tight head:
hi old man
just a question on the uncontested scrums of last saturday
someone on boots & all yesterday posed the question of why the bok coaches didnt take one of the props off when scrums became uncontested, and replaced him with a more mobile player.
my question … in the event of you having cleared your bench whilst making such a substitution (prop for more mobile player) and that player gets injured (concussion/normal injury, not bloodbin),
can the prop come back on?
am i correct in saying that under “normal circumstances” your prop wouldve been allowed on in order to keep the scrums contested, but if the scrums by then already is uncontested .. certainly you cant claim that you “need” your prop on the field? if your concussed player then have to leave the field, will you have to continue the game with 14 men?
3 Jul 2009, 10:07 am
#18 ashley: you cannot bring on the subbed prop in a case like that
3 Jul 2009, 10:09 am
#18 ashley: good question asha.
i was also wondering about that but i thought maybe the props stayed on to puch home the physical advantage in the rucks (and the loose in the case of beast).
if the answer to your question is “no, the prop would not be allowd on” then ffs, why does naas get a salary?
3 Jul 2009, 10:13 am
Lets wish Vickery luck, every time I hear him interviewed he is graciuos and humble. Unlike Gatland, Phillips, BoD, Ogara etc
The likes of Vickery are always the first to congratulate the oppo and I hope regardless of result on sat that Smittie thanks them for the tour. Let Geech stew in his own bitter juices.
3 Jul 2009, 10:14 am
#20 rangerman: the answer is no
because its uncontested and the risk of scrumming without a recognised prop is no longer there , you cannot bring him back as a sub as in ashley’s question
3 Jul 2009, 10:21 am
#18 ashley: Short answer is no.
*When the ref makes the decision to go for uncontested scrums he first has to check that the team’s prop’s and hookers are out of action for the remainder of the game.
*The onus is on the competing teams to have a functioning front 3 on the field at all times. If a prop or hooker was subed then he would be brought back to contest the scrums.
*If it was a blood substitution (and no other player available)the ref can enforce temporary uncontested scrums while the player is off the field and then go back to contested scrums when he returnes.
3 Jul 2009, 10:26 am
#23 Sharptooth:
well thanks bru
looking at that comment, i must say that your tooth is certainly sharp!!
3 Jul 2009, 10:49 am
‘Over the moon’ is a somewhat ironic term given the fact that he only had his head removed from his ******* this week…
3 Jul 2009, 11:53 am
‘Technically, he helped him, worked with him, and that’s the way he has kept himself very close to what we have been doing.
How, on this earth, can Vickery be in any position to advise someone whom he has been dropped for on the technicalities of scrumming against the Beast?
He must be the least qualified person to do that in the entire Lions squad?
3 Jul 2009, 12:04 pm
Heeeeee haaaaaaaa
Beast, make “Mockery” your BUNNY AGAIN !!
3 Jul 2009, 12:30 pm
the beast gave him the treatment at the shark tank and Vickery has been talking out his arse ever since…
3 Jul 2009, 13:07 pm
Vickery has been around the block a couple of times folks.
The BEAST will not easily dominate him again, of that you can be sure.
3 Jul 2009, 13:57 pm
Vickery must watch out he doesnt hurt his eyes….when his head goes up his arse.
3 Jul 2009, 16:26 pm
In Durban Beast had Bismark and Bakkies helping him, this week he’s got Chili and Muller – it won’t be so easy. But I think the bigger problem will be at the other side of the scrum with Smit against Sheridan.
3 Jul 2009, 18:06 pm
Gentlemen (and ladies, if any),
Firstly, I have to agree with other posters that Vickery has been one of the better tourists in terms of sportsmanship. Respect to you mr Vickery. You’ve had a long and mostly successful career. Maybe this is just a tour too far.
Secondly, Vickery is actually in a win-win situation. It is extremely unlikely that Beast will dominate PV to the same extent as in the first test. This means that PV actually comes out ahead because he wasn’t quite as bad as 15 days ago.
If he actually manages to stand his ground, why, he is practically a winner, a champion! He came back, faced his fears and stared it down.
And he has a good chance of doing exactly that. The Bok scrum is slightly weakened with Muller and Chiliboy in place of Bakkies and Bismarck (purely in terms of scrumming power), while PV has Simon Shaw and Worsley instead of A-W Jones and Croft/Wallace behind him. After all, the scrum is not really one man against another – it is 8 men against 8 men. Does anybody remember the Bajado?
Kudos to Vickery. He has shown himself to be one of the true gentlemen of international rugby (a dying breed, sadly) and he will deservedly have more good memories than bad, but tomorrow I’m rooting for the Beast and hoping that this match will not be one of your good memories.
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