Tests are scheduled for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, while there’ll be five mid-week matches against franchises and one against a combined NSW-Queensland Country.

‘The Lions tour here in 2001 was an extraordinary event and one which provided significant economic benefit to those cities which hosted major matches,’ ARU Managing Director John O’Neill said.
‘More than 8000 Lions supporters came to Australia from the UK and Ireland on official tour packages and many more thousands made their own way here.

‘Four years ago in South Africa there were said to be 40 000 Lions fans that made the trek there to support their team. A Lions Tour is a massive occasion. Behind the rugby World Cup it is the most engaging, high-profile and popular event our game can showcase.’

The British & Irish Lions 2013 Tour schedule of Australia

Wednesday, June 5 2013 – Lions v Western Force, Perth

Saturday, June 8 2013 – Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane

Wednesday, June 12 2013 – Lions v Combined NSW-Queensland Country, Newcastle

Saturday, June 15 2013 – Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney

Tuesday, June 18 2013 – Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra

Saturday, June 22 2013 – Lions v Wallabies, Brisbane

Tuesday, June 25 2013 – Lions v Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne

Saturday, June 29 2013 – Lions v Wallabies, Melbourne

Saturday, July 6 2013 – Lions v Wallabies, Sydney

Bulls juniors No 8 Arno Botha (also skipper of the SA U20s) and inside centre Francois Venter grabbed a brace each while flyhalf Johan Goosen kicked 13 points in a comprehensive victory. The Baby Boks were dominative in all facets of play, especially at the tackle point while defensively they impressed as they kepts the Scots scoreless.

Scotland were brave on defence as they did enough to restrict the South Africans on numerous occasions, but otherwise they were poor overall. Fullback Stuart Hogg was also yellow carded in the first quarter for a dangerous tackle on Goosen.

The Baby Boks will face tougher challenges in the group stage as their next games will be against Ireland and England on 14 and 18 June respectively.

Fourie’s effort as a substitute in the series-clinching second Test is the only Springbok try nominated, while two of the Lions’ scores from Shane Williams and Rob Kearney are up for the award.

IRPA representatives narrowed the field to the final 15. France and New Zealand have three tries each with Williams the only player to have two tries featured in the shortlist, one for Wales and one for the Lions.

Brian O’Driscoll won the inaugural award last year, and the general public can vote online at www.irb.com.

The online poll will close on 31 December 2009 and the winner will be announced in early January. Votes for IRPA Try of the Year should be sent to votetry@irb.com.

It was one of those moments that all sportsmen dread – the sort that makes you wish the earth would open under your feet. For Ronan O’Gara it meant that he went from Ireland Grand Slam hero to Lions zero overnight, and that a hard-earned reputation as one of the best flyhalves and tacticians in the game was damaged, perhaps irreparably. And, he admits, there has not been a day since when he has not thought of it.

If you were looking for a safe pair of hands, with the Lions in possession in their own 22, and the second Test locked at 25-25 after a dramatic Springbok comeback with less than a minute to go, then most of the red-shirted fans at Loftus would have put what remained of their credit-crunched savings on the Irishman – who had come on to relieve Jamie Roberts 12 minutes earlier – to have his game-head screwed on and kick the ball into the middle of Pretoria.

After all, this was O’Gara, the arch controller who had helped put Irish rugby back on the map, going into the tour having kicked a last-gasp drop goal against Wales in Cardiff to secure Ireland’s first Five/Six Nations Grand Slam for 61 years. The same O’Gara who had a treasure trove of elite experience behind him, having not only won 92 caps for his country but also scored 919 points in a decade in the green shirt, making him the fifth highest point-scorer in international rugby history, and the holder of almost every Irish point-scoring record. On top of that he had guided his beloved Munster to two European Cup titles, and established himself as the tournament’s top-scorer.

If O’Gara’s response to Morné Steyn’s speculative kick had been a half decent touchline clearance, the Lions would almost certainly have gone to Johannesburg for the final Test with the series still alive, but instead he gambled – some would argue in the tradition of the great touring side – and launched an up-and-under. However, his kick-chase, rather than that of an opportunist going for glory, looked almost instantaneously like an act of desperation, and, rather than launch himself upwards for the ball like Fourie du Preez did, he appeared to sleepwalk into a collision with the Springbok scrumhalf.

French referee Christophe Berdos awarded the penalty, and Steyn’s superb 53m kick put the bullet into the Lions in the last act of an epic match, clinching the series for the world champions and leaving O’Gara inconsolable after the final whistle. The flyhalf was in tears, staring into the middle distance, unwilling to talk to anyone.

It has plagued him ever since, and he has only recently been prepared to talk about the moment his sporting world turned on its head.

‘That’s sport at the top level, but it’s a situation of huge regret and embarrassment, and it has caused me months of anger and regret. I was playing well on the tour, but my 10 minutes in the Test jersey was definitely not reflective of me,’ he tells SA Rugby magazine.

However, even now that the dust has settled on the tour, O’Gara will not accept that it was a total lapse of judgement.

‘The big thing that annoyed me is that I took a really heavy blow to the head just before it, and I wasn’t thinking too clearly. I thought I went up to challenge for the ball, but the referee thought I had caught Fourie du Preez when he was in the air, and made his decision. But in relation to not kicking the ball out, no – I would still go for the win and put up the garryowen.’

Paul O’Connell and O’Gara go back a long way for Munster and Ireland, so what was said between the Lions captain and his flyhalf friend in the aftermath of such a brutal disappointment, and the lapse of judgement by O’Gara that led to it?

‘Emotions were all over the place. Paul was hurting badly – we let a big lead slip when we could have killed the game – but he didn’t actually say anything to me. You don’t need words of comfort. What happened couldn’t be changed. I’m mentally tough, but it still goes down in the history books.’

Picking himself up after such a body blow has been difficult, but as O’Gara eased himself back into action ahead of the European Cup, it seemed that the jumble of emotions were at last falling into place.

‘You have to think about it logically and analyse what happened. I was disappointed with the fact that I was dazed, and that as a result of what I did the Lions didn’t draw the match, and that it possibly cost the Lions a series. There is no hiding from that, and I don’t seek to. In my career there have been plenty of ups and downs, and that’s what you get when you have been around for 90-odd caps, but I’m privileged to have been part of a great tour which I enjoyed overall. They were a great bunch of lads who really bought into the Lions jersey.’

When you ask O’Gara how much it means to him to have another crack at South Africa so soon after playing them brought him to the nadir of his career, you can tell he is already switched on. He refuses to let his earlier, raw emotion into the response, preferring instead to stick to the straight and narrow.

‘When the game comes round it will be huge, very exciting.’ He gives himself a mental nudge, as he mulls over the likely absence of his new Munster team-mate – inside centre Jean de Villiers – from the Springbok line-up. ‘Playing with Jean alongside me gives it edge, but I don’t think he will be playing in the match. He’s such a classy player and they’ll miss him …’

However, although O’Gara at 32 is four years older than De Villiers, there is no sign that he has had his fill of the international arena.

‘Jeez, there’s so much left in the locker. The key is the enjoyment I get with Munster and Ireland. The core of the squads are the same, and there’s a bond there that goes way beyond the pitch. I’m lucky to make a living doing something I love.’
Then O’Gara, who lists sharing a winning dressing room as the best part of being a pro, gets to the core of what drives him on.

‘I’m hugely competitive – ruthlessly competitive. I just have to win, it’s as simple as that.’

You sense it is seeing the same trait in South Africa that makes him unstintingly generous in his appraisal of them.

‘They are a great team. They have done it all – a World Cup win, a Lions series, and now the Tri-Nations – and actions speak louder than words. They impress me hugely. They are so effective in what they do, are very well prepared, and play to their strengths. They also never think they are beaten.’

The flip-side of the praise is that O’Gara knows a bit about beating South Africa, having been on the winning side in the last two meetings between the teams, in 2004 and 2006 in Dublin.

‘Their Achilles heel is if you can keep the ball in play and tire out their tight five, but if you go from set piece to set piece against them, and let them dictate the tempo, then there’s not much chance.’

Yet, surprisingly, he is dismissive about the pre-World Cup Dublin double over the Boks.

‘In one of those Tests the Springboks were wearing different coloured jerseys – white, I think, and it didn’t feel right – and the next time we changed our shirts …’

The colour-scheme stuff leaves you with the distinct impression that Ronan O’Gara doesn’t dwell on the two wins, even though they, like his Loftus lowpoint, are in the history books. For the moment they are mere statistics that he will not allow to intrude on the day of atonement he has planned for Croke Park.

By Nick Cain

– This article first appeared in the November issue of SA Rugby magazine.

The figure of R1.47 billion was drawn from direct and indirect value to the travel and tourism gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa. A study commissioned by SA Rugby showed that the tour produced 8.95% of South Africa’s GDP, compared to 2008.

‘A Lions Tour ranks only behind the Rugby World Cup in terms of its scale and appeal,’ said Andy Marinos, acting MD of SA Rugby, in a statement. ‘Such a tour places significant demands on a rugby union and its member unions but also brings many benefits.

‘One of the most profound is the economic impact it has on the hosting nation. Preparing, hosting and moving around large numbers of rugby fans is a complex exercise but the most pleasing thing is that the large number of overseas visitors had an outstanding experience in South Africa.’

Two of the three Tests weren’t sell-outs and although Lions tour project manager Andre Homan expected before the tour that 50 000 visitors would stay for three weeks, only 37 000 British and Irish tourists entered the country. The survey was conducted among 812 overseas and South African rugby followers and found that supporters spent on average R44 622 during the series and stayed for an average of 16 days.

‘A Lions Tour is a win-win for all concerned,’ said Marinos. ‘The host nation’s economy benefits, the travelling supporters have an unforgettable experience to see the most keenly contested rugby there is and the tour is a financial success for the Lions, the host union and the provincial unions, sponsors and broadcasters.’

The players were protesting the two-week ban given to Bakkies Botha who, according to the judicial officer, dangerously charged into a ruck without binding during the second Test at Loftus. The Boks believed Botha was victimised, pointing to several similar incidents in the game that went unpunished.

The white arm bands, that were also worn by Bok management, had ‘JUSTICE 4′ written on them with a black marker pen.

In a press release on Monday evening, the IRB said it ‘takes the view that such an act demonstrates a clear disregard of the disciplinary process and does so in a manner which brings, or has the potential to bring, the game into disrepute.’

Saru responded with a statement of its own, saying ‘it would allow the process to take its course. No further comment will be made until the judicial process has run its course’.

If the celebration of the supposed heroes who lost a meaningful series-deciding Test in Pretoria two Saturdays ago defied belief, it does not compare with the response to the British and Irish Lions defeat of a Springbok side in which 10 regulars were rested.

Some, among the British and Irish, called Saturday’s dead rubber a great occasion. Others called it one of the greatest victories in Lions history and pondered what may have been if the Lions had not arrived in Johannesburg with the series already lost.

It is why the British, and to a lesser degree Irish, win nothing of relevance. They are the kings of the afterthought, the masters of the dead rubber and they will forever remain disciples of the delusional.

In all of the emotional outpouring of an after the fact Test win, there was no criticism of Lions coach Ian McGeechan’s poor selections for the first two lost Tests. McGeechan picked the wrong lock combination in the first Test, selected the wrong front row combination and never got it right all tour with his back three combinations.

Not that it mattered because the Lions get on the plane heroes for winning one out of three Tests. It is the British and Irish way to applaud finishing second in a two-team race.

South Africa, in Johannesburg on Saturday, were a disgrace to the jersey ­ a disgrace that started with a white armband protest against Bakkies Botha’s two-week suspension and ended after 80 minutes of clueless and ill-disciplined rugby.

The build-up to the Test was a shambles with Bok coach Peter de Villiers spending all week mixing his metaphors, defending eye-gouging and telling the media that he changed his mind four or five times before settling on a Springbok B team because he wanted to give every player in his squad the feeling they had made a contribution to the Lions series.

Test rugby, to De Villiers, is obviously a charity in which you hand out jerseys instead of asking players to earn the right to wear them. After all De Villiers was gifted the job in the name of transformation.

De Villiers has been riding on the coattail of the 2007 World Cup winning squad and Saturday’s team selection and approach to the game was the first example of a Peter de Villiers selected and coached team. The result was a 19-point defeat in Johannesburg; and the Boks were lucky it wasn’t close to 30.

The De Villiers philosophy of not coaching off a clipboard and just playing the situation as the players see it does not even work on the club fields of his hometown in Paarl, let alone in a Test match environment. De Villiers, on Saturday, showed us that it is not only at press conferences where he plays the part of the court jester.

De Villiers’s insecurity has meant that he has always wanted to dismantle White’s World Cup winners and on Saturday he used his chance to introduce his breed of player and ineffective style of play.

It was a disaster because of the naivety of the approach and the arrogance of believing, that at this level, a team can play laterally without getting go forward and expect to be successful. It serves no purpose to take the ball to the wingers when they get it 20m behind the gain line while back-pedaling.

The scrum and lineout are the primary phases and in the scrums De Villiers got it wrong by pairing loosehead prop Beast Mtwarira with hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle, with the latter not having the grunt or grind of Bismarck du Plessis. It was no coincidence that when Du Plessis entered the arena English tighthead prop Phil Vickery left two scrums later and Mtwarira again looked more the Beast of Durban than the Bunny of the first half in Johannesburg.

Rugby selection is about getting the combinations right, settling on a structure that works for those players and then allowing them freedom of expression within that framework. Once that has been agreed the player’s mindset must kick in.

On Saturday there was no structure, few match-winning combinations and a player mindset that confused the wearing of a white armband with the waving of a white flag to signal the end of Jake White’s World Cup winning team.

Black armbands for South African rugby lovers would have been more appropriate of an occasion that should be mourned and not celebrated.

So a British & Irish Lions tour has come and gone and at least this time there won’t be any British journalists butting me on the head while muttering over and over again ‘We did you, we did you’, as happened on this night 12 years ago.

Instead I had to listen to former Lions scrumhalf Matt Dawson, who was on a BBC radio programme I took part in, telling the people of the United Kingdom that the Springbok coach was ‘absolutely bonkers’, ‘unbelievable’ and a ‘discredit to the game’.

And then afterwards, in the final Test, the Lions scored the most emphatic victory of the series.

So yep, you have probably figured it out – I am not sure how I feel.

It was ‘us’ who did them this time, but pretty much the same way as they did us 12 years ago – by exploiting some quite weak selection and strategy decisions from the opposing coach.

Had Ian McGeechan got his selections right for Durban, the Lions would probably have won this series 3-0, and the Boks would have been made to pay a much bigger price than just embarrassment for the fault-lines that are appearing under Peter De Villiers.

The Bok coach has been a severe embarrassment to the country, and those who argue in his favour on the basis of his results are either just not close enough to the team to know what is really going on, or they are wilfully ignoring the facts.

The fact is that De Villiers inherited a World Cup winning team held together by a core of individuals who rank among the most experienced rugby players in the world.

They played against a Lions team that, apart from being poorly selected first up, struggled to come to terms with the challenges posed to the Lions concept in the professional era, when provincial games are no longer proper examinations and there are not really enough of them to get the combinations to groove.

The Lions were hammered 3-0 in New Zealand in 2005, with not one of those games being close, and considering the scarcity of world-class players in the Lions unit, the Boks should have expected something similar.

There are probably a few reasons why this was not the case, and credit must be given to the Lions for the way they fought, but I am inclined to agree with Eddie Jones, who in a London newspaper column described the Boks as a team that looks under-coached.

Yes, the Boks were winning until yesterday, but how much has De Villiers had to do with those victories?

For those who know what is going on within the camp, it will not be news that the players are running the team. It is one of the reasons why they seem on their way to regaining their reputation for indiscipline.

You really can’t allow the inmates to run the prison indefinitely without there being some kind of drawback.

John Smit is taking a great deal on his plate at the moment, and his captaincy last week, the way he kept his players calm when the mortars were falling all around them in that first hour, played a big part in the way the Boks were able to win it in the final minutes.

But how much longer can Smit and his lieutenants Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez keep the Boks together?

Yesterday the cracks were clearly becoming evident, and the Boks have got progressively worse during the series.

It is when the experienced players go that the Boks are going to need a coach. Is De Villiers the right man to take the Boks to 2011?

I don’t believe he is. His record might look impressive, but there is a big difference between a successful coach and a good coach.

Former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan was an example of a successful coach. The Australian team he was in charge of for several years was brimful of experienced, talented players – all of them world class.

Buchanan’s team picked up trophies and dominated the Test game. But Shane Warne had doubts over Buchanan’s credentials as a coach, and he was vindicated once Buchanan was no longer coaching a team of super-stars. His performance in the recent IPL was so poor that he has now been sacked.

They used to say about Kitch Christie – ‘the right man at the right time’.

It may be that De Villiers will be remembered as ‘the wrong coach at the right time’, meaning that if ever there was a time when a flaky coach could be carried, it is now, when the team has been playing together for so long and has such a long established winning habit.

Unfortunately that means they probably won’t kick onto the level where they should kick onto, and while the coach may, at the moment, be able to get away with having minor input to strategy, that won’t be the case forever.

When the experienced players move on or retire, and inexperienced players become more prevalent in the team, the Boks are going to need a coach.

In fact, they need one now.

By Gavin Rich, Weekend Argus

The incident occurred in the 37th minute, and Shaw was sent to the sin bin by Australian referee Stuart Dickinson. Du Preez left the field soon afterwards and was replaced by Ruan Pienaar.

Shaw’s ban will run until midnight, 22 August.

‘That was just two minutes of the game, and we play for 80 minutes,’ head coach Peter de Villiers replied when asked about the senseless scuffle that afforded the Lions a late penalty in Saturday’s defeat.

The Lions won by more than three points, but that wasn’t the issue. De Villiers dodged the question pertaining to brain explosions that are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Why is he dodging the question? Because the answer is a poor reflection on himself. The Boks are an aggravated lot, just as they were under Rudolf Straeuli. Does that suggest they don’t back their own coach or are unhappy under his rule?

You look at the evidence and you decide.

The senior players have had to take on greater responsibility since De Villiers came to power. A tumultuous 2008 Tri-Nations was characterised by what De Villiers called total rugby, a brand that was devoid of sense or structure, and most importantly a brand that led to a last-place finish. On the end-of-the-year tour, the game against England witnessed the reversion to a more structured approach as the senior players put their collective foot down to force De Villiers into submission.

De Villiers was hailed in the aftermath, but insiders confirmed the senior players were determined to play to a pattern akin to the one that won the World Cup.

In 2008, De Villiers’s advisors peddled the line, ‘Give us time to work with him’, implying that given a chance, he could become a half decent coach.

Together with his consistently ridiculous press conference offerings, his rugby contribution has failed to improve. That first Test in Durban was so nearly lost thanks to some mindless substitutions in the final quarter, and in the second and third Tests, the patent lack of player discipline served to highlight his lack of control.

The Boks are getting worse, not better. Maybe it’s taken Saturday’s defeat for more people to realise that.

Most of these Bok players have been together for five years and a number boast over 50 caps. When you see a player like Victor Matfield, a veteran and vice-captain of the Boks, involved in off-the-ball fighting, you have to wonder. There’s aggression and then there’s senseless pushing and shoving that ultimately ends in a penalty against your own team. The experienced players just don’t do that.

Indiscipline is not limited to foul play. It was written off as rust in the first Test, but the Bok decision-making has been shocking across all three games. The Boks were robbed of a kickable penalty in the final stages of the second Test because Bismarck du Plessis took a quick tap. Where was the common sense?

Sure, players need to be held accountable for their own poor decisions, but when they occur so frequently you have to question the coaching philosophy that continues to tolerate perpetual failure in this regard.

Some would say John Smit should shoulder some of the blame for not taking more control on the park. Smit is already under enough pressure trying to play a position that’s not his best, and play it for 80 minutes since the Bok management haven’t bothered to include another specialist tighthead on the bench. No, Smit’s done an admirable job in this series despite the coaching staff, not because of them.

The balance of the 22 has been suspect across the series, the substitutions in the first Test highlighting the point. The decision to field a team boasting 10 changes in the third Test was also flawed given the Boks were so shaky in the first two games. The results failed to hide the fact that they were off the pace.

De Villiers is now talking about building for the Tri-Nations, as if defeat to the Lions’ second-stringers in Johannesburg has afforded him some great insight. Another win for the Bok first side would not have served as a precursor to Tri-Nations glory, but it would have afforded the Boks a further opportunity to attain the synergy that was so obviously lacking in Durban and Pretoria.

The Boks head into the Tri-Nations a group of individuals when they should head into this tournament a hardened and well-drilled team. They have the Lions series win to show for their efforts, but their sub-standard performances in all three games tell a truer story.

This side is stacked with individual talent, but without the necessary management, the team is on a downward spiral. Ian McGeechan came to South Africa with a limited team and managed to record a relatively commendable 2-1 result. De Villiers went into a home series with a world champion team, scraped two wins and then proceeded to field an unbalanced group of youngsters to lose at the fortress Ellis Park. Who should be celebrated and who should be condemned?

The Boks have beaten the Lions and South Africa should celebrate the result, and after that, South Africa should move on. In moving on, South Africa should acknowledge why their world champion team is not performing to world champion standards.

The bottom line is that as a top rugby nation, we deserve more than a second-rate coach.

By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg

Congratulations to the Springboks for winning the Lions series against significant odds. Twelve years from now, we’ll revisit exactly how this series transpired, but until then, South Africans need only remember the result. Cheers to that. Here’s to 12 years of British and Irish whingeing.

Between black and white mechanics, gouging of lions in the bushveld and losing his marbles in exchange for a top, it’s been difficult to keep up with Peter de Villiers’s ramblings. Bok captain John Smit has been the exact opposite when dealing with topics both mundane and controversial, providing eloquent answers to every media question.

When asked why De Villiers isn’t as articulate as he is, Smit responded, ‘Because I answer in my first language and because I’ve been doing this for five years’. Whether this was a not so subtle request for De Villiers to explore elaborate metaphors in his mother tongue is still unclear.

There are those who are for De Villiers and there are those who are against him, but there is also a third group who have taken what he says to hilarious levels. After the Lions’ deserved win at Ellis Park, a travelling fan wearing a Lions jersey and a pink tutu – in response to De Villiers’s famous ‘Go to the ballet and grab your tutu if you think rugby is too tough’ comment – breached the security barrier and raced across the field. You have to give it to the travelling supporters, they aren’t short on a sense of humour.

Some of you bloggers have appreciated the criticism of a coach out of his depth while a fair number of you feel keo.co.za has made too much of his inarticulate mutterings. By now, there’s not a publication or rugby website on the planet that hasn’t climbed into the Bok coach, so you won’t find us apologising for being the first. In building a positive environment you need to remove the detracting influences, and hopefully Saru realises this before the Boks suffer a defeat of consequence.

Aside from the 2-1 series defeat, the tourists have had a blast both on and off the pitch. From two-day safaris to wild nights in clubs and bars, the Lions’ players have certainly maximised their stay.

People say these tours are endangered, but from a commercial standpoint, they don’t seem to be doing too bad. Kicking coach Neil Jenkins was spotted in a clothing store picking up a few extra jerseys. ‘What’s the matter Neil, they won’t give you one of your own,’ an Englishman heckled. Jenkins explained there is such a demand for the strip that people back home are asking him to buy as many as he can. And why not, they’re much cheaper with the exchange rate.

We’re just three weeks away from the Boks’ opening Tri-Nations clash against the All Blacks in Bloemfontein. I don’t understand why Saru stage big games at venues like Vodacom Park. It’s a stadium that’s devoid of the atmosphere and aura offered by arenas like Ellis Park. Why the majority of big games aren’t staged at the Johannesburg stronghold remains a mystery.

At the time of writing, it remains to be seen what will come of the recent Bok protest against Bakkies Botha’s suspension. The players and management wore white bands on Saturday with ‘Justice for Bakkies’ inscribed, even though Smit went hard at the ruling in Friday’s captain’s press conference. Asked if the IRB would discipline the Boks for such action, Smit could only say they’ll have to wait and see.

By Jon Cardinelli, in Johannesburg

The Springboks suffered their worst ever defeat to the British & Irish Lions when they went down 28-9 on Saturday. It was also the first time they had lost at Ellis Park since 2001.

Injuries forced the Lions to field a vastly changed side, but before the game, De Villiers explained his own eight changes as an opportunity to field fringe players. It was more important to give the youngsters an opportunity than to push for an unprecedented whitewash over the northerners.

‘We’re grateful we’ve won the series. When we sat down before the series, we said this was one of our goals. I’ve always said the Lions are a brilliant team and they showed it [on Saturday],’ De Villiers told keo.co.za.

‘How will we know [if the youngsters are good enough] if we don’t give them a chance? This was very important with the Tri-Nations just around the corner. We’ve learned a lot.’

De Villiers refused to single out players that have effectively ruled themselves out of the Sanzar tournament with an awful showing at Ellis Park.

‘It’s not in my principles to discuss players here. But I now have a clearer idea in my head of who they are.’

Bok captain John Smit explained the Boks wore white armbands in a show of solidarity for the banned Bakkies Botha. The irony was the belligerent Boks were outbullied on the day, with the Lions forwards the more intense unit.

‘I suppose you could say it was a distraction now, but there’s no excuse, we were poor,’ he said. ‘I’m experiencing some mixed emotions right now, but to be frank they were all over us at the contact area. Their counter-rucking was great and we didn’t respect our own ball enough. We need to learn from that going forward.

‘But if you had to said to me the series would have been 2-1 beforehand, I would have taken it. The Lions series was always going to be our priority this year and it’s been an amazing experience. To win a series, for me, is right up there with [winning] the World Cup.’

The Boks have adopted a game-by-game strategy and will only start planning for the Tri-Nations when they reconvene in 10 days time. While Smit said their major objective has already been attained, they are desperate to improve on last year’s dismal showing in the Tri-Nations.

‘I think we let ourselves down last year. This is going to be a colossal tournament and even though it was a priority to win the Lions series, it would be naive to think we couldn’t win the Tri-Nations with the team that we have. We just need to fix the mistakes and produce a better balanced effort.

‘There’s so much to be achieved and this team is young enough to go all the way through to the next World Cup. I’m committed until the end of 2010, so that’s not too far away [from the 2011 World Cup], but I’m going to take it one year at a time.’

By Jon Cardinelli, at Ellis Park

The Lions won the third and final Test on Saturday to avoid a Springbok whitewash, and although McGeechan admits he wouldn’t have done anything different in terms of tactical preparation, he still believes a lack of game time puts touring Lions teams at a disadvantage.

McGeechan’s Lions played six games in three weeks before meeting the Springboks for the first time in Durban. According to the man who masterminded the series win over the Boks in 1997, it’s not enough time to develop the necessary combinations.

‘Back home the question has to be asked, “Are we being given a fair chance?” There are two major tournaments on the IRB calendar, namely the World Cup and the Lions series. If they are planned two years out there needs to be a season structure that allows players more time prepare for these series,’ he said.

‘The players have proved it on this tour, and judging from the support out there, the fans also believe the Lions are capable of winning these series. Some serious thought needs to go into improving the situation.’

Both coaches made a number of changes for this game but McGeechan suggested it was the refereeing of Stuart Dickinson that finally saw a result go the Lions’ way.

‘We got a couple of 50/50 calls going our way for a change. I’ve said it all along, we haven’t had many lucky breaks in this series.

‘On the other hand, I’m very proud of my boys. Congratulations to South Africa for winning the series, but on this occasion, we were very accurate and very intense. There were only eight points difference in those first two Tests, so it shows how tight this series has been,’ he said.

The Lions coach lauded his captain for the way he led the team, but Paul O’Connell gave all the credit to his players. After losing the series 2-0 and a host of players to injury, it was tough to get up for a match dubbed meaningless by most.

‘It’s been a very tough week, but everyone stood up. I’m proud of the boys, they dug very deep and showed what the Lions’ jersey is all about.

‘Sport can be cruel and we were devastated after that loss [at Loftus Versfeld]. But to come back from that and beat the world champions in their own backyard is a great effort. It’s something the guys will remember for the rest of their careers.’

O’Connell admitted touring South Africa was one of the toughest challenges he’s ever had to face as a rugby player. Besides adjusting to aspects like the local conditions, it has also been difficult to adjust to playing alongside Six Nations rivals.

‘Everybody played for everybody, and everybody galvanised everybody. The senior players really stood up, I don’t want to mention names but a guy like Phil Vickery was a leader himself.

‘Playing for your province or your country is easier because you’re in your comfort zone. Coming here and having to work with players you don’t usually play with takes you out of your comfort zone.

‘It’s brought us together and we’ll remember this win for a long time, it’s a good result for the Lions. If we didn’t win today, it would’ve been a long, long summer.’

By Jon Cardinelli, at Ellis Park

The offence earned the England second rower a yellow card during the game, but in the aftermath citing officer Steve Hinds has confirmed Shaw will appear before a judiciary on Sunday.

Du Preez did not return after the first half and it was confirmed he had sustained an injury to his back and quad. The extent of these injuries will be confirmed in the next 48 hours.

Notwithstanding excellent defence from the British and Irish Lions, the Springboks were utterly rudderless in their attempts to break their opponents down. It was shades of their worst performances of the 2008 Tri-Nations, and was characterised by impatience, a lack of appreciation for possession and infuriating individualism.

The coaching staff were tactically naïve and arrogant to think that they could run the Lions off the track. Where they’d played the percentages in the preceding two Tests, they traded that successful game plan for a cavalier one that got them thumped at a ground they view as a fortress.

Fourie acknowledged their shortcomings, but refused to blame the coaching staff, saying, ‘We spoke about not wanting to change our game plan, but that’s what happened,’ he told keo.co.za.

‘I won’t blame the coaches. The key to the success of any game plan is good decision making by the players, and today I don’t think we made good decisions.

‘I thought we did well on defence, particularly our defence in the inside channels, but they took the chances they had and that was the difference today.’

Fourie added that the root of their struggles on attack was that they were being dominated at the breakdown.

‘We just couldn’t get phases together and as a result we had minimal attacking opportunities.’

Lock Johann Muller concurred with Fourie’s view.

‘We were our own worst enemies, we conceded too many turnovers, 10 or 12 I think in good positions, and that killed us,’ he said.

‘They benefited from having a true fetcher [Martyn Williams] who made a massive difference. They took the chances they created from turnover ball, and they must be given credit for how clinical they were in that regard.

‘Our cleaners weren’t good today and we have to take responsibility for that.’

Fourie did, however, intimate that the Lions were consistently breaching the offside line.

‘Ugo Monye was basically in our line before the ball was passed,’ he said referring to the winger’s intercept try, ‘so that’s something we’re not pleased with, but have to live with.

‘But it wasn’t the reason we lost. We had chances to win the game – when Zane [Kirchner] knocked on in the first half, if Monye hadn’t intercepted Zane was over in the corner, and the one at the end when Odwa [Ndugane] was denied a try.

‘That’s potentially 21 points and that would have been the difference between winning and losing. But credit to them, they took their chances and we didn’t.’

By Ryan Vrede, at Ellis Park

In fact, the Lions were superb across all facets of play, but were aided by some ordinary stuff by the Springboks, who reverted to the brainless brand they attempted to sell as the future in 2008.

Impatience on attack, manifested by ball carriers isolated on numerous occasions, and fundamental errors cost them a chance of a whitewash. To overlook the Lions’ skill would be foolish, and it was their superiority at the breakdown, in particular, that played a massive role in their victory.

Williams led the charge in this regard, and his ability to slow or steal possession was central to his side’s success.

‘Dominance at the breakdown begins with dominance at the tackle point and the boys did brilliantly in that regard,’ he told keo.co.za.

‘It allowed us to determine the pace of the match on defence and when you do that against the Springboks you have a better chance of winning. It wasn’t me alone, it was a collective effort and I’m sure the coaching staff will be happy about that.’

Williams did, however, have some encouraging words for his counterpart, Heinrich Brussow.

‘He’ll go on to be one of the best openside flanks in the world. That’s if he’s not there already,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure if I got the better of him today, but if I did it’s a compliment because he is one helluva player.’

Williams did outplay Brussow on the day, and this benefited flyhalf Stephen Jones immensely as he was able to dictate play under little or no pressure.

‘We were able to recycle quickly and that gave us an edge on attack,’ Jones said. ‘That hasn’t always been the case in the series and I think we [the backline] gave a good account of ourselves today.

‘It’s taken us awhile to get to this point, too long evidently because we’ve lost the series, but it is pleasing to have finished playing something like we know we can.’

For scrumhalf Mike Phillips, it was a bittersweet victory.

‘Honestly, I’m happy about the win but I wish we were celebrating a series victory now, not celebrating a dead rubber win,’ he said.

‘It was hard to get up for this one. I wanted to leave on Monday already, but we had to lift ourselves and I think we did that.

‘It was devastating the way we lost last week and I think that sucked the life out of the boys. Credit to them that they were able to pick it up for one last time.’

By Ryan Vrede, at Ellis Park

The Boks went into this game having already secured the series, but the opportunity was there to affect a whitewash. The new-look side failed to gel and you have to wonder how much the Bok management considered this an opportunity to experiment rather than an opportunity to go 3-0 up. It was a disappointment on all counts.

The way both teams went at it in the first 10 minutes, you wouldn’t think there were any concerns over the perceived niggle and bad blood. Wearing white armbands to express their disappointment for Bakkies Botha’s suspension, the Boks flew into tackles as if there was still a series at stake, while the visitors responded in kind.

One-on-one tackling was never a problem. The Boks’ synergy let them down on attack and defence, and although this was to be expected considering the majority of the combinations hadn’t spent much time together, it was hardly excusable.

The hosts seemed to be lacking patience as well as precision as a number of early opportunities were missed due to a determined Lions’ spoil. Although they affected some important turnovers of their own, the Boks will lament their inability to control possession to the point where they couldn’t build or profit from a mulit-phase attack.

The defensive synergy was sorely lacking, and time and again, the drift defence was penetrated by one of the big Lions backs. Rob Kearney had another solid day at the back for the visitors, but it was on the wings that the Lions caused all the trouble.

In the 25th minute, Lions No 8 Jamie Heaslip found space on the left wing and palmed off some shocking tackle attempts. Meanwhile, Shane Williams had timed his support run to perfection and accepted the pass before jetting in under the posts.

Another turnover sparked the Lions’ second try as Riki Flutey put in a smart chip that was collected and touched onto Williams yet again. The Wales winger didn’t have to do much but dot down under the posts, and with Jones’s conversion, the Lions had shot to a commanding 15-3 lead.

Referee Stuart Dickinson said he would punish indiscipline and nailed the Boks at scrum time. Beast Mtawarira’s contribution around the park was typically outstanding, but the Bok loosehead was penalised on numerous occasions as the Lions’ tight five applied massive pressure at the set-piece.

Dickinson also nailed the Lions for their lack of discipline in the 37th minute. Fourie du Preez went down to retrieve a rolling ball and received Simon Shaw’s knee in his back. After consulting the touch judge, Dickinson sent Shaw to the sin bin.

The Boks bumbled a try-scoring opportunity but a late shot at goal by Morne Steyn took the half-time score to 15-6. Unfortunately for the Boks, three points were all they were going to gain from their one-man advantage.

The Lions continued to pressure the Boks early in the second half and only some last-ditch tackling and important ball-stealing by Heinrich Brussow stopped them from extending their lead. Du Preez also failed to return after the break meaning Ruan Pienaar had to come off the bench and play scrumhalf.

The Boks blew a try-scoring opportunity when the otherwise impressive Zane Kirchner dropped the ball in the act of offloading in the tackle. Wynand Olivier had thrown a beautiful floating pass to free up Kirchner, and attempted to replicate this pass in a subsequent move. Unfortunately, Ugo Monye read the play beautifully, intercepted the pass, and ran 80m to score.

At 22-6 with 25 minutes to play, there was no way back for the Boks. They continued to struggle for synergy, and the error count began to escalate in accordance with their desperation. They already had the series, but it was disappointing to see them flailing in this fashion.

As the calls of ‘Lions, Lions’ and ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ grew more prominent around a buzzing Ellis Park, the touring team defied recent form by maintaining the pressure.

The hosts battled to get into try-scoring positions as the clock wound down and John Smit eventually turned to Steyn when presented with a penalty from 40m out. The Bulls’ sharpshooter kicked a difficult goal to narrow the deficit, but the 22-9 scoreline still left the Boks with too much to do in too little time to do it.

The poor discipline that has afflicted the Boks throughout the series then cost the hosts in the final minutes, as Heinrich Brussow was penalised for retaliation. Jones made no mistake in restoring the 16-point cushion, and goaled another penalty soon after when Bismarck du Plessis was penalised for hitting him late.

The Boks were also denied a consolation try at the death when the TMO ruled Odwa Ndungane stepped into touch at the moment of grounding a try.

The result takes no shine off an overall series victory for the Boks, but highlights a few problem areas ahead of the Tri-Nations. The first-choice line-up will be back for that tournament, but it must concern the Bok management to see the second string fare so badly.

By Jon Cardinelli, at Ellis Park

Ratings out of 10:

15 Zane Kirchner (5) – Good positional sense and anticipation, and never let the side down. But made the poor decision to kick when he had an overlap in the 2nd minute, and knocked on when trying to offload a pass 7m from the tryline.

14 Odwa Ndungane (5) – His performance was a blend of the good and ordinary, and it’s arguable whether he has the pace to play Test rugby.

13 Jaque Fourie (5) – Defensively solid, but fairly anonymous throughout the Test on attack. His cause wasn’t aided by the fact that his forwards were struggling, which in turn affected the inside backs’ ability to craft space for him.

12 Wynand Olivier (5) – Few attacking opportunities because of the Lions’ dominance up front, but didn’t disappoint with those he did have. Sadly, he’ll be remembered as the player who threw the pass which Ugo Monye intercepted to score from.

11 Jongi Nokwe (5) – The ball just didn’t travel to his wing, but he didn’t look for work either.

10 Morne Steyn (5) – Scored all the Boks’ points, but was relatively disappointing, even if he didn’t receive the best ball. Should have varied his play more.

9 Fourie du Preez (6) – Considering that he was playing behind an inferior pack, he still did well. His option-taking under pressure was good, and his positional sense excellent. Unfortunately injured and substituted at half-time. The Springboks missed his experience.

8 Ryan Kankowski (4) – He should have done better considering the style of rugby the Boks attempted to play. Improved slightly in the second half, but still very ineffective.

7 Juan Smith (6) – Excellent in defence and a strong ball carrier. One of the few forwards to do well.

6 Heinrich Brussow (6) – Anonymous in the first half, with limited impact at the breakdown, but good thereafter. Also made a crucial turnover in the 44th minute, 2m out from goal.

5 Victor Matfield (5) – His threat at the lineout was nullified by smart work from the Lions, and made no telling contribution in the loose.

4 Johann Muller (5) – An ordinary performance. Struggled when asked to play the role of enforcer, but unrelenting on defence.

3 John Smit (5) – Tackled manfully all game, and carried the ball powerfully. But his decision to take the points with his side 22-6 down with 12 minutes to play was perplexing to say the least.

2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (7) – Oh the boy was great for 40 minutes before injury ruled him out of the match at half-time. Powerful on both attack and defence and accurate at lineout time. Superb effort.

1 Beast Mtawarira (6) – Struggled against Phil Vickery in the first half, but improved in the second. His defence was sound and when he carried he did so well.

Subs

16 Bismarck du Plessis (6) – Injected physicality into the side when he came on, and strengthened the scrum. But his discipline remains a concern, seen by his late hit on Stephen Jones which cost the Boks three points at a crucial time of the match.

17 Gurthro Steenkamp – Not on for long enough to be rated.

18 Deon Carstens – Not used.

19 Steven Sykes – Not used.

20 Pierre Spies (5) – Came on at left wing in one of Peter de Villiers’ most puzzling moves to date, and was all power and no finesse. It’s not his fault he gets a 5.

21 Ruan Pienaar (4) – Slow service from the breakdown and he often ran laterally, closing his flyhalf’s space. Clearly rusty having not played at No 9 for some time.

22 Frans Steyn (7) – Strengthened the argument of those who believe fullback to be his best position. Ran hard from the back and broke the gain line every time. However, an excellent performance was soured by his riling of Lions fans when Ndungane crossed late in the game. He had egg on his face when the try was disallowed, and he has to grow up.

By Ryan Vrede, at Ellis Park.

Ratings out of 10:

15 Rob Kearney (7) – Revelation of the tour for the visitors. Countering was brilliant again after repeatedly soaring through the air to gather high balls. Class all-round, but was aided by errant Bok kicking that was continually too far.

14 Ugo Monye (6) – Returned from his nightmare in the first Test and was quiet in the early stages. Read the play well to intercept when a Bok try was on as he ran 75m to score and seal the result.

13 Tommy Bowe (7) – Moved to centre from his preferred wing position and broke the line on occasions, but was confused in defence when the Boks ran at him. However, put in a brilliant cover defence tackle to stop Zane Kirchner from scoring, and then with four minutes to go he did so again on Odwa Ndungane.

12 Riki Flutey (7) – First Lions Test start  and had his best match on tour by far as he set up Williams’s second with a chip and great tap offload. Was brilliant on defence, one particular hit on Wynand Olivier defending their line in the closing stages of the first half proving inspirational for his team.

11 Shane Williams (8) – After a disappointing tour he scored the first of his South African sojourn after good support play on Heaslip’s shoulder. Made a poor decision on defence straight after however, that should have led to a Bok try if it not for Heaslip’s cover defence. Ensured the drought was well and truly broken by finishing for the second. His confidence soared and was more involved in open play.

10 Stephen Jones (6) – Missed two early attempts at poles after a 100% record last week. Played a good linking game but was susceptible on defence when the Bok pack ran at him – a pity they didn’t do it more often.

9 Mike Phillips (6) – Aggressive defence was especially impressive and had a solid display at the base of the rucks. Successfully got under the skin of his opponents as he was at the centre of most scuffles, which did the job of taking their minds off the game.

8 Jamie Heaslip (8) – Has been very quiet in the opening Tests but showed good awareness to stand up through the tackle and set up the first try for Williams. Also showed great positional sense to save a try after intercepting Odwa Ndugane’s pass. Was also more involved at the breakdown attempting to steal ball and carried with more purpose than previously.

7 Martyn Williams (6) – Struggled initially in the battle on the deck against Heinrich Brussow as the Bok flanker stole two early balls as Williams didn’t enjoy the frenetic pace.  Was prominent in open play with ball in hand, but could only be a minor nuisance with Brussow outplaying him.

6 Joe Worsley (5) – First Test start, playing in his preferred blindside position and enjoyed the outing. Played better - after an ordinary tour – roving the park in defence and attack in his favoured role.

5 Paul O’Connell (7) – The captain produced his best showing for the final match and did his job at the lineout. But his most telling impact came at the breakdown, where he stole and slowed down ball regularly.

4 Simon Shaw (5) – Was Man of the Match last week and was very vocal in the team talk before. Again successfully harassed at the breakdown and mauls. Was yellow carded after 37 minutes after a sickening intentional knee into the back of Fourie du Preez, which eventually saw the scrumhalf leave the pitch. Only cost his team three points as the inept Boks couldn’t crack the defensive wall.

3 Phil Vickery (6) – After the first Test mauling at the hands of Beast Mtawarira he benefited from having Matthew Rees and Andrew Sheridan alongside him. The referee was on his side this week as he won a couple of penalties at the scrum in the first half. When Bismarck du Plessis came on for the hosts, matters changed immensely and Vickery’s frailties at set piece were again exposed. Industrious in general play however.

2 Matthew Rees (7) – His hard edge proved again how Ian McGeechan made a grave mistake in picking Lee Mears for the first Test. Loved the set-piece against weak scrummager Chiliboy Ralepelle, but had to leave the park after 36 minutes after a head knock.

1 Andrew Sheridan (7) – First start of the series, and his scrummaging proved invaluable as that dominance set the tone for the rest of the match. One of those encounters where he pitched up and his side was the better for it.

16 Ross Ford (6)- On after 36 minutes for Matthew Rees and successfully found his jumpers and did solid work when the Boks were attacking.

17 John Hayes (6) - On after 55 minutes and was prominent at the scrum as the Bok pack got marched backwards.

18 Alun-Wyn Jones (7) – Came on with 12 to go and produced some thunderous tackles, notably one one on Juan Smith.

19 David Wallace – Not on long enough to be judged.

20 Tom Croft – As above.

21 Harry Ellis (6) – On after 57 minutes and successfully killed off the game as his distribution was crisp, while his tactical kicking was efficient.

22 James Hook – Was not used.

By Grant Ball

While Smit held up the Unity Cup for the series win, he was clearly disappointed to finish with a loss.

‘The guys didn’t rock up today in terms of intensity,’ he said. ‘If you look at how we did in the physical aspects of the game, you can see we weren’t in the right frame of mind.

‘We really wanted to win the series 3-0, get the whitewash and make history, but it didn’t happen.’

Meanwhile, Peter de Villiers claimed ‘the bounce of the ball went [the Lions'] way’ and that ‘the gods were smiling on them’.

The Bok coach added that he had no regrets about making 10 changes to the team that clinched the series at Loftus.

‘Some of the [new] players failed the test today, while others stood up. My mind is much clearer now going into the Tri-Nations’.

Lions coach Ian McGeechan hailed the way his side responded this week.

‘We’ve wanted to play a certain way on this tour and I think we’re a better team than people give us credit for,’ he said. ‘We’ve been part of one of the most outstanding series of all time.’

Paul O’Connell said that while they had lost the series, it was vital for them to get a win.

‘It’s an important day for us, as we hadn’t won a Test for a while [since Australia 2001],’ said the Lions captain. ‘We did well last week and lost a game we should have won. Who knows what would have happened today if it had been 1-1, but to get the win with so many top players missing, was a great effort.’

O’Connell also thanked the Lions fans, most of whom decided to stay in South Africa for the dead rubber.

‘During the week, our fans were still patting us on the back,’ he said. ‘Before the game, Warren Gatland and Geech both mentioned the travelling support, so we hope they have a great night.’