Lucky Sithole
Maybe the British and Irish Lions Tour isn’t bigger than the Rugby World Cup of 2019, but it’s definitely close.
While a match between the All Blacks and the Springboks is still the ultimate test, the endless Rugby Championship matches have had an impact on excitement levels. (Has the haka become an opportunity to quickly nip into the kitchen to fetch another beer?)
By contrast the Lions last played the Springboks in 2009 and what a mouth-watering battle it is stacking up to be!
As the names of Wellington and Napoleon are instantly associated with the Battle of Waterloo, so the names of Rassie Erasmus and Warren Gatland will be remembered for this tour.
Erasmus, the conqueror of the 2019 World Cup (and the general who beat the All Blacks in Wellington in 2018), is a strategist and motivator like no other in the world today, but he has problems.
He is struggling for match practice and playing Georgia in two warm-up matches is hardly ideal, is it? Additionally (as an astute observer commented), sourcing players from all over the world is much like putting together a Barbarians side.
Also, the Rainbow Cup has become little more than derbys between four local sides who are playing as if they have nothing better to do than have a game of rugger on a Saturday afternoon.
Warren Gatland is faced with the problem of getting recognised foes to gel as a team, but playing Western Province in the first match of the tour will probably take care of that.
Motivation won’t be an issue for the Lions. If they have a dartboard in their changeroom, it surely has a picture of Rassie Erasmus pinned to it. And which player from either England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland doesn’t want to avenge England’s pathetic loss in the World Cup?
One more thing. If the Men in Red beat the Springboks, Warren Gatland will have done what England coach Eddie Jones failed to do: he will have vanquished Rassie Erasmus.
Make no mistake. This time it’s personal.
Picture source: SA Rugby
