Saturday, July 4, 2009

Live text - South Africa v Lions

Third Test, Johannesburg:

South Africa v Lions (1400 BST kick-off)

SCORES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)

606: DEBATE
Your thoughts on the action

To get involved use 606 or text us your views & comments on 81111. (Not all contributions can be used)

By Pranav Soneji

1349: BBC Sport's Bryn Palmer in Johannesburg on Twitter: "Some Lions not involved today just appeared in media centre. ROG still got lovely black eye. Earls tucking into a Castle. Is he old enough?"

1347: That Bryn Palmer, he's been digging around the annuls of South African rugby history and come up with these nuggets: "Statistically speaking, Ellis Park has been the Boks' happiest hunting ground since their readmission to Test rugby in 1994. They have lost only two of the 19 matches they have played there since."

And more ominously: "The Lions haven't won the final Test of a series for 20 years. The last time was in Sydney in Australia in 1989, when David Campese famously threw out a wild pass on his own line and Ieuan Evans dived on the loose ball for the match-winning try."

1344: BBC Sport's Simon Austin in Johannesburg on Twitter: "Boks going through their warm up at ellis park. SA journos think de v has picked his form team this weekend."

1340: Cruel. The only word to describe last week's result. "If only" are two words I have been uttering with alarming frequency this week, along with "should my eyes be sweating like this?" Just how do you pick yourselves up from a gut-wrenching defeat like Pretoria? Lions coach Ian McGeechan has made eight changes, the majority enforced, with England centre Riki Flutey making his debut alongside Tommy Bowe, who switches from wing to outside centre, while Joe Worsley replaces Tom Croft at blindside flanker. Prop Phil Vickery, who was unceremoniously "owned" by Tendai "the Beast" Mtawarira in Durban, has a shot at redemption, while Wales duo Shane and Martyn Williams make their first Test appearances on tour.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made 10 changes in total. Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha are both suspended, so in come lock Johann Muller and flanker Heinrich Brussow, while full-back Zane Kirchner makes his international debut.

South Africa: Kirchner; Ndungane, Fourie, Olivier, Nokwe; M Steyn, Du Preez; Mtawarira, Ralepelle, Smit, Muller, Matfield, Brussow, Smith, Kankowski.
Replacements: B du Plessis, Steenkamp, Carstens, Sykes, Spies, R Pienaar, F Steyn

Lions: Kearney; Monye, Bowe, Flutey, S Williams; S Jones, Phillips; Sheridan, Rees, Vickery, Shaw, O'Connell, Worsley, M Williams, Heaslip.
Replacements: Ford, Hayes, Alun-Wyn Jones, Wallace, Croft, Ellis, Hook.

Nathan, the pub (where else?), text 81111: "The Lions have been so unlucky in the previous Tests. I just hope with every fibre in my body that we give the Boks a thrashing today. If not, I'd settle for more of the same from the last two Tests. With different victors obviously."

1333: Some sad news just in - prop Adam Jones needs surgery on torn shoulder ligaments, an operation which is likely to keep him out of action for the Ospreys and Wales for at least six months.

Archie100 on 606: "A big good luck to Phil Vickery before today's game. I loved his comment in the press this morning 'you know you have had a bad game when your wife and mum phone to say they still love you'."
Your thoughts on 606

1328: First the Lions and now Andy Murray. Doesn't bode well for the Ashes, but that's another story entirely. You can bet your bottom dollar (if you still have one in your pocket after backing Britian's number one at Wimbledon) that coach Ian McGeechan does not want to be on the wrong end of a 3-0 clean sweep. That should be plenty of motivation for this new-look Lions side at Ellis Park. Let's have your thoughts on this match via text 81111 (with the word "Rugby" before your message) or the 606 website (link above).

1325: BBC Sport's Bryn Palmer in Johannesburg on Twitter: "Extraordinary article in Weekender paper here about 'whingeing Lions' and two 'drab' Tests so far. You wonder whether SA really wants them..."

1320: Things I have learned this week: 1) There are a lot of songs called Heartbreaker. 2) Peter de Villiers has the strangest South African accent I have ever heard. 3) Jogger's nipple is marginally less painful than watching Morne Steyn's gut-wrenching penalty sail over the posts in Pretoria last week. Why Ronan, WHY??!!!

ะพ 3:19 AM

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