Over the course of 80 minutes yesterday we saw both what could win the upcoming test series for the Lions AND what could leave it out of their reach altogether.
Were you to see the highlights of this match you might be forgiven for thinking it was a good performance as Geech’s men scored three very impressive tries, together with an almighty thump of a penalty conversion near the end by James Hook.
But of course the scoreline would tell you a different story, and a series of senseless penalties brought the Currie Cup side (who to be fair are the competition’s answer to Man United) very close to getting something from this match, so there’s no need to outline what the Springboks themselves would make of such gifts from their opposition.
I’ve read that Jones’ lacklustre display could bring ROG back into contention. I have a feeling that is very much wishful thinking. If anything, I would hand the number 10 jumper to Hook right now for that winning kick alone. Clearly he is up to the pressure, and it makes him in my eyes anyway the best of a very average set of out-halves.
And wasn’t Tommy Bowe sublime at 14. When watching Sky’s coverage, you have to try and ignore Stu Barnes’ assessment…for the Monye score he was beaming about how the London Irish winger dove early for the line before mentioning the deft little toss from the Ulsterman into his breadbasket which let him in.
Elsewhere it seemed the makeup of the Test starting XV was becoming more clear. Flutey didn’t do nearly enough to challenge Jamie Roberts for 12, while Andy Powell (aka the Big LePOWski) clearly has a lot of fight but seems too much of a liability for yellow cards and penalties to oust Heaslip at 8.
And who would have thought that Shane Williams would be so far removed from the reckoning for a spot on the team? With Bowe a certainty, naturally I would plump for Luke on the other side, and I really don’t think it’s green goggles I’m using either, Monye just didn‘t do it for me with his all round game.
All that is left in the forwards seems to be who will partner POC in the second row – I haven’t seen anything from his countryman DOC to have him leapfrogging Shaw or Jones, and then there’s the battle for 7 which surely must be Geech’s toughest call – both Williams and Wallace are worthy candidates, and perhaps Sky’s Ieuen Evans has a point that BOTH could get in at the expense of Croft?
Next up is the last warmup game before the big First test in Durban next Saturday, with the newly-formed franchise the Southern Kings providing the opposition in Port Elizabeth. I sincerely hope Gordon D’Arcy gets a full game, otherwise it was hardly worth his while cancelling his holidays. Not that he shouldn’t have been in the squad in the first place, mind you…
Here’s my Test XV based on what I’ve seen so far – as you can see, it’s pretty much set…capitals means a definite, brackets means there’s a near challenger for the position and a backslash means a headache for Geech. What do you think?
- JENKINS
- MEARS
- MURRAY
- Shaw/AW Jones
- O’CONNELL
- CROFT
- M Williams /Wallace
- HEASLIP
- PHILLIPS
- Hook (S Jones)
- Fitzgerald (Monye)
- ROBERTS
- O’DRISCOLL
- BOWE
- BYRNE
