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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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Boks take series, citings mar win
Source: Agencies |
June 29, 2009, Monday
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SOUTH Africa's thrilling series-clinching victory over the British and Irish Lions on Saturday was marred by the citings of Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha for serious fouls and coach Peter de Villiers being summoned by his own federation to explain racial comments to the media.
The Springboks edged the Lions 28-25 to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, having won at Durban a week before. It was 29 years since the Boks beat the Lions in a series and 12 since a surprise 2-1 loss in their last series.
Morne Steyn converted a 53-meter matchwinning kick to spark celebrations, but three pieces of post-game news took some of the edge off that joy. Burger discovered he would face a disciplinary hearing for eye gouging Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald only 32 seconds into his 50th appearance for the Springboks and Botha was reported for charging dangerously into prop Adam Jones, who left the field early in the second half with a suspected dislocated shoulder. Jones and Gethin Jenkins underwent surgery yesterday and will miss the next match.
De Villiers also faces a meeting with South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins over comments he made at a news conference last Monday. They came after the media criticized him for sending on the out-of-form Ricky Januarie, who is black, during last week's first test.
De Villiers, who is also black, said he was giving Januarie another opportunity to prove himself and said many blacks in South Africa do not get such second chances.
"What I learned in South Africa is, if you take your car to a garage and the owner is black or a black man, and they mess it up, you never go back to that garage," De Villiers said last week. "If the owner is white, you say, ag ..., sorry, they made a mistake and you go back again. This is how some people live their lives in this country."
Within an hour of Saturday's victory, SARU's management committee issued a statement saying they were concerned about De Villiers' comments and he had been asked to explain them to the SARU.
Tarnished
The news that emerged after the game tarnished South Africa's impressive fightback from 8-19 down with 17 minutes to go. Converted tries by Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie had turned that scoreline around. When Stephen Jones kicked his fifth penalty in his 20-point contribution, the game was 25-25 going into the final minute.
Defeat was tough on the Lions, who matched the Springboks' forwards in the scrums with a standout performance from second row Simon Shaw until they became uncontested early in the second half after the loss of props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones to injuries. The Lions had led 10-0, 16-5 and 19-8 and were in front until seven minutes to go.
"We could be sitting here with two wins or one win each but instead we sit here with two defeats," said head coach Ian McGeechan. "But the two performances that the players have put in have been outstanding and that's a lot of credibility for the Lions. Most people didn't think that we would be competitive."
The Springboks edged the Lions 28-25 to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, having won at Durban a week before. It was 29 years since the Boks beat the Lions in a series and 12 since a surprise 2-1 loss in their last series.
Morne Steyn converted a 53-meter matchwinning kick to spark celebrations, but three pieces of post-game news took some of the edge off that joy. Burger discovered he would face a disciplinary hearing for eye gouging Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald only 32 seconds into his 50th appearance for the Springboks and Botha was reported for charging dangerously into prop Adam Jones, who left the field early in the second half with a suspected dislocated shoulder. Jones and Gethin Jenkins underwent surgery yesterday and will miss the next match.
De Villiers also faces a meeting with South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins over comments he made at a news conference last Monday. They came after the media criticized him for sending on the out-of-form Ricky Januarie, who is black, during last week's first test.
De Villiers, who is also black, said he was giving Januarie another opportunity to prove himself and said many blacks in South Africa do not get such second chances.
"What I learned in South Africa is, if you take your car to a garage and the owner is black or a black man, and they mess it up, you never go back to that garage," De Villiers said last week. "If the owner is white, you say, ag ..., sorry, they made a mistake and you go back again. This is how some people live their lives in this country."
Within an hour of Saturday's victory, SARU's management committee issued a statement saying they were concerned about De Villiers' comments and he had been asked to explain them to the SARU.
Tarnished
The news that emerged after the game tarnished South Africa's impressive fightback from 8-19 down with 17 minutes to go. Converted tries by Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie had turned that scoreline around. When Stephen Jones kicked his fifth penalty in his 20-point contribution, the game was 25-25 going into the final minute.
Defeat was tough on the Lions, who matched the Springboks' forwards in the scrums with a standout performance from second row Simon Shaw until they became uncontested early in the second half after the loss of props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones to injuries. The Lions had led 10-0, 16-5 and 19-8 and were in front until seven minutes to go.
"We could be sitting here with two wins or one win each but instead we sit here with two defeats," said head coach Ian McGeechan. "But the two performances that the players have put in have been outstanding and that's a lot of credibility for the Lions. Most people didn't think that we would be competitive."
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