KO 5.00pm at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday 31st July 2021
Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action
The pressure is now on South Africa and the hosts have no margin for error with the series on the line this weekend. The Lions have emerged victorious in the opening Test against the Springboks on six occasions. Only once have South Africa been able to come back and win the Second Test – in 1955 (that four match series ended in a 2-2 draw).
Tale of the tape
BACKS
54 Tries 85
90kg Average weight 96kg
238 Total caps 421
29.3 Average age 29.4
FORWARDS
927kg Pack weight 919kg
25 Tries 39
365 Total caps 514
29.5 Average age 29.3
SUBSTITUTES
177 Total caps 460
19 Tries 51
27.7 Average age 29.9
Changes to the starting XVs from the First Test
South Africa:
- 1. Kitshoff for Nche
- 3. Malherbe for Nyakane
- 8. Wiese for Smith
Lions:
- 13. Harris for Daly
- 9. Murray for Price
- 1. Vunipola for Sutherland
SOUTH AFRICA
15 Willie le Roux
14 Cheslin Kolbe
13 Lukhanyo Am
12 Damian de Allende
11 Makazole Mapimpi
10 Handre Pollard
9 Faf de Klerk
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ADV Lions
ADV Springboks
ADV Springboks
ADV Lions
EVEN
EVEN
ADV Springboks
B&I LIONS
15 Stuart Hogg
14 Anthony Watson
13 Chris Harris
12 Robbie Henshaw
11 Duhan van der Merwe
10 Dan Biggar
9 Conor Murray
1 Steven Kitshoff
2 Bongi Mbonambi
3 Frans Malherbe
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Franco Mostert
6 Siya Kolisi (c)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
8 Jasper Wiese
EVEN
EVEN
ADV Lions
ADV Springboks
ADV Lions
ADV Lions
ADV Springboks
EVEN
1 Mako Vunipola
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Tadhg Furlong
4 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
5 Maro Itoje
7 Tom Curry
6 Courtney Lawes
8 Jack Conan
16 Malcolm Marx
17 Trevor Nyakane
18 Vincent Koch
19 Lood de Jager
20 Marco van Staden
22 Herschel Jantjies
23 Damian Willemse
21 Kwagga Smith
ADV Springboks
EVEN
ADV Lions
EVEN
ADV Lions
ADV Lions
ADV Lions
EVEN
16 Ken Owens
17 Rory Sutherland
18 Kyle Sinckler
19 Tadhg Beirne
20 Taulupe Faletau
21 Ali Price
22 Owen Farrell
23 Elliot Daly
Numbers from the First Test
– South Africa’s tight 5 made just 16 metres from their 20 carries (their Lions’ counterparts made 35m from 27 runs) in a rare case of the Springboks coming up against a side that could get close to matching their physicality.
– The Lions’ back row only missed a single tackle – compared to 7 missed by the South African loose trio. The total error count (missed tackles + turnovers conceded + pens) for each group was Lions 6 – 17 Springboks.
– South African forwards passed or offloaded the ball 9 times across the 80 minutes (Lions – 32). The low risk nature of the Springboks’ game plan calls for direct confrontation and very little changing of the point of attack.
– 50% of Willie le Roux’s kicks were recovered by his own players – the best rate of any of the South African kickers. His bombs from midfield caused a lot of problems in the Lions’ wide channels.
– The hosts conceded 14 penalties. That was an improvement on the 17 pens + free kicks (as well as 2 yellow cards) they gave up in the South Africa ‘A’ match but there was a continuation from that game of their inability to defend for multiple phases without committing offences.
– The Springboks only won possession 6 times in the Lions’ 22. The 3 occasions South Africa crossed the try line (1 scored, 2 chalked off by the TMO) all came from big errors by Lions’ players. If the visitors can cut out the mistakes then the home side will need to find a bit more creativity this week to get into try-scoring positions.
Scot Watch
– Six starts for Scottish backs in a Test series is the equal most since 1983 when Roy Laidlaw, Roger Baird and John Rutherford combined for 8 starts across 4 matches in 1983 against New Zealand.
– In the last 50 years the only other Lions’ Test series to feature 6 different Scottish players were 1989 against Australia (Gavin Hastings, Scott Hastings, Craig Chalmers, David Sole, Derek White and Finlay Calder) and 1983 against New Zealand (John Rutherford, Roger Baird, Roy Laidlaw, Jim Calder, Iain Paxton and John Beattie).
– Stuart Hogg will make his 11th appearance in a match for the Lions. Tom Smith (13) is the only Scot to feature in more games in the pro era.
– Chris Harris is the first Scot to start a Lions’ Test series match in the centres since Scott Hastings against Australia, 15 July 1989 – a gap of 32 years.
– Duhan van der Merwe makes his 6th start of the tour. In the professional era, the only other Scottish back to match that feat on a single tour is Gregor Townsend (South Africa, 1997).
Miscellany
– Just to confirm this is likely to be a once in a lifetime experience for these players, even the youngest member of the Springboks’ lineup – Damian Willemse – will be 35 by the time the Lions’ are next due to tour South Africa in 2033 (Alun Wyn Jones will be 47 and will surely have stopped playing by then?!?)
– Jasper Wiese and Marco van Staden are the only players in the South African 23 who were not part of their World Cup winning squad.
– Elliot Daly is the only player selected for all 7 of the Lions’ games in South Africa.
– Steven Kitshoff has started in just 12 of his 49 caps. South Africa have only won 4 games with the ginger prop in the number 1 jersey and his defeats include 1 match v England and 2 games against Wales.
Officials
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
The two Antipodean refs swap roles this week. Will the overturning of the red card Mr O’Keeffe issued to Marika Koroibete in the recent Australia v France series have any impact on how he officiates head contact in this Test match?