There has been talk in recent years about whether the Lions tours, which were first established in 1888, should continue due to the rising amount of international fixtures and how difficult it is to fit them into the calendar.
If there was any potential plans to scrap the tour I doubt there will be now after experiencing one of the most gripping series of all time, which world champions South Africa ended up winning 2-1 in dramatic circumstances.
#CastleLionsSeries #StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #BoksvLions #RSAvBIL pic.twitter.com/4ljPQhJsEg
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 7, 2021
Let’s not forget, this series nearly didn’t go ahead due to Covid-19 issues, but when you look at the effort made by both the Springboks and the Lions to play these Tests, you can’t say this should be scrapped.
Niggle Between the Teams
One great aspect of this series was the constant niggle, or maybe bad blood is a better way to describe it, between the two sides and this spilled over on and off the pitch.
During all three Tests, there was at least one stage when tempers flared and although some may say this isn’t great for the younger generation to see, it shows the huge passion from those 30 players on the pitch.
There was also the off-field antics that just added to the theatre of the tour. South Africa’s director Rassie Erasmus went off on one after the first Test defeat, calling into question the quality of officiating.
Of course, South Africa levelled the series in the next match with a thumping win, although the manner of their performance and time-wasting tactics didn’t go down well with the rugby world.
Deja Vu for Lions
It did, though, set up a nail-biting decider in Cape Town and it brought about an exact replica of what happened to the Lions back in 2009, when they lost the series 2-1 in the dying seconds.
Morne Steyn kicked the winning penalty 13 years ago and having been brought back in from the wilderness for the final Test of the 2021 series, he did the same again to break the hearts of the tourists.
Here are the highlights from yesterday’s 19-16 defeat against South Africa
Despite the defeat, whose performance stood out to you?
#CastleLionsSeries #BoksvLions #LionsRugby pic.twitter.com/XDQuSJMbcJ
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) August 8, 2021
It was a cruel blow for the Lions, but they only had themselves to blame after they made some bold but ultimately costly decisions during that final encounter.
Points on the Board Always the Way to Go
The Lions were the better team in the first half of the decider and they passed up some big scoring opportunities, none more so than when Liam Williams opted not to pass to Josh Adams, who would have raced in for a certain score.
Also, having successfully gone over the white wash with a rolling maul from a line-out in the first half, the Lions decided to try and repeat this trick instead of going for the posts. It turned out to be a decisive factor as they didn’t get any more tries and allowed South Africa to stay in touch.
Future Looks Very Bright
You only had to listen to Alun Wyn Jones to know just how much it means playing for the Lions. The captain, who announced this was his last tour, said he told the players if they get to go again then “go hard”, as it is a “privilege” to wear the shirt.
It clearly means a lot to all the players involved and there is surely no way the powers that be can decide to scrap the Lions tour. It is a staple of the calendar every four years and is something all rugby fans look forward to.
Roll on 2025 when the Lions head to Australia, before 2029 marks the return of a trip to New Zealand.
*All odds correct at time of writing.