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British & Irish Lions in South Africa 2021

The first test is today, 24/7/2021 in Cape Town where the next two tests will also be played. The tour has been a strange one, blighted by coronavirus which has led to changes of venue, players living in isolated bubbles and games played in empty stadia.
Much is said about the huge and brutish 'Springboks' but for this game the heavier and more experienced side will be the 'Lions'. You'd always expect a big cat to bring down a medium sized antelope but not so. These Springboks get by on drive, muscle power, excelling at the basic rugby skills and nationalistic bloody mindedness.
South Africa/Springboks are the reigning World Champions and their side is little changed from that which won the title in Japan. The Lions as always are at something of a disadvantage as they only generally play on tour and have less time to prepare and find some cohesion. Six of today's Lions are English, selected from a team that finished below all the other British/Irish sides in the last Six Nations tournament, proving perhaps that the sum is not always as good as the individual parts. The Lions selectors have gone for an adventurous and attacking side. I am looking forward to watching the game, having bought a 'sky day pass' from 'Now TV' 
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    Chizz said:
    'British and Irish Lions'.  
    Definitely. And the UK Olympic team might be British but not GB; GB & NI
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    Feel a bit sorry for Conor Murray - captain one minute and the next he can’t get in the team!
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    Feel a bit sorry for Conor Murray - captain one minute and the next he can’t get in the team!
    they have gone for the nippier Scot Price, he's less predictable than Murray but perhaps not as 'durable'

    The No8 Jack Conan is known not as the Barbarian but as Conan the Vegetarian .. he's gone a step further, he's a vegan
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    Having been told off, I will add the Paddies to the title
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    Feel a bit sorry for Conor Murray - captain one minute and the next he can’t get in the team!
    they have gone for the nippier Scot Price, he's less predictable than Murray but perhaps not as 'durable'

    The No8 Jack Conan is known not as the Barbarian but as Conan the Vegetarian .. he's gone a step further, he's a vegan
    What’s your prediction? I think SA by 10 points. 
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    Feel a bit sorry for Conor Murray - captain one minute and the next he can’t get in the team!
    they have gone for the nippier Scot Price, he's less predictable than Murray but perhaps not as 'durable'

    The No8 Jack Conan is known not as the Barbarian but as Conan the Vegetarian .. he's gone a step further, he's a vegan
    What’s your prediction? I think SA by 10 points. 
    somewhere around there, I agree, BUT I'd just love to be totally wrong .. the Lions might try to be a bit flash and attack atrack attack .. Pollard, De Klerk and Le Roux will kick them to death (the ball into space, lol not the players .. we hope) and  the SA back row and centres will tackle them to a standstill and compete for every ruck and maul like fury .. as ever, we will see .. are you watching ?
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    just to add, the Boks are no slouches in attack, Kolbe is the world's top winger, a real rocket man, but they do like to pound away through the forwards and win the physical battle 
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    Late injury blow for the Lions .. Wyn Jones (NOT Alun Wyn Jones) is out and replaced at loose head prop by Scot Rory Sutherland .. Jones will be missed as he is a terrific scrummager and decent around the field
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    edited July 2021
    Feel a bit sorry for Conor Murray - captain one minute and the next he can’t get in the team!
    they have gone for the nippier Scot Price, he's less predictable than Murray but perhaps not as 'durable'

    The No8 Jack Conan is known not as the Barbarian but as Conan the Vegetarian .. he's gone a step further, he's a vegan
    What’s your prediction? I think SA by 10 points. 
    somewhere around there, I agree, BUT I'd just love to be totally wrong .. the Lions might try to be a bit flash and attack atrack attack .. Pollard, De Klerk and Le Roux will kick them to death (the ball into space, lol not the players .. we hope) and  the SA back row and centres will tackle them to a standstill and compete for every ruck and maul like fury .. as ever, we will see .. are you watching ?
    Yeah I’ll be watching. I love a lions tour, def up there with my favourite sporting things for sure - certainly on my bucket list. 
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    Ref is South African, just saying.
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    sralan said:
    Ref is South African, just saying.
    no an Aussie .. the replay man is a Bok and this has caused controversy as you'd expect .. the Kiwi who was appointed replay ref has withdrawn due to covid
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    Aah right
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    This 97 clip is awsome.  What a great film living with lions was. 
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    I think it’ll be close enough that we can win today but I don’t necessarily think we’ll win if that makes sense 
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    Think boks will score late to make it more convincing that it should be.
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    Well we can't  miss easy penalties like that.
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    Giving away silly penalties aswell. Very nip and tuck but SA look very dangerous. Itojie playing well breaking things up.
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    Just got good!
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    Great try and great start to 2nd half. 
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    Forward pass?
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    I bet he’s happy with that pass the prick
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    I bet he’s happy with that pass the prick
    He’s not really a prick...
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    Wow the SA TMO called that. That was tight 
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    Lucky call
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    Pass looked forward to me, but still lucky to get that overturned!
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    Unbelievable. 
    If someone said to me at half-time that we would be in front in the 2nd half I would have laughed at them
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    Still a long way to go though 
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    I thought Hamish Watson was going to yellowed there 
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    Farell looks of the pace a bit 
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