2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa
2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa | |
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Date | 30 May – 4 July |
Coach(es) | Ian McGeechan |
Tour captain(s) | Paul O'Connell |
Test series winners | South Africa (2–1) |
Top test point scorer(s) | Stephen Jones (39) |
Lions' top point scorer(s) | Stephen Jones (65) |
Top test try scorer(s) | Tom Croft (2) Shane Williams (2) |
Lions' top try scorer(s) | Ugo Monye (5) |
Player of the Series | Jamie Roberts |
2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa | |||||
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Summary |
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Total |
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Test match |
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Opponent |
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South Africa |
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The 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009.
The British & Irish Lions played a three-match Test series against South Africa, with matches in Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg, as well as matches against six provincial teams, and a match against the Emerging Springboks, South Africa's second national team. The Lions won all six provincial matches and drew with the Emerging Springboks, 13–13.
South Africa won the Test series, defeating the Lions 26–21 in the first Test, and then 28–25 in the second Test. The third Test was won by the Lions 28–9. The highlight of the series was the second Test, which the Lions led until the 76th minute, when they fell 25–22 behind. Stephen Jones then scored a penalty to tie the score at 25–25 with only two minutes left, but two minutes into injury time, Morné Steyn scored a 52-metre penalty kick to win the match for South Africa, 28–25.
The tour followed the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and preceded the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.
Background
[edit]The tour was confirmed by the South African Rugby Union on 21 September 2007. The Lions chief executive John Feehan stated in November 2007 that no home Test match would be played prior to departure, as had taken place in 2005, and that fewer players and personnel would go to South Africa than had gone to New Zealand in 2005.[1]
The Lions' tour manager was Gerald Davies,[2] the head coach was Ian McGeechan,[3] and the captain of the squad was Munster captain and Ireland lock, Paul O'Connell.[4]
The tour schedule was announced by the Lions and the South African Rugby Union (SARU) on 10 April 2008.[5] The final fixture confirmed was the game in Port Elizabeth; on 22 January 2009, SARU announced that they had received permission from the South African government to hold the match on the Youth Day national holiday on 16 June.[6] This match marked the debut of the Southern Kings, a franchise formed in the Southern and Eastern Cape region, following the failure of the Southern Spears.
Head coach Ian McGeechan had planned to take the Lions squad to the Spanish city of Granada, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains for a high-altitude training camp, but on 27 April he announced that it had been cancelled because of problems over player availability.[7] The Lions flew to South Africa on 24 May, arriving the following day.[8]
The format was similar to that of the Lions' 2005 tour of New Zealand. As in 2005, six games were played before the first Test, and a mid-week game between the first and second Tests; unlike 2005, there was no mid-week game between the second and third Tests. Due to its unpopularity, The Power of Four anthem was not used on the 2009 tour.[9]
Schedule
[edit]Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue |
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30 May | Royal XV | 25–37 | British & Irish Lions | Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg |
3 June | Golden Lions | 10–74 | British & Irish Lions | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
6 June | Free State Cheetahs | 24–26 | British & Irish Lions | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
10 June | Sharks | 3–39 | British & Irish Lions | Kings Park Stadium, Durban |
13 June | Western Province | 23–26 | British & Irish Lions | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
16 June | Southern Kings | 8–20 | British & Irish Lions | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
20 June | South Africa | 26–21 | British & Irish Lions | Kings Park Stadium, Durban |
23 June | Emerging Springboks | 13–13 | British & Irish Lions | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
27 June | South Africa | 28–25 | British & Irish Lions | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria |
4 July | South Africa | 9–28 | British & Irish Lions | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
Test series
[edit]First Test
[edit]South Africa won the first Test in Durban 26–21. Leading 19–7 at half-time and 26–7 after 50 minutes, the Springboks had dominated the scrum until the Lions made several substitutions. The Lions mounted a strong comeback, scoring late tries through Tom Croft and Mike Phillips, but South Africa held on. Inside the last ten minutes of the game, the Lions had two tries disallowed by the TMO. It was later described as an "unbelievable" Test match.[10]
Second Test
[edit]The second Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria was won by South Africa 28–25 with the last kick of the game – a penalty by Morné Steyn from inside his own half. The Lions had led 19–8 after an hour, but tries from Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie allowed South Africa to tie the score before Steyn's series-winning kick. It was described as "devastation" for the Lions, with the team ending the game "looking more like a scene from [American television series] ER as opposed to a rugby team".[11]
Controversy
[edit]The week of the third Test was marked by controversy and intense media interest surrounding the suspended Springbok players Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha after a very physical second Test.
Burger was yellow-carded in the first minute, after he appeared to gouge Luke Fitzgerald's eye. Burger was subsequently banned for eight weeks for "making contact with the face in the eye area." He was cleared of gouging, as his action was found to be "reckless" but not intentional.[12][13]
Burger was widely criticised, with many commentators believing he should have been sent off for the incident.[14][15] Brian O'Driscoll was among many who criticised South Africa coach Peter de Villiers after he said Burger's actions should not even have led to a yellow card.[16]
Bakkies Botha was banned for two weeks for a dangerous charge on prop Adam Jones, which left Jones with a dislocated shoulder.[17] SA Rugby expressed their confusion over the reasons for Botha's ban with the coach calling it a "textbook cleanout". An appeal was lodged but the initial ruling was upheld. Coaches and players expressed concern about the impact such an interpretation might have on a core component of the game, with Lions player Phil Vickery and forwards coach Warren Gatland lending their support to Botha's case.[18] The injured Jones himself later came out in defence of Botha saying:
- "Botha shouldn't have been banned for it, nowhere near it. I don't have any complaints. He just cleared me out of the ruck and I got caught. Everyone counter-rucks nowadays and, if anything, I was in the wrong place. He just hit me and I was unlucky. So I was surprised to see he got banned. I know we didn't cite him so I don't know why the independent commissioner did. It was just a fair ruck from a hard player. When I have met him before he seems like a tidy enough bloke so I'm not seeing it as anything malicious."[19][20]
The Springboks came out for the third Test wearing white armbands with the words "Justice 4" on, in protest over perceived inconsistencies in the citing process.[21] This protest was investigated by the IRB for allegedly "bringing the game in disrepute", and the team and management were fined accordingly.[22]
Third Test
[edit]The Lions won the third Test on 4 July at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, beating the Springboks 28–9, in what The Times called "one of the best and most heroic performances in the history of the Lions".[23] Having already won the series, the Springbok squad saw 10 changes from the previous week, and the Lions also saw substantial changes. The Lions led from the start, and Shane Williams scored two tries.[24] England lock Simon Shaw was sin-binned for striking Springboks scrum-half Fourie du Preez with his knee in this test and received a two-week ban as a result.[25] This was the first Test victory for the Lions in eight years, their last being in Brisbane in 2001.[26][27]
Jamie Roberts was voted the Lions' sponsors' 'Player of the Series' by British and Irish journalists.[28]
Results
[edit]- All times are local (UTC+2)
30 May 2009 15:00 |
Royal XV | 25–37 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Koch 17' c Barnes 26' m Roux 65' c Con: Olivier Viljoen Pen: Olivier (2) 9', 23' | Report[29] | Try: Bowe 38' c Byrne 67' c A.W. Jones 75' c O'Gara 79' c Con: O'Gara (4) Pen: O'Gara (3) 6', 42', 72' |
Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg Attendance: 12,352[30] Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)[31] |
3 June 2009 19:10 |
Golden Lions | 10–74 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Frolick 36' c Con: Pretorius Pen: Pretorius 14' | Report[32] | Try: Roberts (2) 6' c, 40' c O'Driscoll 10' c Monye (2) 21' m, 68' c Croft 29' c Bowe (2) 47' c, 57' c Hook 74' c Ferris 80' c Con: S. Jones (6/7) Hook (3/3) Pen: S. Jones (2) 12', 17' |
Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 22,218[30] Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)[31] |
6 June 2009 15:00 |
Free State Cheetahs | 24–26 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Demas 25' c du Preez 33' c Uys 72' c Con: Potgieter (2) Strydom Pen: Potgieter 41' | Report[33] | Try: Ferris 10' c Earls 16' c Con: Hook (2/2) Pen: Hook (4) 5', 19', 37', 49' |
Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein Attendance: 23,710[30] Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)[31] |
10 June 2009 19:10 |
Sharks | 3–39 | British & Irish Lions |
Pen: Kockott 29' | Report[34] | Try: Mears 22' c Phillips 41' m Fitzgerald 59' c Byrne 67' c Heaslip 80' c Con: O'Gara (3/4) Hook (1/1) Pen: O'Gara (2) 48', 52' |
ABSA Stadium, Durban Attendance: 21,530[30] Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)[31] |
13 June 2009 15:00 |
Western Province | 23–26 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Pietersen 63' m Pen: De Waal (4/5) 3', 40+2', 47', 60' Drop: De Waal (1/1) 19' Pietersen (1/2) 27' | Report[35] | Try: Bowe 28' m Monye 35' c M. Williams 55' m Con: S. Jones (1/3) Pen: S. Jones (2/3) 6', 11' Hook (1/2) 77' |
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 34,176[30] Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)[31] |
16 June 2009 15:00 |
Southern Kings | 8–20 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Mbiyozo 71' m Pen: Van der Westhuyzen 1' | Report[36] | Try: Monye 49' c Penalty try 68' c Con: O'Gara (2/2) Pen: O'Gara (2/3) 26', 43' |
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth Attendance: 35,883[30] Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)[31] |
First Test
20 June 2009 15:00 |
South Africa | 26–21 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Smit 5' c Brüssow 46' c Con: Pienaar (2/2) Pen: Pienaar (3/4) 11', 32', 35' F. Steyn (1/2) 20' | Report[37] | Try: Croft (2) 22' c, 67' c Phillips 74' c Con: S. Jones (3/3) |
ABSA Stadium, Durban Attendance: 47,813[30] Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)[31] |
Team details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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23 June 2009 19:10 |
Emerging Springboks | 13–13 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Demas 80' c Con: De Waal (1/1) Pen: Rose (2/4) 37', 49' | Report[38] | Try: Earls 15' c Con: O'Gara (1/1) Pen: O'Gara (1/2) 8' Hook (1/1) 77' |
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town Attendance: 39,418[30] Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)[31] |
Second Test
27 June 2009 15:00 |
South Africa | 28–25 | British & Irish Lions |
Try: Pietersen 12' m Habana 63' c Fourie 74' c Con: M. Steyn (2/2) Pen: F. Steyn (1/2) 40+1' M. Steyn (2/2) 68', 80+1' | Report[39] | Try: Kearney 7' c Con: S. Jones (1/1) Pen: S. Jones (5/5) 3', 15', 61', 70', 78' Drop: S. Jones (1/1) 36' |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Attendance: 52,511[30] Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)[31] |
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Third Test
4 July 2009 15:00 |
South Africa | 9–28 | British & Irish Lions |
Pen: M. Steyn (3/3) 12', 40+1', 68' | Report[40] | Try: S. Williams (2) 25' m, 33' c Monye 54' c Con: S. Jones (2/3) Pen: S. Jones (3/4) 9', 72', 73' |
Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg Attendance: 58,318 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)[31] |
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Lions squad
[edit]The Lions announced a 37-man squad on 21 April 2009. Before the start of the tour Tomás O'Leary, Tom Shanklin and Jerry Flannery all withdrew because of injuries and Alan Quinlan was suspended. During the tour, Leigh Halfpenny, Stephen Ferris, Euan Murray, Lee Byrne, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll, as well as Ferris' replacement Ryan Jones, were forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury.[41] Nathan Hines was suspended for one week because of a dangerous tackle against the Emerging Springboks.[42]
Player | Position | Home union | Club | Notes |
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Jerry Flannery | Hooker | Ireland | Munster | Originally selected; withdrew before tour due to injury; replaced by Ross Ford |
Ross Ford | Hooker | Scotland | Edinburgh | Replacement for Jerry Flannery before tour |
Lee Mears | Hooker | England | Bath | |
Matthew Rees | Hooker | Wales | Scarlets | |
John Hayes | Prop | Ireland | Munster | Replacement for Euan Murray during tour |
Gethin Jenkins | Prop | Wales | Cardiff Blues | |
Adam Jones | Prop | Wales | Ospreys | Withdrew due to injury during tour |
Euan Murray | Prop | Scotland | Northampton Saints | Withdrew due to injury during tour; replaced by John Hayes |
Tim Payne | Prop | England | London Wasps | Replacement due to injury to Andrew Sheridan during tour |
Andrew Sheridan | Prop | England | Sale Sharks | |
Phil Vickery | Prop | England | London Wasps | |
Nathan Hines | Lock | Scotland | Perpignan | Suspended for a week for a dangerous tackle against the Emerging Springboks |
Alun Wyn Jones | Lock | Wales | Ospreys | |
Donncha O'Callaghan | Lock | Ireland | Munster | |
Paul O'Connell (c) | Lock | Ireland | Munster | |
Simon Shaw | Lock | England | London Wasps | |
Tom Croft | Flanker | England | Leicester Tigers | Replacement for Alan Quinlan before tour |
Stephen Ferris | Flanker | Ireland | Ulster | Originally selected; withdrew due to injury during tour; replaced by Ryan Jones |
Ryan Jones | Flanker | Wales | Ospreys | Replacement for Stephen Ferris; withdrew on arrival in South Africa due to previous injury |
Alan Quinlan | Flanker | Ireland | Munster | Originally selected; suspended before tour; replaced by Tom Croft |
David Wallace | Flanker | Ireland | Munster | |
Martyn Williams | Flanker | Wales | Cardiff Blues | |
Joe Worsley | Flanker | England | London Wasps | |
Jamie Heaslip | Number eight | Ireland | Leinster | |
Andy Powell | Number eight | Wales | Cardiff Blues | |
Mike Blair | Scrum-half | Scotland | Edinburgh | Replacement for Tomás O'Leary before tour |
Harry Ellis | Scrum-half | England | Leicester Tigers | |
Tomás O'Leary | Scrum-half | Ireland | Munster | Originally selected; withdrew before tour due to injury; replaced by Mike Blair |
Mike Phillips | Scrum-half | Wales | Ospreys | |
James Hook | Fly-half | Wales | Ospreys | Replacement for Leigh Halfpenny before tour |
Stephen Jones | Fly-half | Wales | Scarlets | |
Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | Ireland | Munster | |
Gordon D'Arcy | Centre | Ireland | Leinster | Replacement due to injuries among backs |
Keith Earls | Centre | Ireland | Munster | |
Riki Flutey | Centre | England | London Wasps | |
Brian O'Driscoll | Centre | Ireland | Leinster | Withdrew due to injury during tour |
Jamie Roberts | Centre | Wales | Cardiff Blues | Named the 2009 Lions Player of the Series |
Tom Shanklin | Centre | Wales | Cardiff Blues | Originally selected; withdrew before tour due to injury |
Tommy Bowe | Wing | Ireland | Ospreys | |
Luke Fitzgerald | Wing | Ireland | Leinster | |
Leigh Halfpenny | Wing | Wales | Cardiff Blues | Originally selected; joined tour late due to injury; replaced by James Hook; withdrew due to recurrent injury |
Ugo Monye | Wing | England | Harlequins | |
Shane Williams | Wing | Wales | Ospreys | |
Lee Byrne | Fullback | Wales | Ospreys | Withdrew during tour due to injury |
Rob Kearney | Fullback | Ireland | Leinster |
Lions management
[edit]23 backroom staff were appointed by the Lions, slightly down from the 26 on the 2005 tour to New Zealand. The Lions reverted to having only one management structure, rather than a separate team for the midweek side. The tour manager was former Wales and Lions player Gerald Davies.[43]
Coaches
[edit]Name | Role | Home union | Nationality |
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Ian McGeechan | Head Coach[43] | Scotland | Scotland |
Warren Gatland | Forwards Coach[43] | Wales | New Zealand |
Graham Rowntree | Scrummaging Coach[43] | England | England |
Rob Howley | Attack Coach[43] | Wales | Wales |
Shaun Edwards | Defence Coach[43] | Wales | England |
Neil Jenkins | Kicking Coach | Wales | Wales |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Cleary, Mick (21 November 2007). "South Africa to see leaner-looking Lions". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "Davies named 2009 Lions manager". BBC Sport. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "McGeechan given Lions coach role". 14 May 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "O'Connell handed Lions captaincy". BBC Sport. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ "Lions announce itinerary for 2009 tour to South Africa" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 10 April 2008. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
- ^ "Final British & Irish Lions tour date confirmed" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 22 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Mairs, Gavin (27 April 2009). "Lions cancel altitude training camp in Spain". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ Austin, Simon (24 May 2009). "Lions squad land in South Africa". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
- ^ "S Africa 26-21 Lions - Live". Sky Sports. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014.
- ^ "Expert View: South Africa v Lions". RTÉ. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Expert Analysis: South Africa 28–25 Lions". RTÉ. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Rugby: Burger cleared of eye-gouging accusation – Sport – NZ Herald News". The New Zealand Herald. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ Chillies Website Architects. "OFM Sport | Schalk Burger cleared of eye-gouging". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ "Saru, De Villiers apologise for eye-gouging comments – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source". Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ Edwards, Shaun (29 June 2009). "Schalk Burger's gouging was despicable and he should have been dismissed". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ "O'Driscoll blasts de Villiers". RTÉ. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Botha banned for charge on Jones". RTÉ. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Lions offer solace to Springbok Botha over ban". MSN sports. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Planet Rugby | Rugby Union Tournaments | British & Irish Lions | Botha exonerated by Adam Jones". Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
- ^ "WalesOnline – RugbyNation – News – Bakkies Botha hit was just one of those things, says Adam Jones". Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
- ^ "IRB to investigate Springboks' Bakkies Botha protest". The Guardian. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "Springboks fined over 'Justice for Bakkies' armband protest". The Guardian. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ Jones, Stephen (4 July 2009). "Lions restore pride with record-equalling win". The Times. London. Retrieved 5 July 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Williams sparks pride-salvaging Lions win over Boks". Khaleej Times. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Shaw cited for dangerous play". RTÉ. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "South Africa 9–28 Lions (RTÉ)". RTÉ. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "O'Connell proud that Lions 'dug deep'". RTÉ. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Roberts awarded top Lions honour". BBC Sport. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
- ^ "Royal XV 25-37 Lions". BBC News. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Heartbreak on the Highveld". 27 June 2009. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Referees for Lions' tour". sareferees.co.za. SA Rugby Referees. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Golden Lions 10-74 Lions". BBC News. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Cheetahs 24-26 Lions". BBC News. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Sharks 3-39 Lions". BBC News. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Western Province 23-26 Lions". BBC News. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Southern Kings 8-20 Lions". BBC News. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "South Africa 26-21 Lions". BBC News. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Emerging Springboks v Lions as it happened". BBC News. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "South Africa 28-25 Lions". BBC News. 27 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "South Africa 9-28 Lions". BBC News. 4 July 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Injured Byrne out of Lions tour". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 25 June 2009.
- ^ "Banned Hines misses out for Lions". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f www.lions-tour.com. "The 2009 British & Irish Lions Management Team". Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.