Win crucial in Lions context
13 Nov 2008
Gary Gold says an unbeaten run in the UK will provide great momentum ahead of the 2009 British & Irish Lions series.
The importance of the Scotland Test was confirmed on Tuesday when Peter de Villiers named an unchanged match 22. South Africa are looking to improve on their 20-15 victory in Cardiff and polish their performance before facing England on 22 November. Winning well at Twickenham will also send them into next season’s Lions series with a psychological edge.
The Boks should have no problems with Scotland regardless of their chosen playing style, but Gold told keo.co.za the significance of this fixture should not be underestimated.
“This game is not more important to Scotland than it is to us,” he said. “We always said this was going to be an important tour because we’re playing three of the four nations comprising that Lions side. So Scotland are going to come at us hammer and tongs because a lot of their players are trying to get into that team.”
Of the four home nations, Scotland should supply the fewest players. Several candidates will be facing the Boks at Murrayfield.
“Scotland may not be on form as a team, but they certainly have the individuals. Mike Blair should make the Lions tour, and I think players like Jason White, Simon Taylor and Chris Paterson will all be contenders.”
The Boks scrummed well against the Welsh in Cardiff, but Gold believes they’ll have to front up this weekend against an underrated Scotland pack.
“They were quite disruptive against the All Blacks scrum and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many scrum resets in a Test. They take pride in the forward battles and technically they’re very good at scrum time. It’s going to be a tough test in this department.”
11 Comments
13 Nov 2008, 16:03 pm
sharks!!!!
13 Nov 2008, 16:06 pm
Go Sweaties!!!
13 Nov 2008, 16:27 pm
SA by +20
13 Nov 2008, 16:28 pm
+30 If they take the pill wide rain or no rain
13 Nov 2008, 16:39 pm
Cardinelli, the errors aren’t as blatant as in your 2 earlier attempts today.
Firstly, you’re missing an apostrophe in the heading. Lions’ context not Lions context, as it is the context of the Lions i.e. possessive and plural.
Secondly, last paragraph, 1st line – either is is the All Black scrum (not All BlackS scrum) or the All Blacks’ scrum (again missining the apostrophe – for it to be plural possessive). I can’t decide which of the 2 is correct, but it certainly isn’t yours.
Anyone with a view?
13 Nov 2008, 16:43 pm
#5 Harry the beach walker:
Your error is probably pointing out his error
13 Nov 2008, 16:52 pm
if the boks insist on playing the helter skelter sort of rugby that is pdv’s vision but has let us down in the past we will lose to Scotland and be beaten soundly by the poms.
even if the weather is said to be dry in scotland the field will be wet and bloody freezing and not entirely suited to throwing the ball around and running everything.
13 Nov 2008, 17:15 pm
#6 Sheriff:
Or is my error pointing out yours?
14 Nov 2008, 07:15 am
#5 Harry the beach walker: jeez I mean I know we’re all suppose to kinda be rugby analysts on this site but I didn’t think we would be analysing the English level of our writers… John is human you know and I don’t really think little punctuation errors count in the big world- he knows his rugby and thats all that matters…
14 Nov 2008, 10:38 am
tarryn @ 9 – I was starting to agree with you up until the point that you said he knows his rugby. I have now summarily dismissed your chiding. In defence of this statement, i refer to all his articles wherein he has referred to the nebulous concept of “direct rugby”.
14 Nov 2008, 12:23 pm
#10 Harry the beach walker: listen… John is a really talented writer who knows his stuff- if you think you can do better than why not apply to Highbury Safika Media and try steal his job…but I can guarantee you won’t be as acknowledged in the rugby journalism circle as he is..
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