Free State Cheetahs 24 British & Irish Lions 26:Lions coach Ian McGeechan won't have too many selection issues arising from this match as he watched the touring team struggle in much the same manner they did in the opening match against the Royal XV. The Cheetahs gave the Lions a 20 point start and came within a whisker of pick-pocketing the visitors, replacement outhalf Louis Strydom missing with a long range drop goal.
The Lions lacked fluency and accuracy for the most part and undermined a great deal of what they were trying to achieve by overpopulating the backline with forwards. The irony was they would have been better served at the breakdown where the Lions struggled once again. Joe Worsley carried well and made his usual quota of tackles but they missed a genuine seven.
Stephen Ferris had a fine game – he won man of the match – but will rue the 10 minutes which effectively brought the Cheetahs back into the match at a time when they looked like shipping a serious beating. Ross Ford’s throwing was a bit of an issue out of touch, the scrums were once again messy although the Lions looked the stronger unit while the breakdown was a disaster. The fact that nine of the team were starting for the first time invariably raises cohesion problems but they really did struggle with their patterns.
Paul O’Connell applied himself with his customary diligence, so too Donncha O’Callaghan while Ferris was equally good with and without possession. James Hook kicked flawlessly from placed ball opportunity but the Irish centre partnership didn’t get much opportunity, Keith Earls's try notwithstanding.
The Lions enjoyed pretty much the ideal start to the match, having survived a couple of early unforced errors. James Hook kicked a penalty on six minutes and then four minutes later Stephen Ferris scooped up a loose ball at the side of a ruck and raced 35 metres to touch down under the posts.
A double tackle by Luke Fitzgerald and Joe Worsley on Cheetahs’ fullback Hannie Daniller had forced the ball loose and Ferris reacted smartly to avail of the opportunity. Hook posted the conversion and the Welsh outhalf would convert a similarly non taxing chance on 16 minutes after Keith Earls scored the second try.
Hook was the architect with a neat chip over the defensive line and while there was a suggestion that Fitzgerald and Earls might have been ahead of the kicker, the young Munster centre collected the ball, stepped inside Daniller and accelerated away from the cover for a try.
When Hook added a second penalty it confirmed the Lions domination of the opening quarter and the 20-0 scoreline should have been the perfect fillip to see them kick on. Instead they were guilty of some sloppy fringe defence, an error compounded when Ferris basically committed a professional foul by lying on the ball inside the Lions 22. Referee Wayne Barnes reached for the yellow card and the Irishman could have few quibbles.
His 10 minute sabbatical on the sideline would prove to be very costly for the tourists as they conceded 14 points. Cheetah’s wing Danwel Demas had a simple run in after the Lions conceded a brace of penalties in quick succession. The home side opted for a lineout, survived a potential steal when Paul O’Connell got his hand to the ball, won the scrum and four rucks later swept to the short-side where they had a numerical advantage.
Jacques-Louis Potgieter converted and the outhalf was on target again with an even better effort from close to the touchline after a try from loosehead prop Wian du Preez. The Lions turned over ball again at a ruck – the balance in the backrow was an issue as the Lions turned over ball several times at the breakdown – in their own 22 and du Preez ran over Lee Byrne to score.
Hook and Potgieter exchanged penalties either side of the interval to leave the home side trailing 23-17 but the Lions looking increasingly uncomfortable. Once again the tourists had issues with regard to continuity, mistakes and discipline.
Fortunately Potgieter wasn’t as accurate as Hook, the Welshman maintaining his blemish free record with the boot when adding another penalty while the Cheetahs pivot failed with a similar strike. The Cheetahs were quicker to the breakdown and when the Lions did manage field position the backs’ lines of running were too often lateral.
The Lions forwards were also guilty of cluttering up the backline, too often forwards were slowing the transfer of ball or simply taking contact rather than exploiting space. There seems little point in picking fast backs with good feet if they are going to be denied the space to utilise those qualities.
Replacement outhalf Louis Strydom was to play a pivotal part in the final quarter of the match. He missed with a long range penalty, converted a try by centre Corne Uys who had intercepted a Shane Williams pass and ran 70 metres.
However, with the Lions clinging on for dear life at 26-24 Strydom dropped back into the pocket with 90 seconds left but his 45 metre drop goal was off target and the tourists survived, closing out the match when O’Connell managed a turnover that turned into a penalty.
A win, but a fortunate one.
Scoring sequence:6 mins: Hook penalty, 0-3; 10: Ferris try, Hook conversion, 0-10; 16: Earls try, Hook conversion, 0-17; 20: Hook penalty, 0-20; 25: Demas try, Potgieter conversion, 7-20; 34: du Preez try, Potgieter conversion, 14-20; 37: Hook penalty, 14-23. Half-time: 14-23. 42: Potgieter penalty, 17-23; 49: Hook penalty, 17-26; 73: Corne Uys try, Strydom conversion, 24-26.
Free State Cheetahs:H Daniller; D Demas, C Uys, M Bosman, JW Jonker; JL Potgieter, T de Bruyn; W du Preez, A Straas, K Calldo; N Breedt, D de Villiers; H Broussow, F Uys, H Scholtz.
Replacements:G Odendal for de Bruyn 45 mins; WP Nel for Calldo 46 mins; F Viljoen for Breedt 46 mins; L Strydom for Potgieter 60 mins; K Floors for Scholtz 63 mins.
Lions:L Byrne (Wales); L Halfpenny (Wales), K Earls (Ireland), L Fitzgerald (Ireland), S Williams (Wales); J Hook (Wales), H Ellis (England); A Sheridan (England), R Ford (Scotland), E Murray (Scotland); D O'Callaghan (Ireland), P O'Connell (Ireland, capt); S Ferris (Ireland), J Worsley (England), A Powell (Wales).
Replacements:M Rees (Wales) for Ford 63 mins; A Jones (Wales) for Murray 63 mins; N Hines (Scotland) for Worsley 67 mins; G D'Arcy (Ireland) for Fitzgerald 74 mins.
Referee:W Barnes (England)
Sin bin:S Ferris (Lions) 22 mins.
