I Am Proud

The second test match took place Saturday 27th and sadly ended with a last kick of the game defeat for the Lions at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa.

The Lions lost the 1st test the week previous but on Saturday just gone the loss was somehow harder to take.

The south africans set the tone for the match on 38 seconds with a blatant eye gouging by flanker Schalk Burger on the Lions Luke Fitzgerald.
Despite being seen by the touch judge who reported it to the referee, the referee bottled the descision and only yellow crded the South African.

A hastily arranged disciplinary panel on the Sunday gave Burger an 8 match ban.
So 2 years for smoking dope...............and for intentionally attempting to blind someone you get 8 weeks......hum how odd!

In all my days involved with the game the eye gouging offence is an immediate red card. Another example of a referee who bottled it. And he was French so no bias .....sorry French and British ooops silly me.

The Lions were in full control of match 2, as opposed to match 1, where the forwards went missing for the first half before showing up for the second.

A respectable half time score of 8-16 to the Lions the second half promised to deliver.............it did and for the wrong reasons.
The loss to injury of the 2 prop forwards meant non contested scrums as its a specialist position. The scrum and the forwards where at this point in total control of the Springboks. Then the loss of Brian O'Driscoll meant the 3/4 line was lacking its normal punch. The springboks took advantage.

The Lions in my opinion have played the best rugby I have seen them play in all the years I have watched. Indeed others say for some 35 years.

However cynical play by the current world champions who lets be honest are famed for there foul, dirty cynical play or as other would say cheating, is again the order of the day.

The Lions have lost by a whole 8 points on this tour infront of fanatical fans and blatant bias refereeing coupled with diirty and foul play.

I for one am proud.

However there is 1 test to go and although the series is lost there are a few scores to be settled next Saturday. That requires a referee of some character to oversee that.

UPDATE In a typical act of South African mentality the head coach in responce to Burgers ban by the hastily arranged disciplinary panel comes out with this gem of wisdom.....tosser.