British and Irish Lions vs South Africa LIVE: Result, final score and reaction from third Test in Cape Town
Follow all the fallout from the third Test in Cape Town
Morne Steyn stepped off the bench to break British and Irish Lions hearts for a second time by landing a late penalty to clinch a dramatic series victory for South Africa
Steyn hit the target with a minute left to snatch a 19-16 victory for the Springboks in an unbearably tense third and final Test at Cape Town Stadium. In a cruel twist of fate, the 37-year-old also sealed the fate of the 2009 Lions when he booted another late penalty that gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in a 28-25 win in the second Test.
Inspired by Finn Russell who had replaced the injured Dan Biggar, the Lions produced their best rugby of the series in a first-half they lit up with off-loads, tempo and ambition. The only concern was that Ken Owens’ 19th-minute try as part of a 10-6 interval lead was a disappointing return given the time spent in the opposition 22 and so it proved in a tense third quarter dominated by the Springboks.
Cheslin Kolbe struck with a brilliant finish to propel South Africa back in front and set-up a nerve-shredding climax to the series as Russell, Handre Pollard and then Steyn took over from the kicking tee. But trailing 16-13, the Lions rolled the dice by opting for touch instead of another three points and the gamble backfired when a scrum won after they had been held up over the line saw the Springboks win a penalty to relieve the pressure.
They did not make the same mistake twice, however, with Russell completing a long-range attempt to level the score with five minutes left, but there was still time for Steyn to strike.
Relive the deciding third Test in Cape Town:
Lions vs South Africa: Back five start again
You would have got reasonably long odds on all five of the back five forwards that started the First Test for the Lions also lining up together here, but it is once again the same quintet favoured by Warren Gatland despite an attritional series. None of the five did anything to play themselves out of a shirt, really, and a couple had departed as South Africa surged away, but having been so thoroughly beaten, a change might have beeen anticipated. Courtney Lawes confronts different, though no less imposing, blindside opposition and has had his say on the decider:
Courtney Lawes urges Lions not to get drawn into a dog fight with South Africa
The success of the entire tour hinges on Saturday’s final chapter when the rivals clash for the third time at Cape Town Stadium.
Lions vs South Africa: The Springboks’ defence
Since conceding twice against New Zealand in their World Cup opener in 2019, the Jacques Nienaber drilled defensive unit have conceded three tries in nine games. They are a ferocious, relentless unit with a rapid outside blitz but one that stays remarkably connected. They will have to adjust without Faf de Klerk, who excels in a roaming role injecting himself to add an extra man, and Pieter-Steph du Toit, but they were at their dismantling best last week. The Lions will look to fire more shots, you would think, but wishing to do so and actually being able to achieve it are very different things against a defence so dominant.
Of the list below, included are three of the Springboks’ last five Tests - last weekend, and the World Cup semi-final and final against Wales and England. Fearsome stuff.
Lions vs South Africa: Warren Gatland’s bench built to be decisive
As mentioned, there are six changes to the starting Lions side but there are three players newly among the matchday 23 on the bench who also catch the eye. Adam Beard, Sam Simmonds and fit-again Finn Russell are also set for Test debuts in Lions red at some point this afternoon.
The inclusions of Russell and Simmonds suggest that they are keen to ask different questions later on, perhaps with greater ability to attack the Springboks’ outstanding defence wide with Russell’s creativity and distribution and Simmonds’ explosive carrying. Beard, meanwhile, is the demolition man, picked out as a maul destroyer in the hope that he may be able to combat the South African maul that so steamrollered the path to victory in the final quarter seven days ago.
Lions vs South Africa: Jacques Nienaber speaks
The Springboks’ head coach has been the coolest head throughout the tour and appears typically imperturbable as he takes questions from Sky Sports:
“This is one of the two biggest matches you will ever play in your life along with a World Cup final. The emotional energy was big last week and big in the first game as well. It is something that we have to create, but this is probably one of the two biggest matches you could play in your life.
“For us, we are very much process driven. Irrespective of who we play, our preparation goes from the Sunday straight through to the Friday exactly the same.”
Lions vs South Africa: Springboks missing two key men
There are just the three (two personnel, one position) changes for the hosts but it is they who might consider themselves more significantly weakened. Neither reigning World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit nor Faf de Klerk, so fundamental to Jacques Nienaber’s side in defence and attack, are fit enough to play any part.
That means a reshuffle in the back five of the pack, though one that proved mighty effective after Lood de Jager’s introduction in the second half last time around. The hulking second row starts alongside Eben Etzebeth in the engine room with Franco Mostert sliding to the blindside. Cobus Reinach leapfrogs Herschel Jantjies to start in de Klerk’s stead - there are few sharper scrum-halves around than the Montpellier man but the Springboks will lose a little bit of control with the boot, and Reinach doesn’t quite bring the same defensive intensity as the man he is replacing.
Lions vs South Africa: Warren Gatland makes changes
After a performance that the Lions will have wished to forget last Saturday, there are six changes to Warren Gatland’s starting side. Of those, Josh Adams, Liam Williams and Wyn Jones were always tipped to have roles to play as Gatland seeks to shore up set-piece and aerial deficiencies that may again decide the contest. Ken Owens’ previous collaborations with Jones means he is favoured at hooker despite some lineout misfires from the bench in the Second Test.
The other changes hint more at stylistic alterations: Ali Price is back to add a little extra tempo around the base, while Robbie Henshaw is reunited with Bundee Aki in midfield. Aki is more than a crash-and-bash merchant but you can be certain that the Lions will be keen to avoid conceding the gainline as regularly as they did a week ago, and the centre should aid efforts in that sense.
Lions vs South Africa: Teams in focus
Little more than an hour now until referee Mathieu Raynal’s whistle sends the two sets of players into battle at Cape Town Stadium for a third and final time. Let’s take a closer look at the two sides tasked with achieving series victory...
Lions vs South Africa: Third Test
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Lions vs South Africa: The decider
On such occasions legacies and legends can be defined. For the last time for four years it is a British and Irish Lions matchday; a fraught tour of unrest in every possible sense, contested in the strangest circumstances, has reached its denouement, and it all comes down to this. 80 minutes stand between the Lions and South Africa and series victory - and with twelve years to wait and chew upon what occurs before these two meet again, there is plenty on the line.
South Africa criticised for boring style
Despite their effective style, many have described Rassie Erasmus’ side as boring, but his assistant Mzwandile Stick has hit back at their critics: “I am not too sure (what you mean) when you say we were slowing the game down. But once again, remember the person that is in charge of the whistle is the ref.
“When the ball is in play, I think all of our players they make sure that they give their best and I don’t recall one of our players doing anything intentional to slow the play down and people must understand the TMO (television match official) is part of the game. If it takes two minutes to make a decision, they need two minutes, unfortunately that is not in our control.
“If they (the Lions) want to lift the tempo up, that is their plan; if we want to slow the ball down and make it boring, we’ll do that - as other people are saying we’re playing boring rugby. But from our side, we don’t go into a game intentionally to say we want to slow things down.”
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