"Shocker" - 5 potential Lions starters who didn't show up against South Africa A
Rugby NewsWednesday, 14 July 2021 at 21:48
It was a tough night at the office for Warren Gatland's men as the British & Irish Lions suffered a narrow 17-13 defeat against a very strong South Africa A side.
These five players did their chance of being named in the Test team against the Springboks on July 24th no favours with their individual performances:
#1. Owen Farrell
Wales Online (5/10): "Shocker of an opening saw Farrell miss a tackle, miss touch from a penalty and have a kick charged down as Nkosi raced clear for a try."
Telegraph (5): "Costly errors included a charge-down, an overcooked punt to touch and a misdirected cross-kick. Improved later but Test prospects will have been seriously damaged."
Rugby Pass (5): "It wasn’t all bad for Farrell but he looks like a player that’s lost his self-confidence and it’s affecting his execution."
Joe (6): "His lazy kick was charged down by Etzebeth then De Allende punked him with a blocking run for the Nkosi try."
Planet Rugby (5): "Kicked poorly out of hand in the early stages and was charged down by Eben Etzebeth for the opening try on a night when he took several big hits, but kept going."
Pundit Arena (5): "The Englishman’s blocked kick led to the South African’s first try, and while he did some good stuff, Farrell struggled to find gaps in an admittedly impressive opposition defence.:
#2. Conor Murray
Rugby Pass (5): "His box kicking was all over the shop in the first half and he was thoroughly outplayed by Faf de Klerk, who seemed to be operating on 1.5x speed when compared with the Munsterman"
Joe (5): "His captaincy was bold, at times, as he went for tries instead of penalties. But made an error not opting for a quick tap to go out wide - or a scrum when the hosts were down to 13 men."
Wales Online (5): "Not the greatest first half for Murray, either as a scrum-half or as a captain. Kicking wasn’t great and he should have chosen the scrum option rather than repeated pick-and-goes against 13-man opponents just before the break."
Telegraph (6): "The decision to tap a penalty with South Africa A reduced to 13 stung the Lions. One effective chip and chase but frantic moments as well."
#3. Bundee Aki
Rugby Pass (5): "Part of 9-10-12-13 axis that just didn’t really worry the South Africans, with the Lions ultimately reverting more and more to the boot as the game wore on."
Wales Online (6): "He tried hard to achieve go-forward but the Boks were having none of it. The centre spots are wide open."
#4. Iain Henderson
Telegraph (6): "Part of a pack that was overwhelmed by South Africa’s opening blast."
Wales Online (5): "South Africa A were relentlessly physical and Henderson wasn’t overly conspicuous, with just one metre made from five carries and only two tackles. The cavalry is arriving in the shape of Alun Wyn Jones, though."
Pundit Arena (6): "The Ulsterman had a quiet evening in Cape Town, and with the return of Alun Wyn Jones, a starting test place may now be out of Henderson’s reach."
Off The Ball (6): "After a great game in his last outing to being almost anonymous in this one, he will be worried about his place in the starting XV for the tests, particularly with the return of Alun Wyn Jones."
#5. Chris Harris
Rugby Pass (5.5): "Kolbe can make a fool of the best defender and it was Harris’ turn today."
Pundit Arena (6): "He missed a crucial tackle on Kolbe which led to Lukhanyo Am’s try, although he got one back on the South African winger when he trampled over him later on. Overall however, it wasn’t Harris’ greatest performance."
Wales Online (6): "Beforehand, Gatland had described Harris as ‘error free’. But the Scot’s usually watertight defence was ripped open by magical running from Cheslin Kolbe in build-up to Lukhanyo Am try."
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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