"I CHOOSE VIOLENCE" - Boks vs Lions War Of Words

Ah! The buildup to the first Lions Test match on tour; always characterised by politicking between the teams, among the fans and stoked by the media. What more can one ask for as the anticipation reaches a climax!

The press and social media have made for fascinating reading as the Springboks and British & Irish Lions jostle for a psychological one-up before the kickoff on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium, and I have needlessly gone through the trouble of trawling through the inter-web for gems, turds and red herrings...

Warren Gatland © BBC Wales

The tourists are said to be royally pissed after it was announced that South Africa Marius Jonker was appointed by World Rugby to take over TMO duties from New Zealand's Brendon Pickerill, who withdrew because of COVID-19-related travel issues. Neutral match officials are a non-negotiable in a series of such significance, meaning World Rugby technically should have a contingency plan, so I do kinda understand why Warren Gatland and co. would spit the proverbial dummy. We also wonder if the tears are also as a direct result of the divisive Jonker not advising Jaco Peyper to send off Faf de Klerk for a high shot in the Lions' loss to SA 'A' (the Binneplaas Bokke) last week Wednesday. Wipe your eyes.

Morne Steyn and Rassie Erasmus © Getty Images

Pouring petrol over lit fires (too soon, fellow South Africans?) was former Test referee Alain Rolland, who put an already beleaguered World Rugby under the microscope by stating that SARU Director of Rugby and former-head-coach-and-now-waterboy Rassie Erasmus should not be allowed on the pitch in any capacity during stoppages in play. Awkward. Sharp legal eagles pointed out that technically, meneer Erasmus was doing nothing wrong, and simply replicating what medical staff and other team staff tend to do when relaying messages from the coaching booth onto the field. Trust Rassie to find a way to antagonise the puritans... he was the dude who gave us the disco light fiasco during his entertaining tenure at the Cheetahs, after all!

Cheslin Kolbe © EPA

In what appears to be friendly fire, Sir Clive Woodward is of the opinion that Cheslin Kolbe might just show Scottish-sounding Duhan Van Der Merwe flames in the much-anticipated battle of the outside backs. Kolbe is arguably the best player on earth right about now, while van der Merwe is the form left winger in European rugby, so Sir Clive's words make for a tasty opinion which should spice up an eagerly anticipated one-on-one contest. Just know that Kolbe has already left a trail of broken ankles in his wake...

In straw-clutchery of the highest order, Lions coach Gatland claimed that the visitors had dented the hosts' ego despite losing 13-17 to the Binneplaas Bokke in the unofficial Test. He cited a good lineout and scrum performance, good maul defence as well as general physicality as the basis for his assertion. I gather he developed amnesia about the fact that they could only muster up a a solitary try against a team that was blown off the park by Jaco Peyper, including playing with 14 men for 20 demanding minutes. 

Let the games begin!