Peter Bills: Lions win credibility on de Villiers' substitution gamble

A series of extraordinary tactical changes by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers came crazily close to costing South Africa yesterday's test.

De Villiers took off too many key men too early and the Springboks very nearly paid the ultimate price. The Lions launched so roaring a recovery that 26-7 turned into 26-21 and it was the world champions who were left hanging on. Bewildering stuff.

For the fact is that until then, South Africa's massive physicality had carried all before it. And one moment, one single incident among a whirl of colour, noise and excitement at the ABSA stadium summed up the intrinsic difference between the teams.

The wonderfully brave, committed Lions flanker David Wallace took the ball into contact, dipping his head and body when he spied the South African reception committee awaiting him. Wallace was smashed by Bakkies Botha and a couple of his mates. It ended with Wallace being picked up and slung over big Bakkies' shoulder like some rabbit, in the poacher's bag.

Never has a sole image better exemplified the difference between two sides on a rugby field. Throughout a one-sided first hour, the Springboks were massively powerful, altogether quicker and more dynamic at the breakdown. Add the collective slaughter they inflicted upon Lions tighthead Phil Vickery which led to his lonely premature walk from the field after just 45 minutes, and you have the reasons the Springboks looked in a different class. "Beast" Mtawarira was simply immense in his tight scrummaging work and helped to wreck the Lions' scrum.

In case the onlooker needed more vivid evidence of the Springboks' overwhelming physical superiority, it came with two rolling mauls early in the second half, one leading to Heinrich Brussow's try. The Lions were impotent to stop the fearsome power of the Springbok pack - every time it washed right over them.

Was that the pack? What about Morne Steyn's hammering tackle on Lions wing Ugo Monye with seven minutes left which crashed the ball out of his arms and saved a certain try.

Without the firepower even to suggest parity was possible up front, the Lions played most of the test match on the back foot.

And if you wanted another illustration of why the Lions, pride of Northern Hemisphere rugby, were second best in Durban and flattered by the final scoreline, the flawed defensive cameo by wing Tommy Bowe just before half-time was another example.

Bowe turned about as slowly in defence as some ocean-going liner. In fairness to him, this was the pace at which he and so many players operate in Britain and Ireland. Bowe was consumed by the rapidly arriving attack, had to cling on to possession and conceded a penalty which Ruan Pienaar kicked for a 19-8 half-time lead. Until the crazy last quarter, the Lions did everything and thought about everything at a reduced pace compared with the South Africans.

At 26-7 after just 47 minutes, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers thought he could afford to take off Bakkies Botha and Jean de Villiers with almost 25 minutes still remaining. Others, especially key props John Smit and "Beast" Mtawarira, quickly followed. But, as is often the case, the substitutions wrecked South Africa's rhythm and their opponents played their best rugby of the match, giving a ridiculously one-sided slant to the final quarter.

The Lions backs, especially the brilliant Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts at centre, set up a thrilling surge which got the Lions so close. Absurdly, the hitherto dominant Springboks were left hanging on in desperation.

The Lions' challenge had been inadvertently weakened by the nonsensical decision not to play the test XV together at least once before the first international.

In truth, it had been little more than a decent training run-out for the world champions in the first hour.

Yet you could see, despite their massive superiority, they hadn't played for several weeks because there wasn't the precision or timing in much of their play.

Much may change next Saturday, not least the Springboks playing for the full 80 minutes.

* Peter Bills is a London-based writer for Independent News and Media