sort of General commanding the troops this Lions outfit tried to employ guerilla tactics and although getting some sort of advantage in the early skirmishes , lack of cohesion and discipline saw the Lions white flagging this one 39 – 29 in favor of the Highlanders.
What is so disappointing to the Lions fans is that they actually were leading after 25 minutes, 17 -6 and we were allowed a brief moment of elation as the impossible seemed to be possible. However with 10 minutes left of the first half the Lions rickety grasp on an unlikely victory vanished quicker than you can say “Earl Rose you are useless!” and the Highlanders led at the break 22-17.
What followed would have been comical if it wasn’t for the fact that millions has been paid to these players and staff to week in and week out manufacture some of the most uninspiring rugby in the country. There is no point going through the list of players because virtually all at some point managed to produce a ‘Shiti Moment of Failure’ and the amount of penalties just kept on piling up. You have to feel for guys like Doppies , Vermaak, Le Grange and Grobbelaar, they never surrendered but a few motivated soldiers made little difference to an weaponless army that is struggling to settle on any game plan.
It is inconceivable that the Lions can score 6 tries and still lose, but they did, allowing the ref to gift penalties and even a penalty try to the grateful Highlanders. No Lions this was terrible, and it is no use saying they only lost be 10 points, in the context of the game they lost by a lot more. Once again the 3 “D’s” came back to haunt them …Defense…Discipline and Earl Dose.
Ag shame we need to mention Rose just one more time. He came onto the park and within seconds he was proving everyone who thought he could play just how wrong they were. What underlined his lack of ability was the glorious dive to score a well worked try. With helmet in place, the gloved on gripped the ball and dived for glory. There was only the white chalk of the try line to stop him! But Earl you need to cling onto the ball man, try holding the ball without your BMX fashion accessories. We won’t even mention the sitter of a conversion that he missed either, what’s the point.
After all these matches I think the most confused man is Dick Muir, he must be the only one left who doesn’t know who his best players are yet. There is no point saying that the Lions can only play for pride now, there simply is not any pride left! The white flag is waving, there is no Automatic General, just a sad little cadet who has lost his way.
