by Brendan Cole
(Press F5 or Ctrl+Shift+Refresh for latest update)
FULL-TIME: SOUTH AFRICA 28-25 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
77 mins Two minutes to come....can the Lions snatch this?
Restart is scappily claimed by the Lions.
Box kicked and Du Preez dummies Luke Fitzgerald and makes yards.
Boks then run it again and Adi Jacobs is almost through. Drop goal is the likely option with Morne Steyn lining it up.
He misses it short.
Kearney takes it and runs it back towards the Boks before kicking.....very good and it is in the Boks 22.
Steyn then finds a superb kick behind O'Gara.
O'Gara runs it back before up and undering it and he TAKES FOURIE IN THE AIR!
Penalty is called just inside the halfway line and Steyn will take a shot.
He gets it - Boks win the match and series.
76 mins Pen was for a high tackle by Bekker on Jones.
Jones will take the penalty though......he gets it!!!!!
75 mins Lions have advantage having moved the ball from the back through a few phases.
Penalty is called out on the left hand side.
Decision is to go for the sticks........
South Africa 25-22 Lions
74 mins Steyn then nails the conversion from right in the corner.
73 mins Looks like touch - right foot in touch possibly. TMO is taking his time.........
Confusion over who owns which foot and it is taking ages - so tight........
Given a try!
Huge thump in the guts for the Lions.
73 mins Huge moment....lineout is 10 from the Lions line.
Boks win the lineout but it is loose and has to be tidied up. They move it left with strong carrying.
Moved right next and the Boks have numbers. Jaque Fourie is suddenly over in the corner but it is TMO time........
72 mins Boks move it right and Shaw gives away a penalty for riding up the tackle on 'The Beast'.
Johm Smit comes in looking for a card - disgrace!
The Boks kick to the corner.......points were on.
71 mins Habana takes it in the middle but Bowe tackles him well.
70 mins Shaw takes the restart well under a challenge.
Phillips then kicks long. Lions chase is good O'Connell then claims the ball at the heart.
Boks get it straight back through Brussow - good turnover.
They shift it right but it is shoved into touch in frenetic circumstances. Lineout Boks inside the Liions half.
South Africa 18-22 Lions
69 mins Jones puts it over - back to four points.
68 mins Martyn Williams on for Wallace - no injury.
Ronan O'Gara is in for Roberts.
Accidental offside from the restart. Scrum Lions on the 22.
Lions move it right and Burger is pinged for offside - huge offside by him and it is daft play. Lions will have a shot from nearly dead in front.
South Africa 18-19 Lions
67 mins Jamie Roberts has not been forced to go off.
Steyn will take the shot - he........gets it.
One point game.
65 mins Shaw wins it but the Boks disrupt it and take the ball.
They kick to Kearney who hesitates before being wrapped up. Rucking penalty is called on the Lions.
Unbelievably, Du Plessis decides on a tap and go. Bizarre play by the Boks hooker.
He is turned over almost immediately by a sharp quick ruck.
Lions then get a penaly.
Jones misses touch with it though and the Boks run it back. Penalty is then given against the Lions for another rucking offence.
Boks will have a shot this time.......
63 mins Boks claim the restart and punt it to near the halfway.
Brian O'Driscoll has been forced off with Shane Williams on for him - not good.
South Africa 15-19 Lions
62 mins Scrum is on the 22.
Du Preez picks it up and passes to Habana who speeds up the heart of the Boks defence for a try.
There was a huge lane up the middle for Habana - possibly blocking.
Steyn converts it.
61 mins Discussion centres on whether the tackle was illegal - not for my money.
Shuddering hit and Roussouw fell over backwards. Hard to get your arms into the man when you bounce off him.
Lineout Lions is the result - play continued and ended with a Bok being shoved into touch.
Shaw wins it but it is called crooked in. Boks scrum.
61 mins Boks get the kick-off and are running it near the Lions 22. Brian O'Driscoll then puts a massive hit on Danie Roussouw - what a collision!
Roussouw staggers and falls when trying to get up.
Sensational hit by O'Driscoll - lined him up and just gave it 100%
Both men are down and Roussouw may well have to come off.
South Africa 8-19 Lions
60 mins Stephen Jones puts it straight and true down the middle. Pienaar is off for Morne Steyn.
58 mins Lions move it right without making huge gains.
Ruck ball and John Smit gives an ill disciplined penalty away for reaching for the ball at the back of a Lions ruck.
Not out says Berdos and it is a penalty to the Lions.......inside the Boks half and out on the right.
58 mins Shaw takes at the front.
Phillips box kicks and Fitzgerald gets underneath it and forces a knock on - more superb work by him.
Bekker and Roussouw - big lads - are on for Juan Smith and Bakkies Botha.
56 mins Boks get through two phases but then knock on.....
Scrum Lions on their own 22.
Box kick by Phillips and Steyn takes.
Up and under is taken by Kearney and he runs it before chipping. Steyn finds a good touch but Fitzgerald takes it quickly and Phillips clears it.
Boks run it again before Jacobs kicks it low and into touch in the Lions half.
55 mins Spies picks and goes and hands off Croft with ease.
Moved back left next and Habana takes a lovely line and is only just downed by Phillips with a chance on - plenty of defenders but Habana had a head of steam up.......
Scrum is called at the next ruck.
Jean De Villiers is off for Jaque Fourie.
53 mins 'Morne, Morne, Morne' is (I think) the crowd's chant.....they want Morne Steyn, the Blue Bulls 10, to replace Pienaar.
Scrum ball is moved wide. O'Driscoll then makes a slashing charge up the middle, getting to the heart of the Boks team before being down.....Roberts charges it up next and this time he gets up a head of steam.
Moved back left next but it goes down with the Lions fearing the big pass due to the intercept threat.
Morne Steyn is set to come on.
53 mins Boks take the restart on halfway. A-W Jones tackles Spies. Pick and go attempt follows but they knock it on.
52 mins Pienaar has a shot but misses again from inside the Lions half.
51 mins Won by Croft. Chipped by Jones and Habana fails to take it and Alun-Wyn Jones takes it but it is brought back by the ref for him being in front of the kicker.
50 mins Heaslip picks and feeds Roberts charging up. Kearney gets it next and kicks into the Boks 22 where Steyn marks it.
He kicks it into the Lions half - lineout.
49 mins Boks take the 22 and run it down the right. Lions going for intercepts but not quite getting them. Moved to the far wing where Pietersen takes on Fitzgerald. Is tackled by the cover with Fitzgerald forcing the SA win inside.
Shaw then steps through the ruck and gets a boot to Du Preez' pass. Goes to Adi Jacobs who then spills it and knocks on.
Scrum time (uncontested) just inside the Lions half.
49 mins Just misses to the right.
47 mins Lineout on halfway is won and they set a maul. Doesn't work out and Burger runs it. Rees is then called for tackling him around the neck.
Pienaar will have a shot at goal from inside the Lions half.
45 mins Alun-Wyn Jones on.
Lions win the lineout through Shaw and box kick.
Bowe's pressure sees them win it and they move the ball right through O'Driscoll.
Is turned over by the Boks but the Boks clearance effort is then charged down inside their 22.
Chaos again but Shaw is pinged for being offside.
Punted out by the Boks.
45 mins Adam Jones is also having to be taken off. Not sure what's wrong with him. Shoulders and left arm.
Will be uncontested scrums.......pity, as the Lions were on top in the scrums.
42-45 mins Juan Smith wins it at the tail. Burger crashes up but is stopped by Heaslip on the 22. Good hit.
Kicked out of the 22. Kearney hoists it back and Bowe hits Du Preez.
Adi Jacobs then kicks it and gets a very nice bounce. Fitzgerald returns it but big ground has been lost with the ball rolling into the Lions 22.
Fitzgerald kicks it to Steyn - he runs it back then and crashes into the Lions half. Moved left by the Boks backs.
Lions turn over another one out on the left and in their 22.
Booted clear but the Boks run back again. Big hits by the Lions but the Boks retain and move the ball from one wing to the other.
Long sequence of plays. Lions turn it over again and Jones punts to the corner. Returned by Steyn into the Lions half.....good kick by him.
Gethin Jenkins is down - clash of heads possibly with Brian O'Driscoll's head.
He walks off with a bad cut over his right eye.
41 mins Pienaar kicks off. Shaw takes, shipping a heavy shot from Matfield but he hangs on.
Kicked and returned a good few times.....cagey stuff.
Kearney ends it with a stunner into the corner - moment of class brings from him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stunning half from the Lions but the Boks are not out of it and Du Preez and Habana are very dangerous.
Kearney has had one of the best halfs of fielding you will ever see.
The Boks are packing midfield - opposite O'Driscoll and Roberts - but the pack and wings are making hay. Huge half coming up; the Lions can do it.........
Half-time: SOUTH AFRICA 8-16 LIONS
South Africa 8-16 Lions
40 mins Steyn's shot is.....good.
39 mins Scrum is right in the centre of the field.
Solid scrum for the Lions.
Lions move it right but it is given as obstruction (accidental) - Roberts, BOD and Jones trying the Leinster run-around move.
Boks will have a shot through Steyn from 5 yards inside the Boks half.
37 mins Free kick for an illegal procedure - man left the lineout before it ended and rejoined.
Kearney punts it but Habana keeps it in.
Du Preez puts it high and Kearney fields it again.
Jones then kicks it high to the Boks half. They run it and knock on - Steyn not taking it from Du Preez.
Scrum Lions just inside the Boks half.
35 mins Bowe catches and Habana launches himself hard into the Irish winger......what a hit but Bowe held on and sets it up.
Cleared by Jones.
Du Preez up and unders and Kearney takes another phenomenal high catch.
Roberts clears it but it was passed from outside the 22 to in and it is Boks ball just inside the Lions 22.
South Africa 5-16 Lions
33 mins Scrum wheels the whole way round - Berdos not interested - and the Boks barely get it away.
Lions turn it over.
Moved right and a stunning piece of handling springs Fitzgerald down the left. He passes back to O'Driscoll who is caught.
Lions ball inside the 22 and the Lions are smashing into the Boks defenders but it has settled into attritional stuff......
Jones decides on a drop goal and knocks it over with ease.
32 mins Not straight and it is a Boks scrum.
31 mins Shaw wins it at the front. Moved wide but it goes down with space running out.
Boks kick it to the Lions halfway. Lions return it and Habana marks and kicks to the Boks 10 metre line and touch.
30 mins Pienaar is tackled in midfield - and the Lions then win a penalty for holding on - O'Driscoll again does superbly.
Jenkins back on.
Kearney kicks it into the Boks 22.
27 mins Last lineout went very well for the Boks.
Matfield wins it and the Boks try to set a maul but can't....Lions then go for a counter ruck and win it!
Messy contact area but Jones punts.
Boks return a high kick and Kearney then takes a spine tingling catch - superbly beats Pietersen. What a moment!
O'Driscoll then chips it low and long downfield.
Boks then go for a quick counter but the Lions grab Pienaar. They are penalised on the Boks 22 for rucking.
Pienaar punts clear.
26 mins Drop out is spilled buy Wallace but Phillips tidies it up. Sheridan then picks and goes strongly.
Moved wide left and Roberts takes contact. Sheridan has another super carry but is penalised for holding on.
Penalty Boks and Pienaar punts to the Lions 22.
24 mins No yellow given - right call as there wasn't much in it.
Jones punts the penalty down into the Boks half.
O'Connell wins the lineout and feeds Phillips. Wallace then crashes it up. Not much on and O'Drscolll chips it.
Habana clears to Kearney, who tries a drop goal from half-way but misses.
22 Boks.
23 mins Jones' drop out is high and to about half-way. Fielded by Pietersen he is tackled by Fitzgerald. Smith then crahses up the middle.
Spies then makes a few yards down the right wing.
Moved left next and Pietersen chips with nothing. Kearney fields and kicks but his hit high and late by the SA wing.......
22 mins 'Bread Of Heaven' rings out as Steyn lines it up from out on the right and near halfway.
Andrew Sheridan is on for Gethin Jenkins (blood).
Steyn's kick is wide to the left.....close, but no good.
22 mins Boks will have a shot through Frans Steyn here.
20 mins Scrum goes down but Du Preez clears it from Spies' feed and it is let go by Berdos.
Lions lineout inside the Boks half.
Super take by Croft at the tail - Roberts crashes up again. O'Driscoll then gets and has his pass picked off by Brian Habana! He is tackled - just - with the field empty in front of him..
Penalty advantage for the Boks - against Shaw.
19 mins Ball off the top is then crashed up the middle by Roberts.
Good tackle.
Fitzgerald gets it then and makes ground. O'Connell is next and he crashes into Juan Smith and shoves him backwards. Knock on follows but encouraging stuff from the Lions.
18 mins Bakkies Botha is pinged for taking out Simon Shaw in the air. Stephen Jones then punts a big one to the Boks 22 metre line.
Botha took Shaw's legs - dirty stuff.
17 mins Huge scrum by Adam Jones and he pops up the Boks front row!
Big moment - and Kearney punts the penalty to out near the Lions 10 metre line.
16 mins Du Preez kicks brilliantly and Pieteresen catches it out wide - excellent play by the Boks.
Pietersen then chips it past Fitzgerald, who gets the ball but is forced over his own line.
Scrum 5 to the Boks.
15 mins Lions take the restart on their 22. Phillips box kicks and Bowe challenges Spies - strong and very brave in the air but it is called a knock on against him.
First scrum.
South Africa 5-13 Lions
15 mins Jones duly knocks it over.
13 mins Lions take the lineout and move it wide. Bowe takes it up the wing.
Lions keep crashing through the Boks at the ruck with Phillips and Wallace making yards and it is penalty advantage - Roberts and BOD have a go out wide but it goes down.
Shot at goal is called and it is dead in front.
13 mins Du Preez takes the kick-off and clears to halfway.
South Africa 5-10 Lions
12 mins Wallace and Fitzgerald both missed the man there.
Ruan Pienaar has missed the kick though.
11 mins Good ball at the tail of the lineout. Du Preez takes it from Juan Smith wrapping around.
Pietersen then arrives and is then clean through and scores near the posts.
Error by David Wallace - he should have ignored Du Preez.
11 mins Burger is back to boos from the Lions fans.
9 mins Matfield nicks it and they shift it left. Jacobs almost springs Habana through the middle but it goes down and the Lions have it back and Heaslip takes a huge power carry up the right wing.
Moved back to the centre where the Lions give up a rucking penalty for Phillips feet (?).
Boks kick into the Lions 22.
8 mins Phillips field the kick and bashes through a couple of Boks before setting it up.
Jones punts long - to the Boks 22.
Du Preez up and unders it back and Kearney takes a fabuslous catch.
Moved left where O'Driscoll's kick is charged into touch by Pietersen.
Lions lineout on halfway.
South Africa 0-10 Lions
7 mins Jones converts from wide on the right - superb start for the men in red!
6 mins Lions lineout and Roberts crashes it up the middle. Moved left next and Stephen Jones feeds Kearney - lovely offload - and Habana made a bad error.
Kearney hangs on with a pass on, rushing past Steyn for a super Lions try!!!!!
4 mins Boks miss touch and Fitzgerald returns it. They set it up and try to kick but it is charged down. Chaos briefly but the Boks scramble it clear.
More ping pong and the Lions get it on halfway.
Fitzgerald then gets it on the wing with nothing on and chips downfield.
Steyn gets it and punts it clear.
3 mins Pienaar drops it out to the 22. Phillips takes and Jones then clears to halfway.
Du Preez up and unders the return.
Kearney takes and then runs it out of his 22. Quick ruck and the Lions move it left. Jones to Bowe, who breaks the line and charges into the Boks half.
Gethin Jenkins is supporting and he gets it next but it is knocked on.
Matfield then shoves Brian O'Driscoll but he doesn't back down - they square up and it is a bit of a '99' moment for the Lions and the crowd is going crazy.
No yellow - just a chat and a penalty to to the Boks.
South Africa 0-3 Lions
2 mins Stephen Jones puts it over from a simple spot inside the 22 and just to the left.
1 min Lions punt into the 22 instead of the shot at goal.
Shaw wins it at the back and then crashes it up the middle at the next phase.
Offside call against the Boks and the Lions will have a shot at goal.
1 min Big call by the linesman - gouging by Schalk Burger on Luke Fitzgerald and he will get a yellow.
Possibly a ban on the way for Burger.
Luke Fitzgerlald took the finger in the eye.
Disgusting stuff from Burger and it should have been red.
1 min Stephen Jones kicks off high and to the Boks 22. They field and maul strongly. Penalty is called on the Lions for collapsing it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.01pm Again, a passionate rendition. Kick-off a minute or so away.
2pm Lions are coming out to a huge roar. Blazing sun of Loftus Versveld.
Schalk Burger leads out the Boks - he jogs out on his own to a big roar as it is his 50th cap. The rest of the Boks walk out slowly afterwards.
Massive reception for them - Pretoria is living up to its reputation for being passionate rugby country.
Anthem time now.
2pm Here's the teams........
Lions: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O'Driscoll , J Roberts, L Fitzgerald; S Jones, M Phillips; G Jenkins, M Rees, A Jones, S Shaw, England, P O'Connell (capt), T Croft, D Wallace, J Heaslip
Replacements: R Ford, A Sheridan, A-W Jones, M Williams, H Ellis, R O'Gara, S Williams.
South Africa: F Steyn; JP Pietersen, A Jacobs, J de Villiers, B Habana; R Pienaar, F du Preez; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J Smit, B Botha, V Matfield , S Burger, J Smith, P Spies.
Replacements: C Ralepelle, D Carstens, A Bekker, D Rossouw, H Brussow, J Fourie, M Steyn.
1.30pm Welcome to the tracker - 40 minutes or so to kick-off and conditions look pleasant up on the high veldt.
Perfect conditions for rugby and there's 30 minutes or so to good.
Will be over at the blog for the next fifteen minutes for a last look at the theories, comments etc - so make your way over there if that's what your after......
