McGeechan hands Shaw Test chance
THE BRITISH and Irish Lions face South Africa tomorrow in Pretoria, 4,500 feet above sea level – and head coach Ian McGeechan has told his players to set their expectations just as high.
McGeechan’s beefed-up side head into the second Test at Loftus Versfeld trailing 1-0, after being overpowered in last weekend’s 26-21 defeat in Durban.
But the Scot believes his team can not only force a deciding third Test, but also make history by becoming the first Lions squad to come from behind and win a series in South Africa.
“As a squad the Lions still have everything to play for,” said McGeechan. “The players know that the outcome of the Test series comes down to Saturday and they are determined to take the series to a decider in Johannesburg.”
McGeechan yesterday made five changes to the team beaten six days ago, with England lock Simon Shaw set for his first Lions Test run-out after three tours and 16 matches.
Shaw, 35, is part of a much-changed scrum that features an all-Welsh front row, with Adam Jones and Matthew Rees replacing Phil Vickery and Lee Mears. Jones will be tasked with handling the fearsome Tendai Mtawarira – nicknamed The Beast – who so dominated Vickery that the Englishman does not even make the bench.
Ireland’s Rob Kearney replaces Welshman Lee Byrne, who has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a thumb injury, while Luke Fitzgerald is preferred to Shane Williams on the left wing.
England’s Ugo Monye, who occupied that role in the first Test, has been left out of the 22 altogether.
McGeechan added: “We have made five changes to the starting XV but it will not change the way we want to play. Both teams will be better for the run last weekend and we know we will have to step up our performance.”
LIONS V SOUTH AFRICA, 2ND TEST
Team: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll, J Roberts, L Fitzgerald; S Jones, M Phillips; G Jenkins, M Rees, A Jones, S Shaw, 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.