JJ Harmse

And then, in a blink, it will all be over.

It is hard to believe that the British and Irish Lions tour will be over in two days. All the build-up over the last year or so, the naming of their squad, the first game at Royal Bafokeng, the massacre at Coca-Cola Park and now to conclude, the last of the three Test matches.

I know the Boks have clinched the series already, but this will by no means be a 'dead rubber' to me. Too much rugby has been played (or not played), too much emotion has been stirred and too much has been said for Saturday’s Test to be ‘dead’.

I for one accepted the invitation sent out from Coca-Cola Park earlier in the week.

“Come to the park and see the Boks play the Lions for the last time in 12 years.”

I will thanks.

Actually, I wish this tour could be longer. I am sure those covering the tour in some way or another must be happy that is almost over, but from a rugby perspective, I want more.

Peter de Villiers has picked a new backline with a powerful midfield combination of Wynand Olivier and Jaque Fourie.

It's well known to readers of this column that I prefer Olivier ahead of Jean de Villiers and Fourie ahead of Adi Jacobs.

It is a pity that Brian O’Driscoll has gone home and Jamie Roberts might not play this weekend, as I would have loved to have seen how the Lions pair shaped up against my preferred combination.

That is but one reason why I am sorry to see the Lions go. There is also the fascinating front row duel that is set to continue on the weekend, although the Lions are without Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins. Maybe Andrew Sheridan will finally get a crack at John Smit this weekend?

Then there is the impact Simon Shaw had on the Bok pack in the second Test. I always thought that his inclusion in the tour squad was to do just that. Maybe the Lions coaches really expected the Boks to be undercooked in that first Test and that Shaw was not needed.

Big mistake if that was the case.

We will have to wait and see how things pan out on Saturday. I am still waiting for No 8 Jamie Heaslip to show up on tour and could not understand why McGeechan did not pick Andy Powell as their main ball carrier.

I can go on and on with rugby issues, but the tour also provided much more that that.

Into such a knot

The last week has been highlighted by the eye gouging incident and the inability of De Villiers to say the right things at the right time.

I support his decision to defend Schalk, but he got himself into such a knot by trying to be arrogant about it.

I also blame the Bok management in this regard. Where was the guidance when it became clear that De Villiers was losing the plot on the matter? His team manager, Arthob Petersen, was appointed to act as the wise diplomat and statesman when the heat grew on the Springbok team. However he was not heard nor seen.

Also, where was the media manager who could have prevented much of what has been said with a statement handed out before the Monday press conference?

In the end, a lot of people had a lot of egg on their faces for something that could have been handled differently.

Make no mistake, the travelling UK media also made a meal of this in order to divert attention away from the seventh Lions defeat in a row and yet another series loss. They had good points to make, but also made some bad ones.

Rugby deserved better.

All of this will now come to an end. It has been entertaining, sad, brutal, silky and never boring. There was some awesome rugby played, some heart stopping moments, some new stars and most of all, it was another celebration of rugby and all its traditions.

I know Schalk was wrong in what he did or tried not to do. I know Sheridan was wrong for what he did with Andries Bekker’s crown jewels. Will that become the lasting memory of this tour? Of course not.

We have to thank the likes of Tommy Bowe, Jamie Roberts and Shaw for that. And we have to thank the 'Beast', Morné Steyn and Willem de Waal, to name but a few for some of the great moments.

We saw new faces emerge, we saw old ones depart. We saw reputations shattered and new ones being built. In all, we saw the best rugby team in the world being taken to the wire by determined opponents. And for that, I thank the Lions.

See you in 12 years. I am already counting!

Read JJ every Sunday in Rapport

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