John Bishop

Durban - It was a case of a skipper having to return to save his sinking ship as dismayed Springbok captain John Smit watched his team almost?conspire to lose the first Test against the fast-finishing British Lions before holding on for a 26-21 win at King’s Park on Saturday.

Smit had been part of a front-row which had destroyed the Lion­s scrum in the first half. He scored the opening try and he was leading his team to the most emphatic of wins as they led 26-7 with 12 minutes to play.

But Bok coach Peter de Villiers, wanting to finish with a bang rathe­r than simply close out the win, chose to clear his bench and seven substitutes wandered into the frontlines with Smit one of those replaced.

The last time this happened in a major contest at King’s Park was in the 2007 Super 14 final and the leaderless Sharks lost to the Bulls deep into injury time.

“I made a mistake,” De Villiers admitted later. “I made the change­s too soon, but I thought we were flat and needed fresh legs and more energy.”

The Lions, with their scrummaging problems behind them and with a massive advantage in territory and possession, kept running at the disorganised, slow-moving Bok defence. While the Lions suddenly found their attacking rhythm, the Springboks were in a state of panic.

Lions flank Tom Croft burst over for his second try and with four minutes left scrumhalf Mike Phillips found a yawning gap near the ruck to score. With Stephen Jones converting both tries, the Lions were within one more try of a possible victory and there four minutes left on the clock.

Immediately, Smit’s replacement Deon Carstens went down with a shoulder injury allowing Smit, who had been squirming on the bench as he watched one of the most important games of his career dribbling away, to charge back on to the field to rejoin his bewildered team-mates.

“It wasn’t part of the plan and I was just delighted to be back on the field,” said Smit.

“There were four minutes left, the waves (of Lions attacks) were coming at us and I needed to get out there and calm the ship. All I said to the players was that we had somehow to get our hands on the ball and keep it. The turning point was taking one of the Lions’ lineouts at the end and then Gurthro Steenkamp (replacement prop) won a penalty at the tackle and the game was won.”

A grim-looking Smit was not happy that his players and the crowd had been dragged though the most agonising of finishes as their solid, often impressive rugby of the first half was swept away by the late charge of the Lions.

“I think our rustiness showed in the second half. Our concentration wavered, the intensity was not there and our kicking game went out the window. We kept giving the ball back to the Lions and they are certainly a good enough side to take advantage.”

Lions head coach Ian McGeechan rued the lost opportunities and the string of first-half penalties which had cost his side the Test.

“You can’t have 60% possession, win all that territory and lose the ball three times over the tryline and expect to beat the Boks.”

O’Connell said the Lions were looking forward to the second Test at Loftus.

“The second half will give us great belief next weekend,” he said and McGeechan agreed. “I was delighted with the performance and we played some very good rugby. It gives us lots of confidence for next week.”

The Boks started impressively as Ruan Pienaar’s kick to the corner set up an attacking lineout and Smit burst through as possession was recycled. Pienaar added the conversion and a penalty and then Frans Steyn, with a superb, angled 45-metre penalty from the touchline punished Croft for his shoulder-charge on scrumhalf Fourie du Preez.

The Lions struck back when Jamie Roberts exposed the Boks’ midfield defence and Brian O’Driscoll provided Croft with the scoring pass before Pienaar booted two penalties before half-time.

The Boks were at their strongest early in the second half as Smit used two penalties to set up an attacking lineout and the Boks went back to the old rolling maul — ironically back in vogue after British officials ditched the ELVs — and Heinrich Brussow scored.

Pienaar converted and, at 26-7, the Boks were in command.

The  Lions, to their credit and with Adam Jones on for Phil Vickery and solving their scrummaging problems, started to find their game, while the Boks and their coach went walkabout to set up an agonising finish for the Boks, their crowd... and their captain.