LAST UPDATE | 7 Jul 2021
Will they? Won’t they? Turns out they will. After hours of confusion, tonight’s meeting between the British & Irish Lions and the Cell C Sharks is going ahead, and we’ll be bringing you all the action as it happens here in our liveblog.
It’s been a bizarre day, with the game coming under real threat when it emerged that one member of the Lions touring party had tested positive for Covid, with a number of close contacts also identified.
After further testing, and much head-scratching, the game was pushed back, and a much-changed Lions team will take to the pitch at Ellis Park an hour later than originally scheduled.
Here’s that new-look Lions matchday squad, including a seven-one split on the bench, with Scotland out-half Finn Russell the only back named amongst the replacements.
The Lions can confirm that a player and member of the management have tested positive for COVID-19 following PCR testing as part of the Tour screening programme.
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 7, 2021
The matchday 23 for tonight's game has been revised 👇#LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #LionsSA2021
And here’s how the Sharks will line-up.
In case you missed it, here’s another look at #OurSharks team that will take on the British & Irish Lions in this evening’s match 🦈#SHAvBIL #CastleLionsSeries #OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/ORJGw0XbZT
— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) July 7, 2021
Bundee is in the building. The Connacht centre is back in the 12 shirt for the Lions this evening.
A big night for Ireland’s Iain Henderson, who captains the Lions tonight. Here he is at the coin toss with referee Jaco Peyper and Sharks captain Phepsi Buthelezi.
Just five minutes to kick-off now. A quick reminder of the Lions players who miss out tonight.
Ruled out of the Lions 23 - Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies, Conor Murray, Stuart Hogg, Chris Harris, Tadhg Beirne.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) July 7, 2021
The Lions have a 7/1 bench split, Finn Russell the only back.
KICK-OFF
We are underway in Johannesburg.
TRY - Sharks 0 Lions 5 (Adams)
3mins
Sharks 0 British & Irish Lions 7
Well that didn’t take long, and it’s that man Josh Adams again. Owen Farrell – who has no number on his back, oddly – does well to break forward and delay his pass to Louis Rees-Zammit – who has 10 on his back – who in turn offloads to Josh Adams, and the Wales star shows good skill to collect the ball with one hand, with Farrell kicking the conversion. A great start for the Lions.
TRY – Sharks 0 B&I Lions 14 (Duhan van der Merwe)
7mins
Sharks 0 B&I Lions 14
The Lions have made a really fast start here. This time Duhan van der Merwe gets over in the corner, applying the finishing touch after a superb skip pass by Sam Simmonds. The Sharks simply can’t keep up with the speed of the Lions’ play here.
Here’s the opening try from Josh Adams.
He literally cannot stop scoring 🔥
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 7, 2021
Great pick up from @JoshAdams951 as he gets our first of the evening 👏#LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #LionsSA2021 pic.twitter.com/GH9A7BpXNE
16mins
The Sharks have had a couple of trips into the Lions 22 now, but with no reward. Ali Price was relieved to see the Sharks fumble the ball after being caught out of position out on the wing and bounced off a tackle.
The Sharks then got as far as the five-metre line but Tom Curry turnover relieved the pressure.
20mins
Yellow card – Werner Kok
The Sharks lose Werner Kok to the sin-bin, the winger pinged after initially doing really well to stop a strong break from Elliot Daly.
21mins
Luke Cowan-Dickie denied a try on his first start for the Lions. Another strong lineout from the Lions ends with a powerful driving maul, but there’s a knock-on and Cowan-Dickie’s try won’t stand.
TRY – Sharks 0 B&I Lions 19 (Van der Merwe)
27mins
Sharks 0 B&I Lions 19
Another try for Duhan van der Merwe. This time Owen Farrell, who has started really well here, takes full advantage of the space on offer in the Sharks’ backfield with a well-weighted kick in behind, which Van der Merwe is able to control and finish. Farrell’s conversion fails to find the target, but the Lions are looking very comfortable here.
35mins
The Sharks haven’t shown too much to get excited about in this opening half, apart from an impressive bit of bite around the scrum, but Thaakir Abrahams just injected a bit of life into things with a superb linebreak, the Sharks winger showing some nice footwork before eventually being brought to ground by Van der Merwe. The Sharks could do with getting him on the ball more.
TRY – Sharks 0 B&I Lions 24 (Bundee Aki)
40mins
Sharks 0 B&I Lions 26
A classic Bundee Aki try, the Connacht man providing the power to pick and go from close range after some good phase play from the tourists. Farrell adds the extras and that will be that for the first half.
HALF-TIME
Sharks 0 B&I Lions 26
After the chaos of the last 12 hours, a very comfortable 40 minutes for the Lions. They took control early on, weathered a Sharks fightback, and then stamped their authority on proceedings again at the end of the half.
We’ll be back shortly with all the second half action.
The second half is underway in Johannesburg.
45mins
A low-key start to the second period. The Sharks defence looks a bit more organised since the restart, and they’ve just made a couple of changes to the front row, with former Ulster man Wiehahn Herbst entering the action.
TRY – Sharks 5 B&I Lions 26
51mins
Sharks 7 B&I Lions 26
That’s a really nice score from the Sharks, finished by James Venter, with the conversion by Curwin Bosch. The Sharks moved the ball out wide with a series of quick, well-executed passes, but Sam Simmonds, Duhan van der Merwe and Josh Adams will all feel they should have made their tackles count before Venter crossed.
54mins
Tadhg Furlong has entered the action, while Finn Russell has come in for Owen Farrell, who looked in some discomfort as he left the field. Worth pointing again that with Russell now on, the Lions now have no backs available on the bench.
TRY – Sharks 7 B&I Lions 31 (Adams)
58mins
Sharks 7 B&I Lions 33
A second try for Josh Adams, who now has seven tries for the Lions in three games.
It all started with a lovely chip over the top from Finn Russell, with the Sharks then winning the turnover, only to spill possession, with Adams alert to kick through and pounce on the loose ball. A really messy try to concede from the Sharks perspective, but Adams once again showing that clinical instinct. Russell converts.
TRY – Sharks 7 B&I Lions 38 (Louis Rees-Zammit)
63mins
Sharks 7 Lions 40
A try out of nothing from Rees-Zammit, who has been pretty quiet in open play tonight. The Sharks kick in behind, and with plenty of space to play with, Josh Adams collects the ball, carries into contact and offloads to Rees-Zammit, who turns on the burners to sprint home from inside his own half. Russell converts again and the Lions are really pulling clear now.
71mins
Josh Navidi thinks he has a try on his Lions debut, but it’s chalked off due to an infringement by Bundee Aki. A shame for Navidi, who really has been excellent tonight.
TRY – Sharks 7 Lions 45 (Van der Merwe)
75mins
Sharks 7 B&I Lions 47
A hat-trick try for Duhan van der Merwe, but that score was all about Eliot Daly’s lovely tip-on pass to quickly set the winger free. Russell clips over the extras again.
TRY – Sharks 7 B&I Lions 52 (Adams)
79mins
Sharks 7 Lions 54
Another well-worked try from the Lions, but once again they had so much space to attack. Rees-Zammit makes the initial break down the right wing, before the Lions work the ball across the pitch, with Adams left with the simple task of running in another try. Russell’s conversion is his best of the night.
FULL-TIME
Sharks 7 B&I Lions 54
So another convincing win for the Lions, who could really do with facing some stronger opposition soon. Thanks for joining us tonight, we’ll have a full report and reaction on The42 shortly.
