It was redemption for the Springboks against the touring British and Irish Lions as they powered their way to a 27-9 victory at the Cape Stadium on Saturday, July 31.
?? It’s all over here at Cape Town Stadium, where the Boks have levelled the #CastleLionsSeries with a brilliant 27-9 victory. Thanks for the game to @lionsofficial – see you next week for the series decider.#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever pic.twitter.com/2uSTlDUsig
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 31, 2021
The Boks went into the game on the back foot after they lost the opening much last Saturday, in a controversial rumble with former mentor and director of South African rugby, Rassie Erasmus detailing how the referee was at fault.
Tries from Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am however set the Boks up for victory. Handre Pollard also contributed 17 points from the boot after missing a few crucial conversions while Dan Biggar added all the points for the lions. The victory comes at a perfect time as there is only one game left in the series.
“On the whole, the Springboks weren’t great in the first half as they struggled to break down the Lions defence with ball in hand and were once again troubled by the visitors’ kicking game,” says SA Rugby Magazine.
“The Springboks flew out of the blocks in the second half, as they started targeting Stuart Hogg under the high ball. That paid almost immediate dividends as Pollard set up Makazole Mapimpi with a beautiful cross-field chip for the game’s first try.”
Makazole Mapimpi scored the game’s first try to give the Boks the boost they needed in the second half. However, Mapimpi’s performance was about far more, as he constantly looked for work and covered Cheslin Kolbe’s absence excellently.
Mapimpi walked away with a man of the match performance at the end of the day emulating his Rugby World Cup form.
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Picture: SA Rugby