ScarletLion

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog...s-running-kick

A week before the first test, Smit reveals, the Boks invited the Lions players and management to join them for drinks in their changeroom after each of the Tests so that they could create the friendships and memories that Lions tours are renowned for. They declined.

I later heard that this stemmed from one of the senior Irish players who said that he wsn't interested. We don't know why they made a decision contrary to the ethos of rugby, but we do know that we made the effort. We thought 'To hell with them' and that was there in all 3 Tests and made the series victory all the sweeter

A genuine Lions Test jersey," Smit points out, "is embroidered with the players name, number of caps, and the name and date of the fixture, but the ones they gave us could have come from any sports shop". "The Test series wasn't conducted in a good spirit. There was a lot of niggle and I think it had a lot to do with the hype of the Lions. They came here with the premeditated intention of disrupting us. They wanted to get in our faces, irritate us and tease us into doing stupid things to get our focus off the ball, which is something we don't really have to deal with against other teams".

By contrast during this years Tri Nations in SA, the All Blacks and the Wallabies accepted the Boks' drinks invitations.

After having smashed each other to pieces, there wasn't an ounce of ill-feeling or whining. In rugby, you've got to be able to climb into each other for 80 minutes and then let it end there. That didn't happen with the Lions.

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"There is a typical Swansea man, a typical Cardiff man and a typical Newport man, but none of these is typically Welsh. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Neath and Llanelly are typically Welsh, and these are the only two Rugby towns of any size where the typical Welsh Rugby supporters may be found, and it is in a match between Neath and Llanelly that one gets an atmosphere more nearly approaching the atmosphere of an international match. J Harding

English Fella

If thats true then it is dissapointing. Not that anybody cares much for the Springboks oppinion on sportsmanship. Not sure I'd fancy having a beer and a joke with somebody who tried ramming their finger in my eye!

Zinny.

It's all about the culture, even BOD is seen down here as a pathetic piece of **** despite the fact that it was Umaga who committed the evil act, it's the whinging & unrugbylike way he went about it that was worse than the speartackle itself.

The TNs is far more heated, intense & filthy than any Lions tour, yet it's religion that after the game you forget any ounce of anything which happened on the pitch & have a few coldies.

Even if someone has blatantly ripped your eyes out, after the match you forget about it.

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Heather

While in SA for the tour I watched an interview with Smit after the 2nd test where he basically called us whingers and winers, it finished with him saying that they (SA) wouldn't complain the way the lions had regarding the play in the 2nd test.

However you feel about it what mad me laugh was the fact the SA players wore stupid arm bands for th 3rd test comnplaining about the banning of Botha. The words pot and kettle spring to mind.

It changed my opinion of Smit after seeing that interview.

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Florida 26th September for 3 weeks!!

Rimmer

Hit him where it hurt's, don't buy the book

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Ons bloed is blou .................................................. .........................................wait fot it

Zinny.

In all fairness to Smit, I don't really think he cares about what people think of him outside SA & that goes for any of these blokes.

You can't take away from the fact that he's a bloody great captain for SA even if he does use the "us against the world mentality" which is the same as Johnson for England, Umaga for NZ & so on....it makes it more interesting than Sir Dick McCaw or George Smith who never had any gripes about anyone because they were just so bloody perfect.

No matter what happens though, you can't just refuse an opportunity to share a few beers after a test while on tour given the magnitude of the event. As bullish as Saffers may be with anything regarding test footy, they pride themselves on being awesome hosts outside of it.

I dont think the whinging was as bad as in 2005 though, Sir Clive & that Campbell fella were beyond whinging & more into comedy from our point of view & yes Clive, surely you would have won had your captain not been so horribly maimed after 1 minute of the 1st test.

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RugbyGal

i think i have to sent that one to u as well!