Rugby365 reports that World Cup winning coach, Jake White, believes the Springboks will record a clean sweep over the visiting British and Irish Lions during their three-Test Series in South Africa later this year.
The Lions will play matches in seven cities over a period of six weeks, commencing with a game against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg on Saturday, May 30.
The much anticipated Lions tour will include three Test matches against the Springboks in Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg respectively.
During their previous visit to South Africa, in 1997, the Lions clinched the Series 2-1 despite the Boks outscoring the visitors three tries to one.
White is adamant that the class of ’97 were unlucky to lose the Series but he believes the Boks of 2009 should have no trouble in sweeping aside the Lions’ challenge.
“I have no doubt that the Lions are gonna find it very difficult to play in South Africa against the world champions and there should be no reason why we don’t win the series 3-0,” White said in an interview on the 5fm breakfast show.
“We’ve been building up the Series for many years now. We scored nine tries to three in the last Series in South Africa and we lost, so I think there’s a lot of payback coming in the next couple of months,” he said.
While none of the current Boks have ever played a Test against the Lions, White says quality and the players’ experience of winning coveted trophies, will be crucial in their ability to clinch the 2009 Series.
“It’s probably the best Springbok team we’ve ever had. We have the best lock combination in Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha and we have the best flanks in Juan Smith and Schalk Burger with Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski as loose-forwards as well,” he said.
“At the back we have Ricky [Januarie] and Fourie [Du Preez] at No. 9. Then there’s Ruan [Pienaar], Jean [de Villiers], Jaque[Fourie], JP [Pietersen] and Bryan Habana.
“They are winners. They have won every thing that they can. They’ve won Junior World Cups, World Cups, Tri-Nations. There is no way that any country has had a group of players like that together at the same time.”
The Test matches against the Springboks will take place on June 20 in Durban, in Pretoria on June 27 and in Johannesburg on July 4.
I think Jake is spot on but lets not be overconfident.
We have some very good players to chose from:
Jantjes/’Stefan the attacking Genius’
JPP/Willemse
Fourie/Jacobs
JDV/Steyn/Meisiekind
Habana/Nokwe
Ruan/Butch/Grant
FDP/Ricki/Rory
Spies/Kanko/Watson
Smith/Deysel/Vermeulen
Burger/Brussouw/Botes
Matfield/Bekker/Muller
Bakkies/Danie/Fondse
Smit/Jannie/Mujati
Bissie/Tiaan/Smit
Beast/Heinke/Gurthro
Damn but that is a strong squad. I see no reason why we can’t smash the Lions 3-0.
I’ll be happy if we can get through a season without losing. To anybody. Not too much to ask surely?
@wpw – Stefan the attacking Genius!!! (Comment 1) : Has TT seen your username yet?
@klempie (Comment 3) :
Why do you think I changed it???
@McLovin (Comment 2) :
We have a damn strong squad and we should be able to beat the Aussies and All Blacks at home.
Let’s hope Ricki can perform some more magic down under!!!
I don’t suppose this opinion has anything to do with the fact that Jake wasn’t made Lion’s consultant number 786?
@wpw – Stefan the attacking Genius!!! (Comment 1) :
Grant, Ricci,Watson,Tiaan and Mujati….only a WP supporter could be putting those names forward
@Dive Pass (Comment 7) : Well, they are good enough and you know it. Mujati
might be the exception but seeing as PDV refuses to select BJ, i guess Mujati will do…
And there i just fell for your bait!!!
@wpw – Stefan the attacking Genius!!! (Comment 1) :
No Ndunganes??