Lions salvage pride with fourth-test victory

Press, 14 July 1980, Page 17

Lions salvage pride with fourth-test victory

NZPA-Reuter Pretoria Scotland’s Andy Irvine, and the big Irishman. John O'Driscoll, salvaged the pride of the British Lions with second-half tries at Pretoria earlv yesterday morning (X.Z. time) as the touring team beat South Africa. 1713. in the final rugby-union test.

Battling to prevent the; Springboks gaining a 4-0 clean sweep in the four-test series, the Lions had a catalogue of missed opportunities and trailed, 7-13. soon after the interval. But the full-back, Irvine, and the flanker, O’Driscoll, finally made the considerable territorial advantage of the Lions count. It was the first time a Lions team had ever won the last test in a series in South Africa. Irvine’s unconverted try. when he rounded off a move by compatriot winger Bruce Hay, lifted his total of points in international rugby to 210, which equalled the world record held by Phil Bennet, of Wales. O’Driscoll’s effort, midway through the second half, came after furious pressure on the right. The Irish fly-

half. Ollie Campbell, kicked; the simplest of conversions. ; At half-time the Lions led. ( The Lions were virtually camped in the Springbok halfj during the opening session.' but they had scant reward! until Campbell kicked a pen- ! alty in the thirty-fifth min-' ute. ; The Springbok fly-half, I Naas Botha, equalised almost) immediately, but just beforei the interval the Welsh prop.) Clive Williams, gave the) Lions a lead they richly deserved when he forced his wav over in the left corner. Four minutes into the second half the Springbok! centre. Willie du Plessis, set; off on a dazzling run which stranded the Lions' defence! for a great solo try. Then the, full-back Gysie Pienaar, who has plagued the Lions throughout the 10-week tour, kicked a huge penalty from inside his own half and the Lions trailed. 7-10. In the fifty-third minute. Pienaar was called up again to take a 30m penalty. He put it between the posts and things looked bleak for the tourists. However, Irvine then scored his record-equalling

jry and put the tourists back ■in the match. O'Driscoll ! made sure of victory when ihe touched down, virtually silencing the sell-out 68.00(1 j crowd in the sunbaked ' Loftus Versfeld stadium. ! The Springbok kicker. ! Botha, did not have a happy match, and his Northern .Transvaal home crowd. I which usually idolises him. ) booed when he missed a i dropped-goal attempt. .1 The result provided some ■i recompense for the three ■ narrow test defeats suffered ; by the Lions in Cape Town. . Bloemfontein, and Port ■ Elizabeth. The captain. Bill :! Beaumont, regarded by manv South African and Briti-h t fans alike as one of the ail- > time best Lions skippers, was !• carried off the field in iriijumph at the end. ; Beaumont said: "When we .[were down we were deteri mined to get up again.” > The Lions coach. Mr Noel Murphy, said: “It all goes to . show the great character of i this side. They were deter- : mined to get something out 1 of this series.” Mr Syd Mil- > lar, the Lions' manager, said: "Tomorrow we will be i going home with our heads I high.”