Lions 2021 Tour Diary: On the ground in South Africa ahead of the huge Springboks series
KEEP up to date with everything happening on the behind-closed-doors 2021 Lions series with SunSport’s tour diary.
Our man Jonny Fordham is out in South Africa to cover EVERY game live as Warren Gatland’s side take on the fearsome reigning world champions.
DAY ONE
YORKSHIRE folk get everywhere.
No sooner had SunSport checked into our Johannesburg hotel and picked up a coffee then did we bump into ex Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading left-back Dylan Kerr.
Kerr, who was doing punditry for SuperSport, has just won the equivalent of the FA Cup in South Africa with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
He also saved TTM from relegation – the third time he has kept a club up over here.
Most read in Rugby Union
PLASTIC FANS
BACK in 2009 Johannesburg’s Sandton City mall was a major boozing base for Lions and South Africa fans.
But with the city slapped into level four Covid restrictions, the only support from either side has been totally plastic.
Sadly only, a few mannequins with kit on in sports shop windows have been spotted wearing full kit.
All eight of the tour games – plus the Springboks’ two Test series against Georgia, which starts on Friday night – will be without crowds.
Journalists covering the tour even need to get get special security permits to attend games and be out at night after president Cyril Ramaphosa ordered a 9pm curfew on the whole country.
CAB CHAT
LIONS fever has gripped Johannesburg’s taxi drivers.
Well, er, not Warren Gatland’s Lions, but Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions.
Joburg’s cabbies were desperate to chat about England’s win over Germany.
But down in the southern hemisphere, they reckon the Euro’s ain’t coming home and were backing Belgium or Italy to lift the crown.
CAPTAIN MATERIAL
CONOR MURRAY has told his Lions teammates to stop treating him like a Diva!
The new captain, who was a shock pick to take over from injured Alun Wyn Jones, is already being treated like royalty by his teammates.
And the down-to-earth scrum-half has already had enough.
Asked if he was being given any special treatment from the rest of the squad, the 32-year-old said: “They do unfortunately.
“They don’t call me by name anymore, it’s ‘Skips’, now, so I’m trying to get rid of that one.
“Obviously on Saturday with Al and Tips losing out through injury, once Warren said I was to be taking over everyone came over and said congrats and you could feel that they meant it.
“It’s great to have that support from your fellow players and that’s the most important thing.
“Everyone is digging in, it’s getting serious so everyone is working really hard now and, as I say, there’s a really good vibe in camp.”