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Player ratings: Mauled at the den

OPINION: The Johannesburg-based Lions were outclassed from start to finish in an entertaining game that saw the British and Irish Lions run riot.

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The eight tries to two (56-14) win for the tourists showed the chasm in the difference in class between the two teams.

Jan de Koning rates the Johannesburg-based Lions!

15 EW Viljoen
Are the Lions really this desperate? His selfish play cost a certain try and he was out of position on defence at times, He made no impact with the ball in hand and his kicking game could have been better.
2/10

14 Jamba Ulengo
He was hopelessly outclassed and chasing kick-offs was his best attribute. He looked clueless at times and got found out on defence.
3/10

13 Manuel Rass
Did not have many opportunities with ball in hand in a game where his team was deprived of possession. He made his tackles and did well on cover defence. A quiet, but respectable performance.
5/10

12 Burger Odendaal
Marked his man well and had a couple of good runs – making some great metres. He also created a few opportunities for his teammates.
6/10

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11 Rabz Maxwane
We know he has speed and he showed that with a great try, but when the opportunities are limited, his pace become meaningless. Made most of his tackles, but also showed it is not the best part of his game.
5/10

10 Jordan Hendrikse
Not flawless, but his game management and execution was one of the few highlights for the hosts. He showed a glimpse of what the future holds at flyhalf for the Johannesburg-based Lions.
7/10

9 Dillon Smit
There should be less gesturing and more play from the No.9. He did the basics right and made his tackles, but was still far too pedestrian.
4/10

8 Francke Horn (captain)
Played the proverbial captain’s innings. Did some great work for the Rabz Maxwane try. He also made sure there was some parity in the contact areas and breakdown exchanges.
7/10

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7 Vincent Tshituka
He enhanced his reputation as a hard-working, ball-playing loose forward. He may be still a bit rough around the edges and missed a tackle for Josh Adams try. However, he made a match-high 13 tackles and scored a great try.
8/10

6 Sibusiso Sangweni
The hard-working flank showed his skill and should have been rewarded when he sprinted downfield. Unfortunately he ran out of gas and Stuart Hogg chased him down.
6/10

5 Reinhard Nothnagel
The hard-working lock had an erratic game – with a number of carries and winning a turnover, but also missing some crucial tackles. Can’t fault him for effort.
5/10

4 Ruben Schoeman
Another player who was a complete mixed bag – missing many tackles as he made, but could not be faulted for effort.
5/10

3 Ruan Dreyer
Not spectacular, but stood his ground in the scrums and made his tackles. Conceded a couple of penalties and was quiet at times.
4/10

2 Pieter Botha
Like most of his teammates he had some good moments and some not so good. Missed some crucial tackles and his basics were also not always good enough.
4/10

1 Nathan McBeth
Worked hard on defence and missed only one tackle. He stood strong in the scrums against the highly-rated Kyle Sinckler and some solid carries.
6/10

Replacements:

16 Jaco Visagie
Was not long enough on the field to make any real impact.

17 Sithembiso Sithole
By the time he arrived on the field the game was a long over as a contest and it showed in his attitude.
4/10

18 Carlu Sadie
He also needs a serious attitude adjustment and some hard work on conditioning. Conceded two penalties in his short stay.
3/10

19 Ruhan Straeuli
His only noteworthy contribution was a missed tackle.
2/10

20 Emmanuel Tshituka
At least he brought some enthusiasm onto the field, although his effectiveness was minimised by his late entry.
5/10

21 Morne van den Berg
As always he was energetic, but his options were not always the best – gifting possession back to the tourists ain a game where the hosts were already deprived.
3/10

22 Fred Zeilinga
Ridiculous pass that gifted possession back to the opposition and resulted in Josh Adams’ third try. There must be question marks whether he adds any value to the team.
1/10

23 Dan Kriel
He made 10 metres with his one carry and could perhaps have added more value if he came on earlier or even started.
5/10

@king365ed
@rugby365com

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