SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 19 hrs 4 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

Warren Gatland "mind games" dismissed by South Africa

:Headline: Warren Gatland 'mind games' dismissed by South Africa:
Head coach Gatland claimed the Lions had already dented the Springboks ego at the set-piece.
Sports Mole

South Africa have rejected Warren Gatland's "mind games" as misplaced ahead of Saturday's opening Test clash with the British and Irish Lions.

Head coach Gatland claimed the Lions had already dented the Springboks ego at the set-piece despite South Africa A toppling the tourists 17-13 on July 15.

The Springboks will host the Lions in Cape Town on Saturday, amid an increasingly tense off-field backdrop with the tourists frustrated by South African Marius Jonker acting as Television Match Official (TMO).

Mzwandile Stick, pictured, has rejected the British and Irish Lions' "mind games" (Steve Haag/PA)

Gatland believes the Lions have already ruffled some feathers in the home forward pack, but Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick delivered a withering assessment of that stance.

"From my side I won't go deep on that one," said Stick.

"We were happy as a Springbok team; if you look at the most important stat in the game, which is the final score, we won the game.

"So I'm not too sure what it is that they dented.

"I'm not going to fall into that trick of playing the mind games, I'm not a mind games person. The game is going to be played between four lines.

"If Gatland is talking about the egos, he doesn't really know much about us as South Africans.

"So I'm not going too deep on that. Let's wait and see after the game tomorrow.

"Hopefully we can give the people a good show of rugby.

"We know they are going to be tough, we know they are going to be physical.

"So once again, when it comes to the ego, we'll see the egos between the four lines."

South Africa-born Scotland wing Duhan Van Der Merwe has already been braced for any Springboks sledging by the Lions coaching staff.

But South Africa captain Siya Kolisi insisted the Springboks will not be indulging in any such antics this weekend.

Asked for his response to suggestions Van Der Merwe could expect some verbals this weekend, Kolisi said: "Well you clearly haven't had anything from our side.

"We've never been that kind of team and will never be that kind of team.

"We're going about our business, focussing on the game and we'd never focus on one player.

"That definitely doesn't come from our side so I don't know anything about that.

"We haven't come out and said this is what we're going to do, we're going to be chirping.

"No, we don't do that. We'll save our energy for the work that we need to do."

The Boks' backline coach Stick insisted in different circumstances the home side would even have been keen to mix with their fellow countryman this week.

Stick added: "You know very well that we are good people as South Africans; if it wasn't for the pandemic, we'd have surely invited him for a braai."

South Africa's rugby director Rassie Erasmus will continue his role as water boy in the weekend's Test opener.

Lions boss Gatland's anger has been piqued by Erasmus' pitchside duties, hinting that the Boks boss has at times wandered onto the field in breaks of play without any water.

Stick confirmed that Erasmus will continue to water boy this weekend however, in a move that will doubtless frustrate the tourists.

"To keep it short and sweet, Rassie will be running the water tomorrow," said Stick.

"That is his role now in the team.

"So he will be there, and he will be running around bringing the water on to the players. And we as Springbok rugby, we are happy with that."

Siya Kolisi, pictured, insists he is ready for Test action against the British and Irish Lions (Steve Haag/PA)

Kolisi won his race against time to skipper the Boks after his Covid-19 isolation, and the World Cup-winning captain insisted he is fully ready for action.

"I feel good, I feel good," said Kolisi.

"I do feel good, but I also know if it gets to a place where I'm tired and I can't go any more, my coaches know me, and the signs when I am tired, so they will take me off the field.

"If it's the first half or the second half it doesn't matter, that's just the code we live by.

"So I have full confidence to go as hard as I can and not hold anything back.

"For me honestly I didn't have a lot of symptoms, I think I was fine by the second day.

"So it was all in the mental thing, isolating in the room. But I was still part of all the meetings, viewing videos and I was giving input."

body check tags ::

amp_article__456656 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-07-23 14:32:20:
html db last update - 2021-07-23 13:46:23 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Click here for more stories about Warren Gatland

Click here for more stories about South Africa

Share this article now:
BA
Read Next:
Warren Gatland 'fumes at South African TMO appointment'
>


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Read more about Warren Gatland Duhan Van Der Merwe Siya Kolisi Rugby Union
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
Warren Gatland 'fumes at South African TMO appointment'
Liverpool 'resigned to missing out on top managerial candidate'

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Man City injury, suspension list vs. Arsenal - De Bruyne, Stones and more

1

MC

Key Man City duo miss training ahead of Arsenal title clash

2

KM

Arsenal 'suffer blow in pursuit of PSG attacker'

NEW

3

A'

Arsenal 'optimistic over triple injury boost for Man City clash'

4

A'

Real Madrid 'priced out of move for Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold'

5

RM

Key midfield trio 'absent from Real Madrid training on Thursday'

6

KM

Man Utd, Spurs 'alerted to cut-price fee for in-demand defender'

7

MU

How Barcelona could line up against Las Palmas

8

HB

Preview: Aston Villa vs. Wolves - prediction, team news, lineups

9

PA

Preview: Chelsea vs. Burnley - prediction, team news, lineups

10

PC


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .