British and Irish Lions vs South Africa LIVE: Second test result and reaction in Cape Town

Let it not ever be said that this has been a boring British and Irish Lions tour. A week of chatter, of pubic chuntering, of high controversy - it is all behind us, and a decisive Second Test looms. The Lions are looking to seal the series, the Springboks are looking for payback - this could be very, very good indeed. Kick-off at Cape Town Stadium is ten minutes away.

Some fascinating individual battles today, as always, with the set-piece a vital battleground, while whoever wins the aerial duels will stand a good chance of taking the game, too.

Elsewhere, Lukhanyo Am and Chris Harris would have a fair shout as the two finest outside channel defenders in World Rugby - how they manage those crucial defensive structures will be key. Runaway rhinoceros Jasper Wiese will add a physical edge, while Warren Gatland described Jack Conan as a player who doesn’t make mistakes last week, and the Irishman does a lot of vital grunt work. The two number eights will have big roles to play.

Coin tosses are usually excrutiating affairs, with mind-numbingly dull idle chatter while you wait to call heads or tails. But I’d wager today’s might have been a touch more interesting after all that has been said. Alun Wyn Jones hiding his poker face, all three with eyes on the reasonably-valued prize.

“In terms of the importance of the match, it would be something incredibly special to win the series today. The players appreciate how special it is. We will think about it more afterwards if we get the win.

“To put the record straight, post-match last week I never made one comment about the TMO. I questioned the process of World Rugby of not having a back-up plan for a TMO. I’m not sure how the narrative has changed from that point of view.

“I think it is interesting. We were happy with the refereeing last week. We spoke with the referees on Thursday. If you look at the end-on view of Faf de Klerk’s try it is knocked on by Pieter-Steph du Toit and we haven’t mentioned that.” (Apart from right now, of course..)

“That first 20 or 30 minutes is important for us, to make sure we stay in the arm-wrestle. If the game does open up we feel we have got the fire power.”

A calm and collected South Africa head coach has a chat with the broadcaster about the Rassie Erasmus video and today’s game:

“That’s Rassie, as Director of Rugby he felt he had to get the message across. We agreed. We focussed on the main thing which was getting the team ready.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with the Test, but more to do with how we are being perceived, and maybe how we get access and the whole process. We haven’t been involved in rugby for a while, so while the communication processes with the officials were like they were in the Six Nations, we obviously weren’t involved in the Six Nations.

“It’s our biggest game since the World Cup final.We must make sure we are accurate. We have got a specific plan and things we want to achieve. We must make sure we execute that. Some battles we will lose and some we will win. It took us a little while to find solutions last week in the second half, so hopefully we get better at that today.”

A calm and collected South Africa head coach has a chat with the broadcaster about the Rassie Erasmus video and today’s game:

“That’s Rassie, as Director of Rugby he felt he had to get the message across. We agreed. We focussed on the main thing which was getting the team ready.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with the Test, but more to do with how we are being perceived, and maybe how we get access and the whole process. We haven’t been involved in rugby for a while, so while the communication processes with the officials were like they were in the Six Nations, we obviously weren’t involved in the Six Nations.

“It’s our biggest game since the World Cup final.We must make sure we are accurate. We have got a specific plan and things we want to achieve. We must make sure we execute that. Some battles we will lose and some we will win. It took us a little while to find solutions last week in the second half, so hopefully we get better at that today.”

South Africa were always likely to be a little bit rusty having played once at the Test match level since their World Cup triumph 21 months ago, but it was a little bit of a surprise just how unable they seemed to go up through the gears in the First Test. There were times in the first half where it felt like they had the Lions on the ropes but were perhaps unable, or unwilling, to land their biggest punches.

We saw very little of Faf de Klerk in either attack or defence, which was rather strange, and neither Makazole Mapimpi or Cheslin Kolbe had a moment to shout about, forced to chase a lot and handle the Lions’ aerial bombardment. Can the Springboks look to involve them more?