Sponsored by
Vickery's chance to tame 'The Beast'
Joe Worsley has backed his Wasps and England colleague Phil Vickery to recover from a first Test 'beasting' when the British and Irish Lions conclude their tour of South Africa tomorrow.
Vickery returns to the front-line for another appointment with Springboks prop Tendai 'The Beast' Mtawarira – just a fortnight after his Lions career looked in tatters.
The England World Cup winner is one of eight changes, including a switch from wing to centre for Ireland grand slam star Tommy Bowe, following last weekend's agonising second Test defeat in Pretoria.
Mtawarira scrummaged Vickery into such an unrecognisable state that Lions chief Ian McGeechan had little option other than to substitute him just five minutes after half-time in Durban.
But the 33-year-old, who is shaking off a throat infection, will attempt to redress the balance against a Springboks side seeking its first Test series whitewash in 118 years of Lions history.
"I have known the guy for years," said flanker Worsley, who makes his Lions Test debut at Ellis Park. "When you do have a bad game or things go against you, then you are just waiting for the next opportunity to go out there and do something about it.
"I bet he's over the moon that he has got a chance this weekend, rather than stewing all summer."
South Africa lock Bakkies Botha has lost his appeal against a two-week ban, imposed for a dangerous charge on Adam Jones last Saturday.
South Africa: Z Kirchner; O Ndungane, J Fourie, W Olivier, J Nokwe; M Steyn, F du Preez; T Mtawarira, C Ralepelle, J Smit, J Muller, V Matfield, H Brussow, J Smith, R Kankowski. Replacements: B du Plessis, G Steenkamp, D Carstens, S Sykes, P Spies, R Pienaar, F Steyn.
Lions: R Kearney (Ireland); U Monye (England), T Bowe (Ireland), R Flutey (England), S Williams (Wales); S Jones (Wales), M Phillips (Wales); A Sheridan (England), M Rees (Wales), P Vickery (England), S Shaw (England), P O'Connell (Ireland, capt), J Worsley (England), M Williams (Wales), J Heaslip (Ireland). Replacements: R Ford (Scotland), J Hayes (Ireland), A-W Jones (Wales), D Wallace (Ireland), T Croft (England), H Ellis (England), J Hook (Wales).
Email to a friend
Print this page- Three-inch blanket of snow heading our way today
- Alan Shearer in list of favourites for Leeds and England jobs: Latest odds
- Barnsley’s Keith Hill invokes Fawlty Towers over link with Leeds job
- McCormack feels United search can be narrowed down
- Redfearn throws down gauntlet as queue builds at Elland Road
- Rival chips in with £500,000 to restore the original Harry Ramsden’s
- Visit from Princess as Serbian culture celebrated
- SportsTalk: Leeds United’s manager search, Super League and Calcutta Cup
- Libraries aren’t like supermarkets, they are magical places where dreams begin
- Strategic review will lead to job losses at Yorkshire Bank
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
