Did anything Emerge from last night?

Not the greatest game of the tour.

Credit must be given to the Emerging Boks.

My prediction of the the Lions by seven was looked pretty good until a cheap pen (the Ref said "Hands out, Hands out, Hands out" Callaghan did NOT listen) was given away at the breakdown by the Lions.... again.

And the rest is history.

After the whistle, I felt any hope of a Lions fightback in the Test Series quickly evaporate. The look of Rohan O'Gara face when he led the team off the pitch showed how important, for the squad, a victory was.

Anyone make a case for a test spot?

I don't think Shane Williams did enough, he didn't get the chance really. I would still go with Ugo Monye, the power against the Boks.

Simon Shaw, gave a good reason to replace Alan Wyn Jones on Saturday. Nothing against the Welsh Second Row, but a good point was made by Stuart Barnes in the commentary the power that Shaw posses behind the front row at the scrum could be the answer to the first half problems experienced in Durban.

Again I was surprised that Martyn Williams got all 80 minutes. It looks now, unlikely that he will start on Saturday.

If I was picking the team:

15 - Rob Kearney (Is Bryne fit? He is report to be taking pain injections)
14 - Tommy Bowe
13 - Brain O'Driscoll
12 - Jamie Roberts
11 - Ugo Monye
10 - Stephen Jones
9 - Mike Phillips
8 - Jamie Heaslip (If Williams had not played all 80mins, I would have picked him at 7 and maybe Wallace at 8)
7 - David Wallace
6 - Tom Croft
5 - Paul O'Connell (c)
4 - Simon Shaw
3 - Adam Jones
2 - Matthew Rees
1 - Gethin Jenkins

A Table Topping Performance Needed

British and Irish Lions vs. Emerging Springboks
23th June 2009
KO 7.10 Local Time
Newlands, Cape Town

All eyes on Newlands, Cape Town tonight as the British and Irish Lions prepare for the final mid-week game of the tour against the Emerging Springboks.

Lions' coach Ian McGeechan has underlined the importance of this game, to get the Lions tour back on track after the disappointing defeat on Saturday.

A loss tonight under Table Top Mountain could be disastrous for the Lions confidence ahead of a make or break game against the senior Boks on Saturday.

Key Lion:

I was surprised to see Martyn Williams in the starting line up. If Geeks was thinking of starting him on this Saturday, I doubt he would have started him. But the McGeechan has given Welsh veteran a chance to prove his worth. He will be key to the game tonight and a solid performance may get Geek's to rethink.

Who else is pushing for a place?

The whole front row! Well nearly all. Who will start with Gethin Jenkins on Saturday? Anything is up for grabs.

Shane Williams? Some magic from the IRB player of the year could give him a chance to make at least the bench on Saturday.

Alan Wyn Jones test is place could be up for grabs. All three second rowers will be pushing.

The Emerging Springboks

The Emerging Springbok's are a team made up of uncapped South African future stars.

The side includes Earl Rose and Morgan Newman, who are currently in the South African squad.

One to Watch:

Full Back - Zane Kirchner - One of the shining lights of the Blue Bull's Super 14 winning team. The 24 year old was unlucky to miss out on the senior squad.

Prediction

A tough first half battle, which the Lions will come through by 7 points.

The Blues are Ready

On Sunday the Cardiff Blues take on the Leicester Tigers at the Millennium Stadium, in the regions first Heineken Cup semi-final under the banner of the Blues. (Cardiff RFC got to the final in the first ever Heineken Cup in 1996).

After they demolished Gloucester in the EDF Energy Cup final the Blues take an air of confidence into the game.

They have struggled in recent years, but under the careful leadership of head coach Dai Young the promise of the young sqaud is starting to show.

After the defeat of Gloucester by 50 -12 at Twickenham the rugby world has stood up and took note. The fear for the Blues is that they bolt under this new found pressure.

Sunday will be their biggest test...

Rugby Mad have been in the Blues camp this week to see how preparations for the game are going.

Fronting Up
Head Coach Dai Young is expecting a tough and tight game, that will be 'won and lost upfront'.

He outlined that it is key that the Blues have a good start to game and get points on the board early.

He is weary of the threat that the Leicester will give but believes that if the Blues go out to win the game they can play the kind of rugby that took them to victory at Twickenham.



A big day out
Martyn Williams is looking forward to playing the game at Wales' national stadium.

The veteran flanker, who got the call for the Lions last week, says the winning in contact area as a key part to whether the Blues will be able to come out and perform on Sunday.



Impact Player
Number 8, Andy Powell will be on the bench come Sunday the big Welsh man has been kept out of the starting fifteen by the return from injury of New Zealander Xavier Rush.

Powell believes he is a good impact player and enjoys coming off the bench. Recently picked in the 37 heading out to South Africa in the summer Powell told Rugby Mad that after the injury to Munster's Tomas O'Leary, meaning he will miss the tour, the worry of injury will be at the back of all the Lions players heads before the board the plane in the summer.



There is little doubt that confidence is high in the Blues camp, there is no doubting that, but they are all aware of the big task ahead of them...