WARREN GATLAND’S BRITISH and Irish Lions will face three Super Rugby sides, South Africa ‘A’ and a South Africa ‘Invitational’ team on their shortened eight-game tour in 2021.
The Lions tour has been reduced from its previous 10-game format, with Gatland’s men set to have five warm-up games before their three-Test series against the Springboks in two summers’ time.
The tourists will kick off against Super Rugby’s Sharks on 3 July before clashing with an ‘Invitational’ South Africa team four days later.
Fixtures against the Sharks, South Africa ‘A’, and the Bulls will provide the rest of the preparation before the first of three Tests against Rassie Erasmus’ Boks on 24 July.
Those first two Tests against the reigning World Cup champions take place in Johannesburg – at the 88,000-capacity Soccer City - and Cape Town before a return to Johannesburg’s Ellis Park for the third and final Test clash.
This will be the Lions’ 14th tour in South Africa, with four series wins to their name, including a memorable 2-1 success in 1997. The most recent Lions tour in South Africa saw the visitors come up short in an epic series in 2009, when Gatland was involved as an assistant coach.
The trip in 2021 will be Gatland’s third tour as head coach, having led the Lions to series success in Australia in 2013 and then a drawn series in New Zealand in 2017. South Africa will now pose a new and exciting challenge.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with how this schedule looks,” said Gatland. “Touring South Africa is always a huge challenge, not only from a rugby perspective but also in terms of the venues and the conditions facing the players.
“We’re very comfortable that three of the games, two of which are Test matches, will be played at altitude. Our schedule falls in a way to allow us to start at sea level before building up and acclimatising to the unique environment that playing at altitude presents.
“Ensuring the team are absolutely primed for the Test matches is a critical element of any Lions Tour, and I’m confident the quality of opposition we will face in the opening weeks will get us ready to take on the Springboks. The Bulls, Sharks, and Stormers are all tough sides and present different challenges, which is exactly what we want.”
The Springboks, meanwhile, are excited about welcoming the tourists to their patch in around 19 months.
“There are players who have been to three Rugby World Cups and finished their careers with a winner’s medal yet never got to play against the Lions,” said South Africa Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.
“They only come around every 12 years for our players and only a few of them ever have the privilege of wearing the Springbok jersey in a Lions series.
“The Lions have not lost a series since they were last here a decade ago and they will present a next-level challenge in 18 months’ time.
“Warren Gatland is a massively experienced and astute coach with a phenomenal record with the Lions and the rugby experience for our players and public will rival that of a Rugby World Cup.”
2021 Lions tour fixtures:
Saturday 3 July: Lions v Stormers – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Wednesday 7 July: Lions v South Africa ‘Invitational’ – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Saturday 10 July: Lions v Sharks – Jonsson Kings Park, Durban
Wednesday 13 July: Lions v South Africa ‘A’ Team – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Saturday 17 July: Lions v Bulls – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday 24 July (first Test): Springboks v Lions – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Saturday 31 July (second Test): Springboks v Lions – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday 7 August (third Test): Springboks v Lions – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Mignolet can look forward to pick the ball out of his net multiple times on his return from international duty
@D H: Liverpool will probably do what they always do, up their game against Utd, maybe even win, celebrate like they’ve won the title, and return to normal service.
It’s a must win for Klopp, a win and he’s pretty safe, a draw and he buys time, a loss and he’s in deep trouble….
But, but….he punches the air, pumps his chest and grits his teeth….surely that will keep him in the job no?
@Brian O’Loughlin: I do that too sometimes on a Saturday night……then she falls asleep……
It could but it won’t
The only thing he will see is lukaku scoring 3 times in a week!
@Ger: found Rooney’s little black book did he?
Form doesn’t even come into it when it comes to this game.
Cup final