News

Moving on from gouging

July 01 2009

The debate continues over Peter de Villiers and his comments on gouging as a part of the game, but Graham Rowntree is keen to move on from it all.

The Lions scrum coach, who confessed he may have to dig out his boots if Phil Vickery fails to recover from a mild bout of 'flu before the weekend, was briefly eloquent on the subject but also quite categorical in his wish to leave the theme alone, calling for no more questions on the subject on Wednesday.

"I'm going to have to tread carefully here because I could get quite emotional," he said when his opinion on the offence and Peter de Villiers assertion that it was 'a part of the game' was canvassed.

"I agree with Drico. I think it was a crass comment, pathetic really, I am glad he (De Villiers) has had to withdraw it and that it is being investigated further.

"There is no place in the game for gouging and I think what he said is ridiculous. For a national coach to say it's ok is ridiculous. We are upset. You can't get away with making those comments.

"There's been a few high-profile cases over the past few months. Is the answer a greater deterrent of punishment? Possibly.

"But we are happy to move on, we are a squad of professionals here and it is hard enough playing the game without involving emotions from the week before."

So we will also leave it at that.

The injuries in the Lions camp are great in number but the greatest concern is at prop, where it looks ever more likely that Phil Vickery - if he gets better - will face up to his nemesis: Beast Mtawarira.

The South African loosehead produced one of the great scrummaging performances to destroy Vickery in the first Test, squeezing six points out for his team in the process and resulting in Vickery being predictably dropped from the team for the second Test.

The Cornishman will have to display a steely edge to his game in order to recover from that - if selected.

"It will be a huge psychological challenge if Vicks starts again, but one I think he is well capable of rising to. He's a strong character," said Rowntree of his now student and former England team-mate.

"I will back the bloke to go out there and give a good performance, subject to selection tomorrow.

"The first Test was an uncomfortable day in the office for Phil, by both our admittance. But there's nobody else with his strength of character as an individual, and I back that."

Aside from Vickery's private battle, the Lions themselves will have to dig deep to avoid the whitewash which the Springboks are now surely eyeing up with relish after last Saturday's terrific spectacle.

"John Smit used the word colossal (to describe the second Test), which is a good word. I thought it was physical, fast, emotional... and that was just me on the sideline," quipped Rowntree.

"A lot of people have said it was one of the best Lions Tests ever, which won't take away the pain of losing, but it's not a bad compliment.

"The guys gave everything, and it was a massive disappointment afterwards. But it's gone. We don't deserve to go home 3-0, and that's what's driving us this week."

"They'll try and whitewash us, they think we are on the ropes, that we are down physically and emotionally.

"But we have been very careful to conditioning and there's still plenty in the tank, believe me.

"We've lost two Tests by eight points, not 38. People are quite proud of our efforts and quite gutted for us. We gave it everything.

"We've had a couple of days off and we trained well this morning. There was a good amount of spark. I've no doubt they'll be up for the weekend."

We look forward to it.

By Danny Stephens in Johannesburg