Lions have high hopes for second Test
BRITISH and Irish Lions coach Shaun Edwards believes extreme altitude training will stop their Test series hopes disappearing into thin air on Saturday.
A fixture the Lions cannot afford to lose will be made even harder by its location: Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, some 5,000 feet above sea level.
The tourists struggled with similarly gruelling low-oxygen conditions during their match against the Royal XV in Rustenburg 26 days ago.
But Edwards is confident the altitude masks in which players have been made to work out will help them level the series with victory in the second Test.
“They set the masks at 7,500 feet, which is higher than we will be playing. When you see the pain on the players’ faces when they are cycling with the masks it is obviously hurting them a bit,” he said.
“Loftus Versfeld at the moment is probably the hardest place to play rugby in the world, because of the altitude. I know we will be in better shape going back to altitude than when we first went there.”
One player who will not have to cope with the conditions is Nathan Hines, who was yesterday banned for Saturday’s clash. The Scotland lock was given a week-long suspension after being cited for a dangerous tackle in Tuesday’s draw against the Emerging Springboks.
Hines was only an outside contender for a place in Ian McGeechan’s side, but the head coach has several other key calls to make as he bids to maintain his record of never losing a second Test in three prior tours.
The top priority is finding a way to nullify Springboks loosehead Tendai Mtawarira, who bulldozed Phil Vickery in the first Test, which the home side won 26-21.
Hooker Matthew Rees and prop Adam Jones are being tipped to be selected alongside Gethin Jenkins in an all-Welsh front row.
In the backs, England winger Ugo Monye’s place is under threat from Ireland’s Luke Fitzgerald and Welshman Shane Williams.