Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Paul Ackford believes that the referees will still have a big part to play as the Lions prepare their Test side.
”Another Saturday, another struggle for the Lions. But, hallelujah, this was a great game of rugby played in front of a healthy crowd. Even the weather contributed to a sense of occasion as the rain, driven by blasting winds, lashed down. Shut your eyes for a moment and you could have been at Croke Park so appalling were the conditions.
“It would be curmudgeonly to suggest this was a match the Lions could have lost because they played some decent rugby especially into the wind in the first half. But they will be concerned at their disciplinary record which allowed Western Province to stay in touch. The Lions outscored Western Province by three tries to one, and Tommy Bowe was magnificent throughout, but it took a long range penalty goal from James Hook with three minutes remaining to make the game safe.
“In the end the decisive area was the scrummage, an area which is certain to be an issue in the Test series which starts in Durban on Saturday. The problem these days is that no-one - players, coaches or spectators - has the faintest idea as to what referees require. In the first half Lions captain Phil Vickery seemed to be in a spot of bother as Western Province attacked his side of the scrum. But when Euan Murray took over in the last quarter, and Wicus Blaauw the belligerent Western Province prop was replaced, the Lions scrum powered up. Referee Mark Lawrence gave three scrum penalties to the Lions in the final 10 minutes and one of them led to the kick with which Hook won the game. Who says referees don’t influence games?”
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