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Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions
By Ian Cameron at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
The British and Irish Lions have wrapped up their 2025 series against Australia with a game to spare, but not everyone is impressed, particularly Springboks fans.
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The Lions snatched a dramatic 29-26 win at the MCG thanks to an 80th-minute try from Hugo Keenan – their first lead of the match – securing the series with a game to spare. Trailing 23-5 after a first-half Wallabies onslaught powered by Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, Andy Farrell’s side clawed their way back through tries from Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones and Tadhg Beirne. Keenan’s late score survived a nervy TMO check for a Jac Morgan clearout.
It’s the Lions’ first series win since 2013, with a 3-0 whitewash now within reach.
While Farrell’s side celebrated a 2-0 series win in Melbourne, Springboks fans flooded social media with a blunt message: this Lions team wouldn’t stand a chance against South Africa.
Despite the comeback win for the British and Irish Lions, the sentiment among some South African rugby fans is less than impressed. Indeed, many Saffa fans are reminding anyone who’ll listen that the Boks have beaten the Lions in their last two series – in 2021 and 2009.
Cherry-picking the years, one Springbok fan account wrote: “Southern Hemisphere teams to win a test series vs the British and Irish Lions since the start of 2006: 1. 2009 Springboks 2. 2021 Springboks. We are the benchmark of Southern Hemisphere rugby”, while another directed a similar observation at RugbyPass writer Ben Smith, penning: “A gentle reminder that the only team that has won a Lions series in the last 20 years is the Springboks. Twice.”
Others were more blunt.
One account posted: “The Springboks would smoke this Lions team”, while another wrote: “This British and Irish Lions team can be glad they had to play Australia. The Springboks and All Blacks would have destroyed them.”
“This Lions team is poor… Springboks would absolutely savage them… an awful game devoid of quality,” wrote another fan. “Utter rubbish.”
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