Beating British & Irish Lions BIGGER than winning the World Cup, claims Nick Mallett

Winning a series against the British & Irish Lions will be a bigger achievement for the Springboks than their 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph, says former Springbok coach Nick Mallett.

READ | ELTON JANTJIES ONE KICK AWAY FROM TYING NAAS BOTHA’S SPRINGBOK MARK

“To win a series from a rugby perspective is so much more than winning a World Cup,” Mallett said on SuperSport TV ahead of Saturday’s first Test at Cape Town Stadium.

Nick Mallett said he understood the importance of the World Cup for South Africa as a nation – but added that the quality of the opposition the Springboks will face in the next three weeks was a bigger challenge.

READ | SPRINGBOKS V BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: STATS AND FACTS TO HELP YOU IMPRESS YOUR MATES!

“You play Japan, you play Wales, you play England,” he said, recalling South Africa’s opponents in the knockout stages of the last World Cup.

Then he outlined the task facing the world champions.

“You play the best of the northern hemisphere on Saturday, the best of the northern hemisphere the next Saturday. It’s a much bigger challenge.”

He said the clash between the world champions, with “a very good coaching staff, outstanding individuals and a tight spirit,” against a high-quality British & Irish Lions team was an “absolutely mouth-watering” prospect.

PICTURE | SPRINGBOKS SIT FOR OFFICIAL PHOTO AHEAD OF 1ST BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TEST

Nick Mallett said a lack of preparation was a serious problem for the hosts.

The Springboks have played only one Test, against Georgia on July 2, since the World Cup, with the only other comparable outing being the appearance of 16 of the Test squad of 23 for South Africa A against the Lions on July 14.

“The Lions know what’s coming, the Springboks know what they have to produce. It’s just a question of whether there has been enough game time for the Springboks to produce that intensity they showed in that final,” said Nick Mallett.

READ | SPRINGBOKS V BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: 7 STATS AND FACTS AHEAD OF KICK-OFF

His concern was echoed by former Springbok flanker and 2004 World Rugby Player of the Year Schalk Burger.

“The biggest issue is mental mistakes,” said Burger.

“There’s something about being battle-hardened physically when you play through a season, you get tougher as it goes on.

“There are the mental capabilities when you’ve been put under the pump a lot of times, (which) the Springboks haven’t for a long period of time.”

READ | SPRINGBOKS SELECT FRONT-ROW ‘BOMB SQUAD’ FOR 1ST BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TEST

But Nick Mallett said he was surprised by the British & Irish Lions Test selection, which rewarded form on the tour.

“If I was picking a team to play South Africa, it’s the one team in the world you would pick according to the opposition.

“All of these (Lions) guys have got form against our provincial franchise teams and quite frankly we weren’t putting up massive resistance.

“They’ve picked players on form, but have they picked a side to beat South Africa?”

READ | BRITISH & IRISH LIONS FURIOUS OVER SA TMO FOR FIRST TEST

Burger said he was surprised the British & Irish Lions had picked combinations which had not been tried in the matches leading up to the Tests.

“They have never picked a team they thought would start the first Test,” he said.

READ | SPRINGBOKS AXE 10 PLAYERS FROM SQUAD INCLUDING DU PREEZ TWINS

TEAMS:

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Rynhardt Elstadt, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse

British & Irish Lions

15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland), 14. Anthony Watson (England), 13. Elliot Daly (England), 12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), 10. Dan Biggar (Wales), 9. Ali Price (Scotland), 8. Jack Conan (Ireland), 7. Tom Curry (England), 6. Courtney Lawes (England), 5. Alun Wyn Jones (captain – Wales), 4. Maro Itoje (England), 3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), 1. Wyn Jones (Wales)

Substitutes: 16. Ken Owens (Wales), 17. Rory Sutherland (Scotland), 18. Kyle Sinckler (England), 19. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 20. Hamish Watson (Scotland), 21. Conor Murray (Ireland), 22. Owen Farrell (England), 23. Liam Williams (Wales)

READ | HEAD-TO-HEAD: EBEN ETZEBETH V MARO ITOJE – PICK A WINNER!