Lions decider desperately needs to be a spectacle

With all the noise that has turned the British and Irish Lions series into a spectacle off the field rather than on it, the game desperately needs the players to remind the rugby world why the tour is so special.

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While we all thought we would remember the British and Irish Lions tour for the strange experience it was without the normal travelling band of red jerseys and the friendship and comaraderie off the field that follows it, the tour is threatening to be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

There are no holy cows here, both sides have wronged at times, and while there has been so much focus on SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus’ video that forced World Rugby to charge him with misconduct, there is plenty of blame to go around.

For one, the rugby has not been great. It has been low-risk, slow and a bombardment of aerial kicks that has seen a test being won by each side because the other had not been able to handle the second half barrage that came their way.

Secondly the physical aspect has been taken to a new level and the dirty tactics - especially by the Lions and lack of citing for incidents has not done the game any good.

And while so much focus has been on how poor a spectacle the game hs been, the consequences threaten to sour the Lions brand and what it means for them to tour around the world.

Let’s be honest, Ian Foster had a point when he pointed out the risk-reward factors were getting too much with such a tour, and the intense scrutiny, coupled with the way neither side is willing to risk anything to play rugby, is desperately needing a rethink for the future of the touring game.

“The Lions series, the one we had here, the one over there, it’s become very tight, almost risk-free type of series, aren’t they? Teams are almost afraid to play, they are just relying on a low-risk strategy,” he said.

“So we are seeing two teams who desperately want to win a big series playing low-risk, highly-effective rugby.

“Both of them are good at the close contact stuff, the close quarter fighting, the kick and chase, and the pressure game. Two teams playing a similar style, it’s a bit of a slugfest.”

Add to this lopsided provincial results, and under-strength sides and it is clear the ground has shifted, but those who organise these tours haven’t moved with the times.

Instead there were pre-tour talk of limiting the tour even more with less games, with fights with Premiership clubs and why World Rugby didn’t pull finger to make sure the tour was postponed and played in front of fans.

It was quite a reminder this week that former Welsh referee Nigel Owens said the most memorable game of his career was the 2013 Rugby Championship decider between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park, won by the All Blacks 38-27.

But while the game was high stakes, the fact that both sides needed a bonus point produced some of the most enthralling rugby that was produced at the time, and it was a fantastic advertisement for the game.

Both sides possess some exceptional flair players, and the game should be a contest between both the forward dominance and backline flair of each team.

Defence has played an overarching role in this series and Foster is correct when he talks about low-risk rugby.

We’re unlikely to see anything too different on Saturday, but maybe, just maybe there is some hope that rugby will win the day.

And we can all be inspired again.