Vickery ready for the 'Beast'
2009-07-03 15:52
Johannesburg - Phil Vickery makes his final appearance in a Lions jersey on Saturday determined to avoid a mauling by South Africa prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira.
The former England captain had the humiliation of being taken off early in the second half of the British and Irish Lions' 26-21 first Test loss to the Springboks in Durban two weeks ago after he was dominated by the powerfully built loosehead.
Now he faces the Beast again and looks upon it as a chance to make up for that experience and end his Lions career on a high.
"I'm looking forward to this match more than any other match I've ever played in," Vickery said on Friday even though the Lions have already lost the series. "It's going to be my last game in a Lions jersey and I want to make sure we go home on a high.
"It's nothing new, nothing different. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I think it will be a great occasion with two teams who will really go for it. We've got nothing to lose, the Boks have got nothing to lose and hopefully it will sign off the tour in great style."
Vickery was left out of the second Test in Pretoria, which South Africa won 28-25 to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series, and is only back because props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones were both seriously injured in that game and are out of the final match at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.
He said it was tough to watch videos of his first Test ordeal against Mtawarira, who teamed up with hooker Bismarck du Plessis to apply huge pressure on the England tighthead in the scrums and also shoved him around in the rucks and mauls.
"It's all difficult to sit and watch anything when you don't play very well or things don't go well for you and that's the same in any walk of life whatever business or trade you're in," Vickery said.
"But I have another opportunity tomorrow and I have confidence in my ability and confidence in the people around me."
Warren Gatland, the Lions forwards coach on this tour, said Vickery had taken some advice from his replacement.
"He's got to go in with a bit of confidence," Gatland said. "He's had a chat with Adam Jones about that and Adam didn't think much of the Beast at all. We've got (hooker) Matthew Rees there, (lock forward) Simon Shaw is behind as well. There are times when you learn that every day at the office isn't a great day. You get back in, you learn from that and you go forward."
- AP