South Africa's loathing with the Lions: is this rugby’s most bitter rivalry?

The British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa has had plenty of angry flashpoints. It was ever thus when these sides meet

In response to the viciousness of the previous tour, the 1974 Lions adopted a plan to defend themselves. When the call of 99 went up, each player had to hit the nearest Springbok. “Originally it was 999 – emergency – but that was too slow, so we cut it down to 99,” captain Willie John McBride later said.

The tourists were ultimately successful in the first Lions tour of the pro era, in 1997. But it had its moments of enmity. At one point, coach Jim Telfer suggested Boks flanker Andre Venter should be censured for stamping, then debated the point with some Springboks supporters – telling one to “speak English”.

Schalk Burger was shown a yellow card for making “contact with the eye area” of Luke Fitzgerald early in the second Test in 2009. Touring fans felt it was the pivotal moment of the series – and that Burger’s offence merited a far more serious punishment.

Although Burger suffered nothing worse than yellow, hardman second row Bakkies Botha was banned for two weeks after that second Test, for clear out which led to Adam Jones, the Lions prop, suffering a dislocated shoulder.

Even Jones suggested Botha’s punishment was harsh. Peter de Villiers, the Boks coach, was livid, saying: “Why don’t we all go to the nearest ballet shop, get some nice tutus and get some great dancing going on. No eye-gouging, no tackling, no nothing.”

The Boks protested on the field in the third Test, wearing armbands saying: “Justice 4 Bakkies.” They were fined and heavily reprimanded by the sport’s ruling body, while South Africa Rugby also apologised for De Villiers’ earlier comments.

De Villiers’ diatribe seems like small change now. Twelve years later, the latest boss of the Boks, Rassie Erasmus, has dominated the news cycle, most notably via a 62-minute excoriation of the match officials posted online. He, too, faces a World Rugby disciplinary hearing.

The Test which followed Erasmus’ rant was ill tempered, to say the least. Scuffles were frequent, and accusations swirled in cyberspace. Stuart Hogg, the Lions full back, was accused on social media of biting Willie le Roux, but no charge was brought and he denied the accusation.

Cheslin Kolbe is the smallest Boks player, but he was at the centre of two foul play controversies in the second Test. First when he clashed heads with the Lions flanker Tom Curry, then when he was sin binned for felling Conor Murray in the air.

Kolbe was on the receiving end at times, too. He was the victim of a trip by Duhan van der Merwe, who had earlier made a late tackle from which Pieter-Steph Du Toit suffered a game ending injury.

Kyle Sinckler, the Lions prop, was cited for allegedly biting Frans Mostert in Saturday’s second Test. He was cleared, though, with World Rugby’s disciplinary committee saying: “on the balance of probabilities, it could not be satisfied that the player committed an act of foul play.”.

It is fair to say that this has been the most acrimonious British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa since … the last one.

These two sides only play each other once every 12 years. The lengthy gap between series only ever seems to make hearts grow ever more hateful.

Will Saturday’s deciding Test in Cape Town add more controversy? Browse through the gallery above to see where this potted history has gone before.