British Lions hand out thrashing

Golden Lions 10 British Lions 74. The British Lions tour of South Africa improved yesterday when they thrashed local side Golden Lions by ten tries to one. Having struggled to beat a scratch Royal XV in the first fixture of the the tour, Lions manager Ian McGeechan saw his team led by Irish legend Brian O'Driscoll hand out the largest defeat in more than thirty years inflicted by a touring Lions side.

O'Driscoll scored one try, while England's Ugo Monye, Jamie Roberts of Wales and Irish winger Tommy Bowe each scored twice in the rout. The Lions next play Free State Cheetahs on Saturday before taking on Natal Sharks on Wednesday. The three-Test series against South Africa begins on Saturday June 20.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Robert Kitson, the Guardian: "The sound of roaring Lions could finally be heard in downtown Johannesburg.

Far stiffer challenges await them than their pedestrian namesakes could muster here but amid the carnage there were encouraging flashes of a competitive Test team taking shape. If the touring side can maintain this momentum against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, there really will be grounds for optimism."

David Hands, the Times: "The Lions wanted to make an emphatic statement in the second match of their tour last night and to do so at the former Ellis Park only added to their authority. The Golden Lions, who now occupy one of the fortresses of the veld, may not have lived up to the achievements of their predecessors but this is still the stadium perennially associated with Springbok triumphs - and where the third international will be played - and the Lions made mincemeat of them."

Mick Cleary, Daily Telegraph: "Out in Africa, something is stirring. The Lions, listless and muted in Rustenburg, roared back to life with a slick, vibrant performance, washing away the blues from the downbeat opening weekend. There was an entirely different feel to nearly everything they did: brisk in attack, resilient for the most part in defence, the Lions looked the part, scoring 10 tries and posting the half-century before the hour mark. The travelling thousands about to decamp to South Africa can breathe easy."