The intensity ahead of the Springboks v British & Irish Lions series is about to go up a level after fiery comments made by touring coach Warren Gatland. Erasmus, who stood in as coach after Springbok mentor Jacques Nienaber tested positive for Covid-19, was eager to schedule another SA 'A' v Lions match for Saturday but the tourists declined. When probed on this, Gatland hit back by poking fun at Erasmus' role as a "water boy". "I think he was just trying to wind us up by saying we were scared, which he is sometimes capable of doing," Gatland said. "Last night, he's a water boy and running onto the pitch, but the thing is if you’re the water boy running onto the pitch, you've got to make sure that you are carrying the water.

Source: News 24 July 16, 2021 06:55 UTC