British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland praised his bench for helping them get over the line in the first Test against the Springboks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes's efforts did not go unnoticed by Gatland, with the two English forwards impressing. "The impact of our bench was more significant than the impact of theirs and that was pleasing," Gatland said. While the Lions will gain the expected confidence from beating the Springboks, Gatland's charges were also about getting aspects of their rugby sorted out. "It wasn't about us denting their ego, it was about us getting confidence from certain aspects of the game," Gatland added.

Source: News 24 July 26, 2021 07:40 UTC