Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick during the 2016 Springbok Press Conference at Montecasino on 28 October 2016 ©Aubrey Kgakatsi/BackpagePix
Stick expects no easy weeks when Lions tour South Africa
Mzwandile Stick expects the British and Irish Lions to come out guns blazing against the Springboks next year.
Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick during the 2016 Springbok Press Conference at Montecasino on 28 October 2016 ©Aubrey Kgakatsi/BackpagePix
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick says he expects no easy games when the British and Irish Lions descend upon South African shores.
The famous side, made up of players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, returns to South Africa for another tour in July 2021. They will play five tour matches before taking on the world champions in three Tests.
No easy weeks against the Lions
Stick, who was part of the technical staff when the Springboks hoisted the Webb-Ellis trophy for the third time in Japan, believes the Lions pose a different challenge to the World Cup.
“The Rugby World Cup final against England was very tough and we had to be at our very best – I think facing the Lions will be three times as tough,” he said.
“Unlike at a World Cup, where you do have easier weeks, there will be no opportunities to take things easy when preparing for the Lions – every training session, every gym session will have to count.
“We are the current Rugby World Cup champions – we beat England in the final and Wales in the semi-final, so they are going to come hard for us. It will be like revenge.
“We’re certainly not expecting anything light. The northern hemisphere sides are very strong at the moment – all of those teams are very tough, and we’ll make sure that we’re ready for that challenge.”
Mzwandile Stick, Springbok assistant coach
South Africa vs British and Irish Lions tour schedule
| MATCH DATE | MATCH | LOCATION | STADIUM |
| Saturday 3rd July 2021 | DHL Stormers | Cape Town | Cape Town Stadium |
| Wednesday 7th July 2021 | South Africa ‘Invitational’ | Port Elizabeth | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium |
| Saturday 10th July 2021 | Cell C Sharks | Durban | Jonsson Kings Park |
| Wednesday 14th July 2021 | South Africa ‘A’ | Mbombela | Mbombela Stadium |
| Saturday 17th July 2021 | Vodacom Bulls | Pretoria | Loftus Versfeld |
| Saturday 24th July 2021 | South Africa | Johannesburg | FNB Stadium |
| Saturday 31st July 2021 | South Africa | Cape Town | Cape Town Stadium |
| Saturday 7th August 2021 | South Africa | Johannesburg | Emirates Airline Park |
