Climb for third Test will be the tricky bit

THE confirmed Lions itinerary for their visit to South Africa in 2021 is out and predictably there are two Tests at altitude, the first and third, both being staged in Johannesburg which is located at 6,000 feet on the High Veldt.

The first thing to note is that the Lions knew it was coming. Fran Cotton and the Lions board somehow pulled a fast one in 1997 and negotiated for the first two Tests to be played at sea level but that will never happen again in our lifetimes.

The Boks, not long back in the fold after their isolation years, were in overly generous mood ahead of the 1997 tour and somehow acceded to most of the Lions wishes. By 2009 it was back to one Test at sea level – Durban – and two on the bounce at altitude in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

But is it really that important anyway? Is there a danger of talking yourself into a negative mindset. I’ve gone through past Lions tours and their Test match record at altitude is far from calamitous.

At Ellis Park it is three wins, three draws and five defeats and down the road at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria it’s two wins and two defeats. Meanwhile there were two wins and a draw in Kimberley and two defeats in Bloemfontein.

Contrast that with eight defeats and four wins at sea level in Cape Town which for some reason is always thought of as the most favourable venue for the Lions and three defeats and a solitary win (1997) in Durban. The one sea level venue that favours the Lions is Port Elizabeth with four wins two draws and three defeats. The Lions and their supporters might have a better time down on the coast but it hasn’t overwhelmingly translated into better results. The tricky bit is seems to me is not having the two altitude games in succession.

The Lions will play the Boks in the first Test at the 90,000 capacity soccer city in Soweto before diving straight down to Cape Town for the second Test seven days later and then heading back up to altitude for the third Test at Ellis Park. Now that is a major challenge and will require much cogitation by whichever physiologist and sports scientist Warren Gatland employs. Getting it right could decide the series.