John Smit’s recently released autobiography highlights the British & Irish Lions players’ refusal to share post match drinks with the Boks after the first two Tests.
Smit claimed a senior Irish player was behind their refusal and yesterday the Irish media tried to magnify the incident prior to Saturday’s match. “We extended a hand to the Lions to have a beer or two and they never accepted that invitation,” De Villiers said.
“But I don’t think there was any extraordinary niggle on the field where you can talk about ‘bad blood’ between the teams. Maybe they don’t like South African beer.”
Irish newspapers have repeatedly mentioned the incident between Schalk Burger and Irish wing Luke Fitzgerald that ended in an eight-week suspension for the Bok flank. He was found guilty of ‘hands in the eye-area’ of Fitzgerald.
It’s already building up to be a spicy encounter although De Villiers did everything in his power to downplay any lingering ill-feeling between the squads.
“Ireland are a very good squad and they have deserved everything they have got this year,” De Villiers said. “The rewards have come their way by winning the Six Nations and the Grand Slam.
“But we won’t give them preferential treatment because we treat all our opponents the same way and give them the same respect.”
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Eric