Paul O'Connell, the British and Irish Lions captain, claimed his side put in their best team performance of the tour so far in beating the Sharks 39-3 tonight in Durban.
Although the Lions were up only 7-3 at half-time, they racked up a big score with a strong performance in the second half and O'Connell believes the pieces are falling into place as the first Test approaches.
"I think a lot of things came together," O'Connell said.
"One of the biggest things is the defence, we've got four defensive systems trying to come together and play under one system and it came together well today.
"They had a lot of the ball there at the end and everyone looked very comfortable defending together."
O'Connell also believes the Lions have shown improvement at the breakdown, a key part of the game they must get right when the Test series begins against the physical South Africans.
"The breakdown is the most important part of the game right now, no doubt about it, wherever you play, and I thought we made a big improvement today and I think we'll continue to improve."
Although the Lions had only a narrow lead at the break, O'Connell believes the first-half performance was key in eventually breaking through against the Super 14 side.
"We would have liked to have got more points from the pressure and the possession we had in the first half but were very patient and the points began to rack up," he said.
"Pressure is very hard to defend against constantly and I think it paid off. The longer we stuck at it, the points did come.
"We looked a lot more like a team than we have done in the last few weeks."
The forwards coach Warren Gatland echoed those thoughts, insisting the coaching staff were happy with the team at half-time.
"Any group of players can last for 40 minutes and the Sharks gave it everything in those first 40 minutes. We just said to stay patient and stick to the game plan and the pressure will tell."
The only potential blot on the night came with key man Jamie Roberts being fitted for a shoulder brace but Gatland played down concerns about the injury.
"I don't know anything more about that but I think it's just precautionary after a tumble, and the partnership (with Brian O'Driscoll) looked very good," he said.
* PA Sport
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Company%20Profile
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners