Lions ease to big win on day of off-field drama
JOHANNESBURG, July 7 (Reuters) - The British & Irish Lions put aside a day of drama and uncertainty to comprehensively win the second game of their COVID-disrupted South African tour, crushing the Sharks 54-7 at Ellis Park on Wednesday.
Makeshift fullback Josh Adams kept up his try-scoring blitz in a Lions jersey with a hat-trick, matched by Duhan van der Merwe and there was one each for Bundee Aki and Louis Rees-Zammit.
The Lions outscored their South African opponents eight tries to one with three conversions from Owen Farrell, who was outstanding after being drafted into flyhalf at the last minute, and four from his replacement Finn Russell.
The Lions led 26-0 at halftime at an empty Ellis Park in a match that was in doubt until some 90 minutes before kickoff after two positive COVID-19 cases in the Lions camp earlier on Wednesday, forcing 12 players into isolation and necessitating eight changes in the matchday squad of 18. (Writing by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ed Osmond)
