Former England forward Phil Vickery has revisited his infamous scrum battle against Springboks prop Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira during the 2009 British and Irish Lions Series.
It was a contrasting day for the two props collided in a brutal Test match in Durban in 2009, with Mtawarira earning international fame for his efforts, while it marked one of the worst days in Vickery’s illustrious career.
At the time, the England tighthead was renowned as one of the best props of his generation, having won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 with England and was on his second Lions tour, while his opposing loosehead earned just his 11th Springboks cap.
Vickery reflects on 2009 Lions tour
However, Mtawarira produced a statement scrummaging performance in the match, winning several penalties as he drove the England prop into the air at multiple scrums.
So much so that Lions forward coach Graham Rowntree offered to replace the England stalwart at halftime.
“I had played against the Beast before with England and not a problem, I wasn’t overly worried,” Vickery told the Stick to Rugby podcast as he reflected on the match.
“I knew he was an athlete, he’s a big boy.”
“It was probably one of the hardest things when you go back in at half time – the referee didn’t want to know anything, it was Bryce Lawrence – people could say he was illegal, it doesn’t really matter. It is what it is.
“I got back in at half time and Graham Rowntree said ‘Do you want to go back on?”
Understandably, the England veteran did not entertain the suggestion.
“I won’t tell exactly what I said to him, but he’s not the most incredibly bright or pretty bloke in the world, so I let him know and that went back out,” he continued.
“And then I got subbed off.”
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While Rowntree’s suggestion hit a nerve, it was actually a good-hearted message from his mom that cut the deepest for Vickery.
“I remember picking up my phone [after the match] and thinking I’m going for a friend there and normally get 100s of text messages – most of them were usually from my brother saying how much he loves me. But because he’s drunk somewhere, be rugby club. I thought I’d take that but nothing.
“I did get one from my then-wife Kate and one from Mum.
“And for my mum to send a text message was nothing short of a miracle. Only a mother can say this because it’s what she didn’t say, which said everything and it is when you know you have an absolute **** and all it read was ‘We still love you’.”
Mtawarira: “Pure respect”
Back in 2021, The Beast also recounted what occurred in that gam,e stating that it “changed his life.”
“I was in another world in that first match, I don’t even know what I was thinking,” he told the Lions official website.
“They did not know what hit them in that first scrum! And then in the second, I was even better. That day changed my life.”
On his battle with Vickery, he added: “People always talk about that match, it’s crazy.”
“People always want to know what was going through my mind. It was not a nice day for Phil and I felt for him. But he had won a World Cup and I was a young kid on a mission. We shook hands at the end of the game and it was pure respect.”
READ MORE: Where are they now? The 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/phil-vickery-reveals-moms-brutal-text-after-scrum-disaster-against-springboks-great-tendai-beast-mtawarira
