Tommy Bowe was left puzzled and frustrated by the Lions' loss to South Africa 'A', and believes it was akin to 'bringing a knife to a gun fight.'

Bowe joined Off The Ball to discuss what the Lions loss means for Warren Gatland's side heading into the first test against the Springboks on 24th July.

"I was puzzled watching that first half, Bowe said."

"I thought that the Lions knew what they were going in to face. Maro Itoje talked about it afterwards: when you go into take on the South Africans, you know what you're going to get.

"It seemed like they turned up to a gun fight with a knife. They just weren't at the races for the first 20 or 30 minutes. There are a lot of questions to be asked and there will be a lot of people concerned going into the selection of the team at the start of next week."

'Lions were like Munster against Leinster'

Bowe believes the Lions' style reminded him of a setup closer to home.

"I don't want to say this but it felt a little bit like Munster up against Leinster again, with the box kicks and slowing it down, when if the Lions are going to beat South Africa they are going to have to play with tempo," Bowe said.

"I would like to hope that this is all part of the plan, Conor Murray slowing it down.

"When he is behind a pack that is getting absolutely demolished - the Lions pack were being demolished in that first half - he was having to dig that ball out, you saw him screaming at the players trying to get them to go around the corner."

'The players were blowing'

Bowe believes the players were feeling the sheer force of the South African 'A' side.

"The players were blowing, they felt the physicality, I think that is something that Conor Murray is not going to be happy about. But you would think, going into the first test, Warren Gatland is going to shove a rocket up a lot of those guys.

"The breakdown wasn't good enough, the physicality wasn't good enough - you would imagine that Conor Murray will start. Steven Jones was saying Ali Price should start - there is not a chance that Ali Price is a better scrum-half than Conor Murray.

"At the same time, it has to be said that Conor Murray is not the same Conor Murray we had in the Lions series four years ago. You compare it with Faf de Klerk, he is just on a different level at the minute."

Henshaw the answer?

Bowe would prefer to see a bit more attacking and creative flair in the Lions' lineup come the first test.

"I just think, given the line speed that the Lions are going to come up against with this South Africa, I would love to see a ball player at 12. I don't really see Bundee Aki being able to deal with the muscle and the go-forward that they need.

"Whether Farrell has played himself out of contention, I don't know. Robbie Henshaw has been named at 12 and not 13.

"If you thought [Gatland] was considering a Biggar at 10, Farrell at 12, you would have thought Robbie Henshaw would have been at 13."

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