Watch: Lions vs Boks: Cheslin Kolbe’s dangerous high tackle on Conor Murray sparks HUGE brawl

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The Lions vs South Africa match was always going to get fairly spicy early doors — and so it came to pass with less than half an hour gone.

It started off tensely just three minutes in with both side diving in for a face-off, with Alun Wyn Jones and a smirking Eben Etzebeth right in the thick of it.

A quick warning from the referee was handy for him to lay down his marker in a match that threatened to go off the rails given all the mid-week off-pitch theatrics and words.

© Provided by Extra.ie Players clash following a tackle from Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa Springboks on Conor Murray of British & Irish Lions during the 2nd Test between Springboks and British & Irish Lions at FNB Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pic: David Rogers/Getty Images

Just 18 minutes in Duhan van der Merwe found himself in the bin after a blatant trip on Cheslin Kolbe, who had earlier been involved in an incident with Curry and a possible head-on-head collision.

But on 25 minutes Kolbe was in real trouble as he went for a high ball with Conor Murray.

Murray clearly made it to the ball first and while he was in the air, Kolbe hit into him, spinning the Munster man who landed on his shoulder and but for a protective arm, almost on his head.

Kolbe was lucky to get away with a yellow card as he then got into a fight with two Lions, after a sneaky push from Itoje who first checked the ref wasn’t looking.

Sky Sports cut to Bryan Habana who was in the stands for them and he laughingly told them that he was just a few metres from Kolbe and van der Merwe in the bin and the two were exchanging some choice verbals.