Tahs crush lousy Lions
12 Mar 2010
The Lions delivered another poor defensive display as Drew Mitchell scored four tries in the Waratahs’ 73-12 win in Sydney.
This fixture was talked about as the Lions’ best chance of victory, even though they had never beaten the Tahs in Sydney. That hope was short-lived, however, as after just 32 minutes, the hosts wrapped up the bonus point. The Lions have now conceded 29 tries in the tournament, which tells the story of a shocking start to the season.
The Tahs were under pressure from their supporters and the Australian media, but their fans had plenty to cheer about as they crossed the line 11 times.
Carlos Spencer gifted the Tahs their first two tries, the first when the Lions won a turnover but opted to run from deep. This is the approach coach Dick Muir loves to see, but it cost the Lions as the Tahs won the ball back, and from an ensuing penalty, Drew Mitchell tapped and dived over the line. Earlier in the move, Tonderai Chavhanga had also rushed out of the defensive line handing the Tahs the momentum.
The Waratahs winger went from hero to villain momentarily as a mistake behind his own goal-line gifted Chavhanga a score. The Tahs led 7-5 after seven minutes, but then Spencer was again at his worst. His kick was charged and gathered by Dean Mumm who cantered over with the cover defence non-existent.
The Lions’ defence was typically porous as they missed 12 tackles inside 25 minutes. The Tahs were hardly made to work as the Lions handed another Australasian team a bonus point – the third time they’ve conceded five log points in 2010.
Tom Carter crashed over before Wandile Mjekevu’s mistake (which was similar to Mitchell’s) saw Lachie Turner claim the fourth try.
The Lions were intent on running, but clearly lacked confidence, as Spencer and Earl Rose hacked away possession aimlessly. The Tahs were buoyed by the visitors’ mistakes and looked to counter from deep, and Berrick Barnes also drove the Lions back with some lengthy touch-finders.
Muir finally lost patience with his halfbacks as JP Joubert and Spencer were replaced by Jano Vermaak and Burton Francis at half-time. The latter pair didn’t lack effort, but without the platform from their pack, they battled to make an impact.
The Lions have successfully brought other teams, such as the Brumbies, down to their level, but the Tahs kept their structure and scored a further six tries in the second half. The Lions opted to run everything in the final 40, and Mitchell capitalised from their numerous errors to complete a personal tally of four tries.
Muir will undoubtedly find ‘positives’ in this display, but the Lions are going nowhere slowly. The seven-time champions Crusaders lie in wait, and if the Lions’ woeful defence continues, they can expect another hiding.
By Grant Ball
620 Comments
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12 Mar 2010, 15:50 pm
@Grrrr….I’m a Lion!: Hey, congratulations man. This will make up for any heartache these vile buffoons have caused you over the years. I made the mistake of buying my little boy a Lions jersey. He’s too small to remember it, if I burn it now.
12 Mar 2010, 15:50 pm
Dawn
What’s eating your ntanga???
12 Mar 2010, 15:52 pm
@mxhosa: #396 lots of quality players there. Who’s this Loose head prop Nodikida? I don’t know anything about him…..you seem to rate him.
12 Mar 2010, 15:53 pm
@Dawn:
12 Mar 2010, 15:54 pm
@poppa69: I see you’ve shot up the charts sinse the week before…how could I have got it so horribly wrong..?
12 Mar 2010, 15:56 pm
@RedLion:now you’re starting to sound like kzn mad shark…it hurts us to see the lions so *****…
@mxhosa: see you there chap…
12 Mar 2010, 15:56 pm
Dawn
I am a pleasantly suprising person.
Did you think you were the only one here with an education?
12 Mar 2010, 15:56 pm
Absolute disgrace… And **** was gonna come in and save them, and they were gonna be in the top half and and and
12 Mar 2010, 15:57 pm
@Storm outta hell: week 3 was a good one for me..jumped from 48th to 12th… but it can change very quickly…would you believe I didnt tip the bulls the first two weeks either
12 Mar 2010, 16:00 pm
@SpringbokSarah: The more some things change…the more they never do
12 Mar 2010, 16:03 pm
@poppa69: I have 23 from 28 so far. The Reds cost me 2 ( Chiefs, Saders ), and the Sharks cost me 3!
12 Mar 2010, 16:03 pm
@poppa69: You telling me…not backing the Bulls at fortress Loftus a no-brainer…I went 4th to 9th to lurking in the late 20′s favouring Blues and having no faith in Cheetahs…we have a saying here,”as jy dom is moet jy k@k..!”
12 Mar 2010, 16:04 pm
@Storm outta hell: Are you serious?
12 Mar 2010, 16:04 pm
@gunther:
371
Congradulations. Remember to never underestimate your child and challenge him enough.
I agree though, we should have a go at the Lions with the spears.
12 Mar 2010, 16:04 pm
@gunther:
(Private joke)
12 Mar 2010, 16:05 pm
@Grrrr….I’m a Lion!:
OOPS.
At post 372.
12 Mar 2010, 16:05 pm
@Jozi:
Saw him last year’s CC 1st division, 1.88m @ 113kg, Toks vd Linde likes him too
12 Mar 2010, 16:07 pm
@gunther:
You were saying about the pengiuns?
12 Mar 2010, 16:07 pm
@Johan Fourie: Seriaaaaas..I have 24 from 28 and I’m in the late 20′s
but join anyway,you can play both pools
12 Mar 2010, 16:09 pm
@Storm outta hell: I’ll go check, but somehow I think you are bullsh*4% me!
12 Mar 2010, 16:09 pm
@Transformation: damn, what an insult. Comparing Red to krazy king shark … EINA!
12 Mar 2010, 16:11 pm
@Storm outta hell: blues are my team and I didnt back them against the Saders, same old same old with them Im afraid, they are nuisance value and will hurt some teams chances of finals… Cheetahs have cost me too, seem to back them when they lose and go against them when they win lol..
I have 22 from 29 Johan, so you will be right amongst it if you do join… reds cost me those two as well, Sharks I have been on the money against so far, but am very nervous about tomorrow, think they started showing signs last week that they are starting to finally play again… but took Brumbies, home ground advantage the only reason…
12 Mar 2010, 16:13 pm
@Storm outta hell: it’s disgusting, every year they fight to be last
12 Mar 2010, 16:13 pm
@Johan Fourie: No kidding,just join the pool and your picks will automatically go into both pools as well as your present score,how many in yr pool..?..there’s 111 players in the muppits.
12 Mar 2010, 16:14 pm
@SpringbokSarah: Yep…but they gonna have to fight darn hard to beat the Force this year
12 Mar 2010, 16:15 pm
@mxhosa: #415 Will watch out for him.
@RedLion: #419 Yeah RL, the whining is for them sharkies mate. African Lions ain’t no sissies
Cheers fellas…..I’m outta here, have to go and drown my sorrows.
12 Mar 2010, 16:15 pm
Dawn
Some penguins are more equal than others..
12 Mar 2010, 16:17 pm
The score srprised me I thouth a 30 points margin will be reasonable
Yah, keep playing Rose and Chavanga, and why not?
12 Mar 2010, 16:19 pm
@Storm outta hell: Will do so.
@poppa69: This week I went with the Brumbies. Maybe now the Sharks will win.
12 Mar 2010, 16:21 pm
@Johan Fourie: yep, crunch game for my superbru is the canes/stormers, tipped the Canes, so will either plummet or soar
hope to see you there Johan, the more the merrier…
have issues at work
cheers guys…
12 Mar 2010, 16:24 pm
@Hondo: Chavanga not so bad,but thanx 4 taking him off Stormers hands.Rose and King Carlos very sloppy…
12 Mar 2010, 16:30 pm
@poppa69: Blouste will have my nuts if ‘Canes win…it’s a tough game to call..
12 Mar 2010, 16:30 pm
@Storm outta hell: lol ja Force decided the cup was too much hassle… they’d rather get into a handbag fight over the wooden spoon with a bunch of kittens
12 Mar 2010, 16:34 pm
@gunther:
Relax.
No slight on your intellectual abilities.
Just a private joke I have going with myself.
12 Mar 2010, 16:37 pm
@SpringbokSarah:
12 Mar 2010, 16:39 pm
Sigh
Due to budget cuts I have no whiskey.
Tragic it is.
12 Mar 2010, 16:45 pm
Wellington – A New Zealand man is recovering from injuries after being run over by his wife – twice, local media reported on Friday.
Sandy Telford ran over her husband, Terry, as she backed down the driveway of their rural property in the Hawke’s Bay region, 350km north-east of Wellington, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.
Not realising what she had done, Telford then drove her car forward, running over him again.
12 Mar 2010, 16:46 pm
come have some whiskey with me dawnertjie.
we can make the circle bigger.
12 Mar 2010, 16:48 pm
@Dawn: 435
Musta caught him out with the sheep…
12 Mar 2010, 16:51 pm
by “not realising what she had done” they probably mean “realising that the ******* was still alive”
12 Mar 2010, 16:56 pm
Ain’t Dawn that PA girl? Advice: Quiet Woman!!!! Rugby is a man’s game!!!
12 Mar 2010, 16:58 pm
I happen to find women who watch and understand rugby quite appealing.
12 Mar 2010, 16:58 pm
@roobarb2:
Ja please gimme some whiskey.
@Ned:
‘Scuse me?
12 Mar 2010, 17:00 pm
Times are tough, make your own… Moonshine may make you go blind, but it makes you blind drunk first!
12 Mar 2010, 17:04 pm
@4thWiseMan:
Thank you kindly.
Wise you are.
12 Mar 2010, 17:11 pm
Those ****** Lions are gonna need a barrel of whiskey to drown their sorrows
12 Mar 2010, 17:20 pm
@Storm outta hell: ^ And I hope the ****** let the Lions players know how useless they are if they want to try score tonight.
12 Mar 2010, 17:21 pm
Hmmm. Forgive the timezone discrepancy.
12 Mar 2010, 17:29 pm
@Storm outta hell:
#429
Rose, Benjamin, Chavanga, Spencer and Muir are all simply epitomizing the sorry state of the once proud JHB franchise.
Hell bent to meet the quota numbers while at the same time busy degrading whatever left from the Loffee regime
12 Mar 2010, 17:41 pm
how can you possibly degrade from the loffie regime?
he was dead last ffs!
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