Saders smash lame Lions
20 Mar 2010
The Crusaders plunged the Lions further into despair with a 46-19 victory in Christchurch.
Yes there were improvements for Jozi’s jokers, particularly in that they showed a greater appreciation for building an attacking platform through patient phase play which featured robust ball carries and powerful rucking. However, those improvements have to be viewed in context. The Saders fielded a number of new combinations and rested Dan Carter, and still managed an emphatic victory.
The Lions’ direct approach troubled the Saders early on, and for 60 minutes it looked as if the Lions could defy pre-match predictions and burgle the points. However, their challenge waned as they were systematically starved of possession and asked to defend through multiple phases thereafter.
For all their improvement on attack, fundamental errors in defence continue to undermine their challenge. Burton Francis took the Lions into a 6-0 lead, but they surrendered tamely – Sean Maitland drifting past his marker and blitzing the cover defence to score.
They responded excellently though, taking a quick restart after a Colin Slade penalty. This caught the Saders cold and forced them to rush their clearance. The Lions drove into the Saders’ red zone from the subsequent lineout and Hannes Franklin exploited poor pillar defence when he shot out of a ruck and sprinted for the line. Francis converted and for 15 minutes thereafter they looked a competent unit.
However, their inability to sustain their defensive effort cost them dearly when Saders hooker Ti’i Paulo rampaged down the wing before feeding Jonathan Poff, who negotiated a number of lame tackles en route to the tryline. Slade missed the conversion but traded penalties with Francis, the Saders finishing the half 22-16 ahead.
The Lions were dealt a decisive blow when Francis was injured and replaced by Carlos Spencer. Francis had steered the ship expertly to that point, exhibiting his tactical versatility and keeping his side off the canvas through accurate goal kicking. Spencer would have to suppress his natural inclination for the cavalier for the Lions to maintain their charge.
He couldn’t, and the Saders decisive third try can be traced backed to his decision not to clear his lines in the 22m, preferring instead to run it out. Thomas Waldrom pounced on a loose ball, drew his marker and put Adam Whitelock away. Slade converted, taking his side into a 16-point lead with a quarter of the match to run.
Earl Rose reduced the deficit by three but it was another Spencer error that gifted the Saders the bonus-point try. Wigan Pekeur spilled the pivot’s low pass and the Saders pounced, shifting the ball down the line to Maitland for his brace. There was still time for Willie Heinz to compound the Lions’ misery with a late try.
A torturous tour just gets worse for the Lions, but they will undoubtedly fancy their chances against the Highlanders in Dunedin next week. Whether that confidence is misplaced will be determined by their willingness to build on the more pragmatic foundation they laid today and whether they improve defensively. Don’t hold your breath.
By Ryan Vrede
92 Comments
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20 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
@Transformation: Yep, and a major fail for application! He is one of those kids you always felt sorry for in school. Tried hard, but just couldn’t get it.
20 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
Good old ritchie not letting the player go
20 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
Harsh call by the ref, but Baywatch is Kak as well!
20 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
@WOLFMAN21:
The Show Pony goes by many names
20 Mar 2010, 07:13 am
You know, if they just brought in a couple of good defenders at 15 and 13 they’d actually start winning games.
But seriously. Earl has got to be one of the WORST defenders currently playing rugby. It’s embarrasing.
20 Mar 2010, 07:17 am
only 2 tries to go … off to the pub for the second half
20 Mar 2010, 07:22 am
@stormersboy: Its true, if the only had 1 or 2 more players they wouldn’t be a bad side. Earl Rose has more or less gifted 2 trys by not being able to do the fundamental basics. He hasn’t even attempted to make the tackle on both occasions. What kind of a message does that send to the rest of his teammates? Its not like he’s a **** defender, who offers a lot in attack, like Giteau and so is somewhat compensated for. He is just plain rubbish and not good enough to be in the team. A solid reliable no thrills player would do so much more for the team.
Oh well at least they are still in the match, fingers crossed they can pull a rabbit out of the hat and win.
20 Mar 2010, 07:24 am
Funny that having killian warming the bench
20 Mar 2010, 07:26 am
@HongKongSlong: I’m holding thumbs for them. Must say tgough, that Clever really gives 100%. One of the better no8′s in the comp at the moment.
20 Mar 2010, 07:29 am
Can’t even catch the flippin intercept….
20 Mar 2010, 07:33 am
Coetsee is better than vermaak
20 Mar 2010, 07:36 am
what a scrappy game, both sides very amateurish…
20 Mar 2010, 07:38 am
@stormersboy: If the Lions win (massive IF!) and we can put the Cheetahs away, will be a great week end especially as the Brumbies lost as well. Just hope the tour doesn’t end our run of form….
20 Mar 2010, 07:41 am
finally spotted forward pass after about 6
20 Mar 2010, 07:42 am
Come on Lions! Just DO IT.
20 Mar 2010, 07:44 am
That touch judge is really dodgy…
20 Mar 2010, 07:47 am
**** Muir “total rugby” – run from your 22. Nice.
20 Mar 2010, 07:48 am
Eish. That is all I can say…
20 Mar 2010, 08:00 am
Lions need a defense coach, they miss J Fourie organising their defense in the backline
20 Mar 2010, 08:02 am
@JL1: I take back what I said about needing a defensive 13. Venter is looking fine in that department.
20 Mar 2010, 08:02 am
bonus point off the lions winger! What a chop…
20 Mar 2010, 08:04 am
@stormersboy: Look at their backline, no one is calling the defense lines for the team
20 Mar 2010, 08:06 am
This lions team is pathetic. Cannot compete with a second string Crusaders lineup playing to half of their ability. A real disgrace to SA rugby.
20 Mar 2010, 08:08 am
Bring back Chris Jonck!!
20 Mar 2010, 08:09 am
@HongKongSlong: Yes, doesn’t look like the Lions are up to though. Need to keep the Crusaders off the bonus point. Hopefully we can put the Cheetahs away with 4 tries this afternoon. That would put us at the top of the log.
20 Mar 2010, 08:11 am
Die rose is verlep , daai ou moet vir ‘n club span gaan speel. Jammer vir die Lions maar daai man hoort nie in die span nie.
20 Mar 2010, 08:12 am
Chris Jonck kicked the match winning penalty against WP in the Lions last game of the CC last year showing great BMT, he also covered very well for Vermaak after his injury in the CC, then what happens when a new coach takes over? He drops Chris for some other second rate no.9, now Chris is playing in the vodacom cup.
20 Mar 2010, 08:13 am
The try in the garbage time doesn’t diminish the good prformance of the Lions’ forwards.
I wonder what the Lions back three were doing on the field, I am short of answers
20 Mar 2010, 08:18 am
Earl Rose is the Achilles heel of this Lions side. Kick him out is the only hope they have of coming right, and drop Grobbelaar, a weak captain, a poor mans Corne Krige.
20 Mar 2010, 08:22 am
Carlos Spencer and Earl Rose, not sure who was worse. Seriously, which other team would pick either of these clowns?
20 Mar 2010, 08:24 am
Earl Rose is unbelievable ****!
He’s an embarrassment to SA rugby!
20 Mar 2010, 08:24 am
Cheetah’s are going to come with fire to Stormers today. Both teams pretty evenly matched and with loss of De Jongh at inside center maybe Stormers get exposed in mid field defence. I wouldn’t be concentrating on 4 tries today if I’m Coetsee, a 4 point win even by one point margin is more than adequate.
20 Mar 2010, 08:26 am
rose is a red
but his play makes me blue
moments of brilliance
but they’re fleeting and few
20 Mar 2010, 08:34 am
**** Muir, the great all seeing backline guru can’t see past the fact that Spencer and Rose are two blatant liabilities. Don’t he have the balls to make the tough decisions or is he just naively blind and a very poor rugby analyst? Dropping those two their only hope for any kind of salvation out this spiral. Muir is bok backline coach, no wonder that bok backline looks like a freight train with no direction, not a DOR’s back side this feather in his cap nincompoop.
To think De Klerk chose him over Meyer and then he picks Rose and Spencer as his senior backs vanguard speaks volumes about the dismal lack of vision this franchise suffers from.
20 Mar 2010, 12:18 pm
Wikus is in for a tough time, he should ask Fourie… lions are mediocre side, nothing to speak of. shame
20 Mar 2010, 13:30 pm
Congrats to the Crusaders
Nice game that
The Show Pony did what he has always done
20 Mar 2010, 14:15 pm
I think the crusaders never rolled away after a tackle. + they had their hands all over the ball. Just because the play the ‘lions’ – sorry if I offend anyone, I think some of the refs just don’t blow fair. It was like the ref just couldn’t believe that no1 the saders can make mistakes no2 they are the favourite team to win no 3 they have won the super14 before no4 no ways that the lions can win a away game against the saders.
20 Mar 2010, 20:01 pm
@skopskiet: I thought you rated Earl Rose?
20 Mar 2010, 20:12 pm
what gave you that impression Kzn, your stereotyped thinking?
20 Mar 2010, 20:44 pm
@skopskiet: stereotyped thinking? what stereotype might that be? I recall seeing you on here defending Earl Rose and now you’re laying into him. Just saying you’re fickle. Read what you like into it.
21 Mar 2010, 18:02 pm
/\___/\
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ROAR …®
21 Mar 2010, 20:46 pm
At 15, a non-negotiable trait is that you dont miss tackles (being teh last line of defence and all). Think Kirchner or Fransie Steyn here. now think Earl. How the F@#$K they can still play him there I have no idea. At least at 10 he has cover defender cleaning up his **** (even though it still pressurises the team – there are second options),
But seriously, his absolute refusal to defend effectively should make him an automatic exclusion for 15. Play him at 10 if he MUST play, and Carlos at 15. And tell the loosies to cover his *** all the time.
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