Slick Lions maul Province
22 Oct 2011
SIMON BORCHARDT watched the Golden Lions beat Western Province 29-20 at Ellis Park to secure a home final against the Sharks next Saturday.
WP came into this game as favourites. They had five World Cup Springboks in their starting XV compared to the Lions’ one. This was their third consecutive appearance in the Currie Cup play-offs, while the Lions had not reached this stage since 2008.
Yet it was the young Lions side that played like experienced veterans, scoring two unanswered tries to reach their first final since 2007. WP looked disinterested for the first hour and by the time they woke up, the game was long gone.
Elton Jantjies was successful with all seven of his kicks at goal, which forced Province to play catch-up throughout. The Lions were the more threatening side on attack and were solid on defence, especially in the second half when they had just 40% of the ball (compared to 60% in the first half). Derick Minnie produced a big performance at the breakdown, while Franco van der Merwe impressed with ball in hand.
The Lions deservedly led 19-12 at the break, after Jantjies and Demetri Catrakilis each kicked four penalties, and Jaco Taute scored a try on the 35-minute mark after an inside pass from Deon van Rensburg.
WP weren’t helped by injuries to Siya Kolisi, whose head collided with Jantjies’ elbow during an attempted tackle, and Bryan Habana, who was replaced on the half-hour mark by Juan de Jongh (he went to centre with Jean de Villiers moving to the wing). However, the Province scrum did improve when Frans Malherbe came on at tighthead prop with Brok Harris moving to loosehead.
The Lions extended their lead to 14 early in the second half when a poor pass from Nicholas Groom was intercepted by Michael Killian, and the left wing went over in the corner. That prompted the surprise return of Habana, who until then had been sitting on the bench as if his match was over.
Catrakilis and Jantjies exchanged penalties to make it 29-15 going into the final quarter, as WP began to dominate possession and territory. They came close to scoring when Schalk Burger offloaded in the tackle to Harris, who was stopped inches short of the tryline. The Lions tackled courageously during this period but a double-skip pass from Burger eventually put De Jongh over with 10 minutes remaining.
Catrakilis, though, missed the crucial conversion that would have brought his side back to within striking range, and the Lions finished the match inside the WP half.
507 Comments
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22 Oct 2011, 16:31 pm
Go Province.
Going to be warm out there. Perfect rugby conditions. No wind to speak of.
22 Oct 2011, 16:33 pm
Roar, the den is cooking dragons … and so am I.
Folks no live commentary from me today … but enjoy the match.
Brokebacks your guys are going down.
22 Oct 2011, 16:34 pm
Sorry to say, but lions will win this.
22 Oct 2011, 16:41 pm
The loose forward battle is going to be key. I reckon the Lions shade us there, especially in the tight loose.
22 Oct 2011, 16:48 pm
Die vaste los. Better in Afrikaans.
22 Oct 2011, 16:51 pm
With all the blue and white hoops at the coke blik, Province will think this is a home game.
22 Oct 2011, 16:53 pm
Last time I watched that contest at Ellis Park, it was an epic battle between Stransky and Gavin Johnson with Hennie Le Roux, G. Groblaar, Hendriks and Mulder in the Lions’ side and Pieter Rossouw, Justin Swart and Jame Small all in the WP side.
The Kitch Christie’s led Tvl won in the final minutes by a Johnson’s score with more than just a little help ‘from’ Tappa Henning.
If you haven’t got tired already watching Habana and Aplon then have fun watching the ‘epic’ battle!
22 Oct 2011, 16:55 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-7:
You actually take up a lot of space saying nothing at all.
Sad really.
22 Oct 2011, 16:57 pm
With hondo, white is right.
22 Oct 2011, 17:00 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-7: Not possible. Small was at WP from ’97, after Christie was no longer coaching.
22 Oct 2011, 17:05 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-9: He is also lying. Christie was on his death bed in ’97, the year Small joined WP.
22 Oct 2011, 17:06 pm
Great run Habana.
22 Oct 2011, 17:10 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-12:
Yeah, looks like the WP Bok backs are saying, “thank g*d we’re out of that Springbok sh*t and can start playing rugby”
22 Oct 2011, 17:12 pm
Every Lions player in front of the ball at kickoff.
22 Oct 2011, 17:12 pm
WP!!!!!!!!!!!!Backline Running looks good 3-0
22 Oct 2011, 17:12 pm
@David(David)-13:
Exactly. You can see the way they’re running onto the ball.
22 Oct 2011, 17:14 pm
Damn, Kolisi looks bad.
22 Oct 2011, 17:21 pm
Good game this
22 Oct 2011, 17:25 pm
Is Tertius Daniller related to Hennie from the Cheetahs
22 Oct 2011, 17:26 pm
Great game with both sides prepared to run. Certainly not helter skelter though.
22 Oct 2011, 17:27 pm
Peypers “touch, pause, engage,” timing is a bit strange.
22 Oct 2011, 17:30 pm
Score?
22 Oct 2011, 17:33 pm
@JL1(JL1)-19:
Brothers. 12 6 to Lions
22 Oct 2011, 17:35 pm
Sigh. I fear for the brothers.
22 Oct 2011, 17:36 pm
Pyper hasn’t heard of the forward pass either.
22 Oct 2011, 17:37 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-23: lol
22 Oct 2011, 17:39 pm
Am laid back re this game.
Kitties my 2nd team.
22 Oct 2011, 17:39 pm
@Michael(mikeybrass)-10:
It actually took place in June 1994 prior to the NZ tour, Tvl won the CC that year Vs OFS
Gavin Johnson hasn’t played after 1995
22 Oct 2011, 17:40 pm
Oh my hat where is Jock!
22 Oct 2011, 17:41 pm
TAUTE!
22 Oct 2011, 17:42 pm
That was a lovely try, I hate to say. All in the timing of the passes after drawing their men.
22 Oct 2011, 17:42 pm
WP and all their overrated overpaid Boks getting schooled today. Fantastic to watch. Puts Boks’ performance at WC into perspective.
22 Oct 2011, 17:44 pm
Dankie kwas.
22 Oct 2011, 17:44 pm
this lions team is so bloody well coached. Out of a team of nobodies…against a springbok (some way over-rated) laden team
22 Oct 2011, 17:44 pm
Bokless Lions 19 – 9 Burgerville ‘Boks
22 Oct 2011, 17:46 pm
Latest Update:
‘Bokless Lions 19 – 12 Burgerville ‘Boks
H-T.
22 Oct 2011, 17:48 pm
Thanks for nothing
We not blind and have TVs
22 Oct 2011, 17:50 pm
Taute to please play 15 for the boks next year!!!!!!!!
9.Hougaard
10.Lambie/Jantjies/Goosen
11.Aplon
12.J Fourie
13.F Steyn
14.JP/Mvovo
15.Taute
22 Oct 2011, 17:53 pm
Elstadt,Bekker an Vermeulen………..WE NEED U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Some Duvenage would not be bad right now as well………deserved half-time lead Lions,cummon boytjies we still in this game
22 Oct 2011, 17:56 pm
@ET.(ET.)-36:
Yeah, but Butch’s on the bench. There’s still time for him to come on and change the game.
22 Oct 2011, 17:57 pm
I work with a guy named Ashraf.
Waterslams.
The Fast makes him furious.
22 Oct 2011, 17:57 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-28: Small didn’t play for WP until ’97.
22 Oct 2011, 17:58 pm
lets see if the Bokless Lions can beat a Bok laden WP? And perhaps put the credentials of A Coetzee into perspective?!!!
22 Oct 2011, 17:59 pm
Interesting match. Come on boys!
Two well-coached teams. Come on guys, don’t slame one coach just because you like the other. Both coaches are good.
22 Oct 2011, 17:59 pm
@XV(XV)-43: Since when do credentials matter in SA rugby?
22 Oct 2011, 18:00 pm
@David(David)-40:
Yes, but my post was headlined, Latest Update.
On the bench is not on the active playing field and does not affect the state of the game until he gets ref. permission to cross the real white line.
22 Oct 2011, 18:02 pm
Such insight!
22 Oct 2011, 18:03 pm
@kwas(kwas)-45: very good point! Michael….when the Bok coaching role is open its a very relevant point.
22 Oct 2011, 18:04 pm
Minnie has been impressive all season. I bet he has the best stats in terms of steals this season…
22 Oct 2011, 18:06 pm
KILIAN!
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