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, 18:06 pm
WP has a battle on their hands now..
22 Oct 2011, 18:06 pm
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
22 Oct 2011, 18:07 pm
Can that be the NAIL that sends the Burgerville ‘Boks on holiday?
22 Oct 2011, 18:07 pm
Jantjies for Bok 10! BMT this boy…
22 Oct 2011, 18:07 pm
Oh lala Province better catch a wake up
22 Oct 2011, 18:08 pm
Don’t know what skulk has done to be nominated player of the year.
22 Oct 2011, 18:09 pm
Taute needs to reduce his little errors if he wants to play international footy..
22 Oct 2011, 18:09 pm
@I am a stormer moffie(I am a stormer moffie)-52:
What really is supposed to happen when opponents in a sporting contest confront each other, Dummy?
22 Oct 2011, 18:09 pm
Lol there’s the little guy from Middle Earth next to Mitchell again.
22 Oct 2011, 18:11 pm
Dirty tactics there no 2.
22 Oct 2011, 18:11 pm
Idiot Schalk. Even with 2 tries we’re still not in front.
22 Oct 2011, 18:11 pm
No need for moffie you onbeskofte kont
22 Oct 2011, 18:12 pm
Vokken onmanierlike name-calling foreigner
22 Oct 2011, 18:12 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-59: LOL
22 Oct 2011, 18:13 pm
Tree, how do you fancy Sharks chances v Lions?
22 Oct 2011, 18:13 pm
Deon van Rensburg making some people eat their words here. His defense has been huge.
22 Oct 2011, 18:13 pm
The Lions team is very fit!
22 Oct 2011, 18:14 pm
@ET.(ET.)-58: Why have you become so nasty to every one all the time, you never used to be like this
22 Oct 2011, 18:14 pm
Kick the 3 Points,Schalk Burger just does not learn!!!!!!!!!He did the same thing in the final against the Sharks last year……….
22 Oct 2011, 18:15 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-68: His ******* must be in bloom.
22 Oct 2011, 18:16 pm
@theOracle(theOracle)-67:
It called ‘Altitude’
22 Oct 2011, 18:16 pm
The New Zealand influence is quite obvious in the way the Lions play. Great rugby.
22 Oct 2011, 18:17 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-65: eish Dawn, thats difficult, think the Lions are playing better rugby right now and are uber confident, put it this way I DONT KNOW
I just want us to win.
22 Oct 2011, 18:17 pm
@EthnicTurd(EthnicTurd)-58:
It was an intercept, you old goat.
22 Oct 2011, 18:17 pm
I put the Lions to win by a 10-13 margin
The mighty Habana and Aplon might spoil my party tonight
22 Oct 2011, 18:18 pm
What a idiot!!!!5minutes later he decides to kick the penalty………..would have been a 8point ball game,what a twat
22 Oct 2011, 18:19 pm
lions are playing GREAT rugby! hands down
22 Oct 2011, 18:19 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-70: the stars ?? whats the word ?
22 Oct 2011, 18:19 pm
Always said skulk was few sandwiches short of picnic
22 Oct 2011, 18:19 pm
7 out of 7 for Jantjies tonight!!
22 Oct 2011, 18:19 pm
JANTJIES!
22 Oct 2011, 18:20 pm
Jantjes has a cool kicking style
22 Oct 2011, 18:20 pm
@AssassinWP(Ashraf Ismail)-76:
If he’d taken the first points it would have changed the future and we might not have got the next one.
22 Oct 2011, 18:20 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-78: A S S H O L E
22 Oct 2011, 18:21 pm
Is jantjies the word?
22 Oct 2011, 18:21 pm
We are being well and truly outplayed. The Lions deserve to win this.
22 Oct 2011, 18:21 pm
@David(David)-83: Yes, and someone might not have met his future wife, and some leader might have pressed the big red button.
22 Oct 2011, 18:22 pm
@David(David)-72:
The fact that the coach has managed to get a bunch of palookas actually playing half decent rugby boggles the mind
What would the man do with the talen availablet on his doorstep as a Bok coach….
22 Oct 2011, 18:22 pm
Peyper: “Eks stem saam, dis ‘n nosedive hierdie”
22 Oct 2011, 18:22 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-68:
Is blatant taunting ever sweet?
Siily, even stupid comments need to be placed in perspective by mocking.
22 Oct 2011, 18:23 pm
Well, two kiwi coaches head to head next week.
Ripper!
Don’t see WP saving this one.
22 Oct 2011, 18:23 pm
If the Lions score again… it will be game over!
22 Oct 2011, 18:25 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-84: lol and here is was thinking cactus or something but knew you would have have put something different and interesting,
22 Oct 2011, 18:26 pm
That was a nice pass by Skulk
22 Oct 2011, 18:26 pm
Intelligent offload from Burger, recipient was unlucky not to score.
22 Oct 2011, 18:28 pm
I’m sure Peyper missed a big knock on at that ruck.
22 Oct 2011, 18:28 pm
Oracle
Ever since the litte middle earth guy has been sitting with John, Lions have been winning.
22 Oct 2011, 18:28 pm
@Bod(bod)-88:
I certainly wouldn’t call the Lions a bunch of palookas. There’s some serious talent there. Mitchell has just brought it out.
22 Oct 2011, 18:29 pm
come on lions – turnover looked fine.
22 Oct 2011, 18:29 pm
@ET.(ET.)-90: You are not a happy person if you think that way
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