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, 18:46 pm
Congratulations Lions. A well deserved victory and it bodes well for the future, unless the Bulls come shopping.
22 Oct 2011, 18:46 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-134:
he is no ‘Alfred Einstein’ (Jono Gibbs) for sure
22 Oct 2011, 18:46 pm
No less than five(5) 2011 RWC backline ‘Boks in the WP team and almost zero creativity exhibited. They prefer to run into brick walls it seems?
How smart is that and they deem they were cheated from a semi-final against a team of ABs that has close to the best, if not the best, creative players presently?
22 Oct 2011, 18:47 pm
Well done my 2nd team and the little guy in the box
22 Oct 2011, 18:47 pm
Butch is a wily ol fella!!
22 Oct 2011, 18:47 pm
so the lions beat WP with all their BOKKE back
22 Oct 2011, 18:47 pm
All the King’s horses
And all their Bok Men
Couldn’t secure
A Frikkiin Province wen
22 Oct 2011, 18:47 pm
@ET.(ET.)-121: Nobody asked you to believe or accept anything, it is logical by your comments, everything that comes out of you is always derogatory and demeaning, for some reason you turn on every one that has been friendly or even just civil to you.
22 Oct 2011, 18:49 pm
Prooooovince! Take your overrated Boks back to Cape Town – Habana, you useless show pony – go and shower in your golden pay package. Contributes sweet blue fkall. Burger, Jaque F, Jean Div, Schalk, bla bla bla. Too many over the hill Boks.
22 Oct 2011, 18:49 pm
Difficult for a team to win sharing one brain cell.
Catrikilis must really be brain tired tonight.
22 Oct 2011, 18:49 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-158: doll, don’t waste ur precious time…enjoy ur day
22 Oct 2011, 18:49 pm
that result should get Coetzee the Bok job!
22 Oct 2011, 18:50 pm
Now now Hef. Be nice!
22 Oct 2011, 18:50 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-156:
The game was won upfront, with only Schalk a Bok. The backs played pretty well with the ball they had available.
22 Oct 2011, 18:50 pm
1 plays 2 in the final.
Way it should be.
22 Oct 2011, 18:51 pm
Probably the very worst Currie Cup competition in S. African rugby history(barely above Vodacom Cup level) and the Burgerville Boks cannot even win against a team of inexperieenced newbies?
Something really is rotten and stinks in the state of the Western Cape.
22 Oct 2011, 18:51 pm
@XV(XV)-162:
And Skulk the captaincy (need I add).
22 Oct 2011, 18:52 pm
Dankie kwas
22 Oct 2011, 18:52 pm
This made my weekend. Not the Lions winning, but Province out of senior, u21, u19 cups. The true chokers of this era. At least I will be watching some rugby next weekend. WP supporters, geniet julle week. Ek moes maar stil bly die week, nou is dit julle beurt. Haha! Chokers!
22 Oct 2011, 18:53 pm
Some say the Lions played the Currie Cup with the 2011 S15 side
I say they played the S15 with their Currie Cup side…
22 Oct 2011, 18:53 pm
@David(David)-164: the lions are well drilled though…there you go minnie MoM I told grant!
22 Oct 2011, 18:53 pm
Yeah, congratulations to the Lions!
A team of no name brands beating a choking WP team! It has become pretty much a trend for Province, when the big games come they fade.
The Lions clearly the more composed team and well deserved winners!
The HUGE positive of course is that Allister Coetzee is not mistaken for the sa rugby messiah.
Just shows again how excellent coaching can make a difference.
So the 2 coaches in the final are kiwis – what does that tell you?
Quite frankly I would like the Lions to win the Currie Cup as they play the more enterprising rugby. Sharks play the dumb brand of taking it up with forwards all the time
22 Oct 2011, 18:54 pm
so who’s gonna have the first slice of pie? at least this lions win has shown how little the commentators on this site know about rugby. Well done John, Josh and all lions players! now bring back gumede!
22 Oct 2011, 18:54 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-158:
” everything that comes out of you ”
Faecal matter and vomitus too?
Be careful now as if you go any deeper you WILL drown, you veritable clown.
22 Oct 2011, 18:55 pm
Hahahah AC. So you want to be bokke coach but you hqve no clue. Jaco poesper did his bit and schalk showed his frustration with being the team being facked in the but over the last few playoffs but how do you not prepare for incomponent refs like this .The whole panel is blue bull infected. I am done with sa rugby. Not worth my time and money. Fack this kak
22 Oct 2011, 18:56 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-161:
twit
Was thinking you should go to that game dressed as the guy from the Rocky Horror, big wig, blue eye shadow, fishnets, bustier thingie. lol
22 Oct 2011, 18:56 pm
Is the little guy’s name Josh?
22 Oct 2011, 18:57 pm
Next week will be a cracker!
22 Oct 2011, 18:57 pm
Lions playing great rugby, but that Sharks pack is packed full of stars and big-hitters. Would probably beat the bok pack with Bismark and Alberts starting. Total mismatch on paper, but Mitchell got the Lions operating at its peak. Quite like the lions 10 and 12 tho.
22 Oct 2011, 18:57 pm
Despite Supersport’s Allistair Coetzee marketing campaign (switching to his can’t-control-my-bladder expression about 5 times for every one instance of showing John Mitchell’s reaction to an on-field event) this will hopefully be the end of Allistair’s bid for the Bok coaching position.
He is simply not good enough.
Great game Lions. Really enjoyed supporting you guys today.
22 Oct 2011, 18:57 pm
@ET.(ET.)-174:
Oh calm down cupcake!!
22 Oct 2011, 18:57 pm
@Hoops(Hoops)-175: Agreed. Peyper was useless, but does anyone want AC for Bok coach based on this showing?
WP:
No tight five
No fetcher
No lineout
No clue
22 Oct 2011, 18:59 pm
Suck it!! (you know who you are)
Lekker hier in die blik vanaand.
22 Oct 2011, 19:00 pm
Elton Jantjes…perfect kicking record.Controlled the game well,manned up on defence and most importantly showed maturity with performance.With a pooer quality personnel
Young Johan Goosen for Cheetahs has lots of talent,but at business end of competition,he flaked a bit.Bright future,but still a bit from Bok colours or Bok saviour as many were professing.
Jantjes has the goods to be a Bok 10.
Lambie as well looked very good at 10 after hooror show from Michalak.
Jantjes & Lambie showed they were Bok future 10′s elect today.
22 Oct 2011, 19:02 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-184:
Elton Jantjies was ten times better than Butch James today.
He is really looking good.
But this is his second season in first class rugby. Goosen had his first game about 5 matches ago. Give him some time.
22 Oct 2011, 19:02 pm
Don’t call her a clown. Namecalling shows lack of ability to converse intelligently.
Having said that, extraball you smelly piece of fishbait.
22 Oct 2011, 19:03 pm
@ET.(ET.)-174:
22 Oct 2011, 19:03 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-184:
I agree; Lambie and Jantjies our future 10′s
Maybe a season or two but that Lions win today has a lot to do with Jantjies
Those are the the kind of players that can unlock backlines; on that matter we need a proper backline coach
South African coaches seem to be clueless in that department
22 Oct 2011, 19:04 pm
@carol(carol)-181:
Do you not like cupcakes sometimes?
I do.
Since Leeds United are in the top 6 with a game in hand whiich can take them to 2ndposition on Tues., you will find no one calmer even when setting delinquents straight.
22 Oct 2011, 19:04 pm
Well done Lions – after reading yesterdays comments there must be a sh*t load of humble pie beaing eaten right now
This game shows why AC should not be Bok coach, and Burger not be SA captain.
22 Oct 2011, 19:05 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-185:
in James’ defence when is the last time he played a full game of rugby?
22 Oct 2011, 19:05 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-184: Spot on Mshini,
A few months ago the Elton & the Lions ran everything from their 22, to their detriment, but this time Elton mixed it up nicely..
22 Oct 2011, 19:06 pm
@ET.(ET.)-189: Why do you come to this site, isnt there a “Learn Woodwork with Julius Malema” site you can go to
22 Oct 2011, 19:06 pm
@mshiniwami. True based on today’s game, but goosen will play super 15 next year, then U20 final and then he should be ready. He also kicked his goals today and had a hand in their try. Made some crucial errors, but that is part of the learning process.
22 Oct 2011, 19:07 pm
Tac 185
I fully agree about Goosen,I’m just replying to those who were annointing him better than Jantjes already and Lambie
Goosen will def be very good in future
Jantjes though manned up today.Classy performance
22 Oct 2011, 19:07 pm
@carol(carol)-181: @Dawn(Dawn)-186: LOLOL girls united
22 Oct 2011, 19:08 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-171:
I’ve had my eye on Minnie for a couple of seasons. The important thing is that the future looks good for the Boks with these youngsters coming though.
22 Oct 2011, 19:08 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-195:
Yip. I was very impressed by Jantjies. Fantastic performance. The entire Lions game revolves around him. As it should.
As opposed to WP, where it seems Burger tries to run the show at the back with his long passes. Bizarre.
22 Oct 2011, 19:09 pm
Schalkie and the Disney backline were exposed today. The blond bomb failed to ignite. The poor performance of the Province “All Stars” explains why we didn’t make it at the World Cup.
22 Oct 2011, 19:09 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-187:
Good, that wisdom, however, escapes you though when you pathologically place animals ahead of humans. Do humans qualify for your attention and affection when they are treated worse than animals as they have been in S. Africa for so long?
Moral, just questionable morals. And spare me your misguided logic.
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