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, 19:11 pm
Franco, Rhodes, Minnie, Josh… these guys are still to reach their potential… even if they lose next week… this Lions team is looking good for the future…
22 Oct 2011, 19:11 pm
Pragtig!
22 Oct 2011, 19:11 pm
@frunobulax(frunobulax)-182:
No Bekker or Elstadt
No Flo
No Vermeulen
No Bekker
22 Oct 2011, 19:11 pm
Elton has been defending well these past few weeks..
22 Oct 2011, 19:12 pm
Maku delivered a mixed bag today…
22 Oct 2011, 19:12 pm
Meaningless discourse sought from a sundowners club? Surely not me?
22 Oct 2011, 19:13 pm
I could sense the Province anxiety and lack of belief; the Lions on the other hand absorbed the pressure and in the end did enough to secure the victory
Jaco Taute growing with every season!!!
Just pasued for interviews with Mitch and Elton J- you could see these guys had the mental upperhand from the word go
Actually the first thing Mitch referred to was the ‘composure’ of his team
22 Oct 2011, 19:14 pm
Think SA got some good young THs coming thru as well, the young guy that propped against cj in the 2nd half gave him a bit of a going over, he’ll only get stronger with age, then there’s also that ginger kitshoff who looks like a silverback – seems we got THs and creative flyhalves coming thru now all we need is a young no 4 to take over from Bakkies and we might have a chance at the next RWC yet.
22 Oct 2011, 19:15 pm
@David(David)-203:
Really weak as the opposition does not choose your team.
They simply play which 15 to up to 22 that is put in front of them for 80 or so minutes.
22 Oct 2011, 19:15 pm
@ET.(ET.)-200: ok
22 Oct 2011, 19:15 pm
Well done Lions !! Deserved winners. I said it should be a easy enough win for WP but in the end it was a easy win for the lions. Elton Janjies is probably the best flyhalf in SA after that display. Eish this pie is nogals bitter.
@ loyal Lion I concede u were right and I was wrong buddy. Nou gaan ek liewers vis vang !! Lol
22 Oct 2011, 19:15 pm
S T F U
22 Oct 2011, 19:16 pm
Ashwin wearing his heart on his sleeves…
22 Oct 2011, 19:18 pm
ROAR!
22 Oct 2011, 19:20 pm
@theOracle(theOracle)-213:
Yeah Ashwin and Owen together with Bob actually bringing something fresh to rugby commentary
I guess that’s what we all want: fresh talent, fresh moves/idea , fresh players and of course fresh team of coaches
22 Oct 2011, 19:22 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-210:
Good doggie(pats on the head) or would you prefer “minkey”(your favourite)?
22 Oct 2011, 19:23 pm
Se moer man , is Coetzee ‘n afrigter ? hy is useless , jammer om te se , maar daar is beter as hy , hy het gery op Jake White ! hy behoort nie oorweeg te word vir afrigter van die bokke nie. SE MOER MAN !
22 Oct 2011, 19:24 pm
@Andre_WP(Andre_WP)-217:
Had your Damascus moment today?
22 Oct 2011, 19:24 pm
So this is a die hard Western Province fan saying congratulations to a better side
There was leadership and it showed
Mitch deflecting much of the praise but everyone knows that many have tried to do something meaningful with the Lions: Jake, **** but they could not.
It makes it abundantly clear to have only Butch and CJ in that team – and they hardly had an impact – that coaching after all, makes all the difference
22 Oct 2011, 19:25 pm
My moer is so gestrip ! hoe de fok sit jy met ‘n springbok span en jy kan nie die leeus wen nie ? fok die hele WP setup !
22 Oct 2011, 19:27 pm
Tree just ignore. Every day there’s someone different to insult, belittle and demean.
Wonder what kind of fecked up household he grew up in.
He obviously never learnt respect for his fellow human beings.
22 Oct 2011, 19:28 pm
Hello Tac.
22 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
All the injuries only point to questionable conditioning
The clear theme emerging is that the WP coaching team simply does not have it within them to prepare the team mentally for the big occasion
It comes down to fight or flight and mentally they end up embracing the ‘flight’ option
22 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
Best thing about the Lions today was their composure. They have been a bit cavalier at times this season, especially when constantly turning down kicks at goal. Today they played knockout rugby, scored points when they were on offer and attacked and defended with serious intensity. Great to watch
Well done to Mitchell, win or lose next week he has really turned this team around. Agree with others, Jantjies played outstanding today. Apart from a couple of silly mistakes Taute had another strong game. Some great young talent in SA at the moment, the future looks good. Please please please just pick the right coach for the Boks – and that is clearly NOT AC!!
22 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
WP laded with boks ! but they can’t ply rugby ? **** WP rugby !
22 Oct 2011, 19:30 pm
Cheers fellas! Enjoy kat and crew
22 Oct 2011, 19:32 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-222:
Hi Dawn.
22 Oct 2011, 19:34 pm
As I’ve always said. Allistair Coetzee isn’t k*k. He is just mediocre.
And the Boks deserve better than mediocre.
22 Oct 2011, 19:35 pm
Bryce Lawrence disguised himself as Jaco Peyper today
22 Oct 2011, 19:35 pm
@ET.(ET.)-200: But natural, the dog gets the front seat and the workers must sit at the back. Baas is king.
In the ghetto, viva and all that
22 Oct 2011, 19:36 pm
The reality is that the WP Bok backline always looked dangerous with the ball. The problem was the forwards who were totally dominated in the loose and tight loose.
I can understand the joy of the Lions supporters, as the Lions fully deserved the victory, but please try to maintain a reasonable sense of objectivity, you not Kiwis.
22 Oct 2011, 19:36 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-229:
Oh please.
WP’s problem is that your most ill disciplined player disguised himself as the captain today.
22 Oct 2011, 19:38 pm
Congrats Lions. Lions really deserve to hold this final.
Congrats to all the Lions supporters here.
One and two on the log face each other in the final. Kinda the way it should be.
Should be a cracker.
Go Sharks.
22 Oct 2011, 19:39 pm
@David(David)-231:
Really? Seemed to me Doppies le Grange dominated your guys with his physical midfield defense.
And Michale Killian looked far more dangerous than Bryan Old-Legs Habana.
Heck, even Deon van Rensburg seemed to have a better skillset than his opposite number, with his intelligent play at the tackle point and his dominance in the tackle.
The Lions are simply better coached.
22 Oct 2011, 19:41 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-228: John Mitchell?
Just look what he has done with such a young team. He did say he was not interested in the Bok job though.
22 Oct 2011, 19:41 pm
@David(David)-231:
WTF?! Please point out any Lions supporters who haven’t been reasonable?
If you want to see unreasonable supporters go and read comments by plenty WP supporters on friday who were convinced they only needed to turn up to win. Lions had no chance now the Boks are back blah blah. Humble pie well earned!
Lions won a great game, but winning the final is all that really matters so I don’t see too many getting ahead of themselves
22 Oct 2011, 19:43 pm
@Puma(Puma)-235:
That’s the problem Puma – too many of the better coaches have already ruled themselves out. Mitchell, HM etc who is left?
If it’s between AC, Rassie and Smal I would go for Rassie
22 Oct 2011, 19:44 pm
@Puma(Puma)-235:
Eddie Jones said that he heard the job was already offered to someone.
Cue Supersport’s cameras focusing on Allistair today like he was an A-list celebrity, while Mitchell hardly got any screentime.
22 Oct 2011, 19:44 pm
@Andre_WP(Andre_WP)-220: Cause some of the Lions will be Springboks themselves one day. They very good players and very well coached.
My Sharks lay in wait though..lol. Should be a cracker next week.
22 Oct 2011, 19:45 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-232: I’m not a WP supporter. Not at all. I’d rather see Australia win than WP (but not England
)
I just think he blew them out of the game.
22 Oct 2011, 19:46 pm
As Bulls born but WP lived I can quite honestly say well done Lions, you deserve the final.
Happy for you guys, and your supporters. It’s been a long time since you have had something to really celebrate.
Hope you win next week.
22 Oct 2011, 19:46 pm
WP vs Lions underlined the problems in SA rugby. We have talent, we have speed, and we have (contrary to popular opinion) even the skills, but we don’t have the tactical nous when it comes to team selection and when it comes down to the wire, we don’t have the instinct and feeling for the game to know how to win. Thank God for the two NZ coaches pointing the way.
Heyneke Meyer has the tactical insight to play to his strengths. He won a couple of titles with a monster pack and mediocrity from 10 – 15. He would probably have developed by leaps and bounds and one could easily see that he realized the importance of 10-15. Subsequently the Bulls bought WP’s finest talent over the past couple of years in Hougaard, Sadie, Engelbrecht and Visser among others. How WP could let Hougaard go to accommodate Januarie will be the mystery of the ages. It remains a question if Meyer can take our rugby to a level of our peers. If Australia had our depth, they would probably have a winning percentage of close to 100%.
Allister and Rassie are to my mind not equal to the task in taking WP forward, and definitely not equipped to take the Boks further. Maybe the time has come
to appoint a NZ or Aussie coach (Eddie Jones?) for the Boks.
22 Oct 2011, 19:47 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-240:
Nope, you’re thinking of Jonker who blew Free State out of the other semifinal, seemingly ignoring every knock-on by the Sharks in the interest of “letting the game flow”.
22 Oct 2011, 19:48 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-238: Well I just hope we get the best this time round. Mitchell is our best also Meyer. BUT they both don’t want the job. I think no top coach will want to work with saru.
Seems to be a done deal from what I have read. AC, Rassie and Gert Smal.
@Rugby-1(Rugby-1)-237: Rassie did make a difference in the short time he was with the Boks. But from what we have all read it will be AC with Rassie and Smal. Not sure if Gert will want to be a assistant coach again. Think top job or nothing for him.
22 Oct 2011, 19:51 pm
@Suidkapenaar(Suidkapenaar)-242:
So next year WP have a backline in which De Villiers, Fourie, Jantjes and Habana are all a year older, and the Bulls have a backline in which Hougaard, Francois Venter, Johan Sadie and JJ Engelbrecht are all a year older.
Difference is, in the former instance a year older means a year slower and kakker, while in the latter a year older means a year closer to their peak, and therefore better than a year before.
Good move Allistair.
22 Oct 2011, 19:55 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-243: I agree Jonker had a shocker. The irony of course is that Watson asks the teams who they want as referee and the Sharks didn’t want Marius… so he was appointed, against the wishes of the Union and still messes up.
Funny how that works isn’t it.
If I were FS I would be super cross, I can’t believe he missed so much. He also missed FS hands in the ruck on their line when the Sharks were about to score in the first half so it evens out.
22 Oct 2011, 19:56 pm
I just pray that we can take some of this form into the Super 15.
Not a religious prayer – more a kind of hope.
22 Oct 2011, 19:57 pm
Saru had better select wise this time who will be Bok coach. WE have huge, huge young talent that can’t be messed about with. We need a absolute genius rugby brain to work with the huge talented youngsters coming through. We pick the best coach, we could really be number one by next year with the talent we have and for years we could stay at number one if we select the right coach.
Most countries just don’t have the huge depth of talent we have coming through. We just don’t have coaches here to match our talent coming through. Meyer or Rassie? Not so sure about them either. Wish we could get Mitchell.
Mitchell has turned very young players into stars. Very easy to see who should be our coach. Just that Mitchell don’t want the Bok Coaching job. Probably seen how many of the Bok coaches have been messed about. Pity.
22 Oct 2011, 19:58 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-247:
Congrats Katman. Brilliant performance.
Not sure what’s gonna happen next week, cause the Sharks have a pack that can trouble you guys, but I’ll be backing the Lions.
22 Oct 2011, 19:58 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-247:
Naand dominee Katman
Nee dominee se span het baie goed gespeel en verdien die oorwinning dubbel en dwars
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