Lions roar loudest at Loftus
8 Sep 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the Golden Lions scored four tries in their 32-23 win against the Blue Bulls on Saturday.
It was a match where the Lions’ adventurous attitude was rewarded, and where the Bulls’ poor defence and abysmal goal-kicking was punished.
The Bulls led 8-3 for much of the first half, but some wayward goal-kicking by Louis Fouche prevented the hosts from building on that lead. Fouche missed two kicks at goal and also sent a drop attempt wide. If one is to consider the final scoreline, you would have to say that these misses were incredibly costly.
So too were the lapses in concentration during periods before and after half-time. Lions wing Deon Helberg rounded off some enterprising play in the dying minutes of the first half, and centre Alwyn Hollenbach crossed the line early in the second. They were scores that changed the complexion of the game, as the Lions went to a 15-8 lead.
While Fouche had struggled with his goal-kicking, Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies also battled at times with his accuracy. The Lions were clearly on top in the second half, but Jantjies failed to convert kickable penalties into points. Replacement Jaco Taute also had a long-range shot that fell short of the crossbar.
A mistake by Lionel Mapoe allowed the Bulls a turnover, and this culminated in a try for Bulls centre Francois Venter. The ensuing conversion brought the scores level at 15-15.
But some brilliance by Mapoe and Jantjies would see the Lions hitting back immediately. Mapoe made the initial break, and from the subsequent phase, Jantjies produced a deft chip over the defence. The Lions flyhalf regathered before delivering a great inside ball to Taute, who then ran 30m to score.
On the 60-minute mark, Jantjies added another penalty that took the Lions out to a 10-point lead. The Bulls stayed in touch with a penalty and try of their own, but a missed conversion by Fouche meant the Lions held a slender two-point advantage as the match approached its climax.
The Bulls’ desperation began to tell, as they made some elementary errors that effectively killed off any chance of a fightback. The Lions continued to come at the hosts, and after having one try disallowed, it was Mapoe who finished in the right-hand corner to bank the bonus point.
The result sees the Lions moving up the Currie Cup table, while the Bulls remain in last place.
120 Comments
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8 Sep 2012, 18:55 pm
Fulltime Duskeeee
Lions take it
8 Sep 2012, 18:56 pm
@gunther-97:
Ja, its been a bad week….. even the Tennis player from Benoni lost.
8 Sep 2012, 18:56 pm
@Dusky-92:
your facts suck
8 Sep 2012, 18:57 pm
time to switch over for the cheetahs win
8 Sep 2012, 18:57 pm
@gunther-97: pffffffffff…..:-D
Ja, I am sure all those oomies wiff their brandewyn & coke boeps, bulls shirts and safari pak shorts, socks and vellies are going home with their vet tannies in their Hilux thinking ‘at least we kan laaik to win cricket’
8 Sep 2012, 18:57 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-103: For you – yes they do.
8 Sep 2012, 18:59 pm
@Dusky-105:
lmao
8 Sep 2012, 18:59 pm
ok
i’m switiching over
8 Sep 2012, 19:01 pm
@Robzim-102:
Indeed.
Roger is a Saffer win or lose.
8 Sep 2012, 19:03 pm
Jantjes gave the Bulls and HM a masterclass display of 10 play….
Sommer at the Cathedral…
8 Sep 2012, 19:08 pm
I watched that outright trash heap fckd up garbage that Heyneke Meyer with his CLUELESS non compos mentis thick as 3 f’ng BRICKS hopeless excuse of a so called rugby strategically inept game plan dished up against a MEDIOCRE half baked Wallabies outfit.
If THAT outright garbage TRASH is what this hopeless f’ng clueless MORON Has in store for Sa rugby supposed PROGRESS than SA rugby is in FAR worse f’ng state of outright fallout than they ready to recognize.
Meyer must FCKOFF and FckOFF NOW !!
8 Sep 2012, 19:16 pm
Blue Bulls should get rid of loud, useless Pine Pienaar. Another abortion of a coach that joined the Broeders in P-town. Since they all subscribe to the Heyneke Meyer coaching manual for the dimwitted, Bulls rugby may be on a slippery slope before the end of the season.
8 Sep 2012, 19:19 pm
take it easy skop
cant be good for your health
8 Sep 2012, 19:33 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-113:
Let’s hope so.
8 Sep 2012, 19:35 pm
I never saw today`s bulls game and i am glad i did not,i am a life long bulls fan and i say to the management and players at loftus,your loyal fans pay good money to watch the shite you are playing and this is totally UNACCEPTABLE the way you are playing and the fans want answers and they have a right to ask WTF is going on at loftus.After last weekends performance,which was absolutely Deploreable i thought we could beat the lions at loftus as it turns out it was another dismal performance,and the question is where do we go from hear.
8 Sep 2012, 19:46 pm
@gunther-114:
hehe
are you saying you want his health to decline
8 Sep 2012, 20:58 pm
class play from lions no. 10
9 Sep 2012, 00:06 am
hahahaha, Lions giving the Bulls a smack in their “fortress”……….HM take note!
9 Sep 2012, 16:42 pm
@Dusky-89: Yes Dawn, sure the Lions can request it, but it’s not going to happens! The Lions played excellent rugby in the 2011 Currie Cup and deserved the crown. I enjoy their style of play but reality is that they ended where in the 2012 S15? They are playing great rugby at the moment and outplayed the (stupid) Bulls yesterday.
Take in consideration that the Bulls has 11 players on Springbok duties (if I was Heyneke it would have been only 4 players) and the untimely injuries to Arno Botha and Stegmann does’nt help either. Yes I realise that the Lions have some injuries as well.
Enjoy the Currie Cup and support your team, but be realistic.
9 Sep 2012, 16:59 pm
@whatever-118: Heyneke took notice…..what happened in the S15 matches. Unfortunately the Lions played liked Kittens or is it ***** Cats?
By the way, I think Jantjes deserves a proper chance in the Bok team and the same for Taute (who was injured – not HM’s mistake) and Lionel Mapoe has shown on several occasions that he can’t be worse than Jean de Villiers.
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