• Mighty Marx roars biggest as Lions win battle of the cats

    Malcolm Marx was colossal for the Lions in their 40-23 Super Rugby quarter-final win against the Jaguares in Johannesburg. The Lions will host the Waratahs in the semi-final and the Crusaders will be at home to the Hurricanes. 

    The Lions led 24-9 before the Jaguares struck back with two tries after halftime to make it a four point game at 27-23.

    All the momentum was with the Jaguares at this stage, but two crucial turnovers, executed by Marx, saved a desperate Lions.

    And once this visitors’s surge had been repelled through Marx and Clyde Brink’s heroics at the breakdown, the Lions struck with a seven pointer and Elton Jantjies added more points through place and drop kicks.

    The Lions scored four tries and Jantjies was outstanding in contributing 20 points for the victors.

    Biting the Bullet – Keo and James Dalton’s Super Rugby preview

    • Each of the last seven games between the Lions and Jaguares has been won by the home team on the day, with the ledger now favouring the Lions 4-3.
    • The Lions have won five of their previous six finals games on home turf, scoring 40+ points on four occasions in that time.
    • The Jaguares have lost their last nine games in succession in South Africa

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    Lions versus Jaguares Live Match Centre

    It’s over Lions win 40-23.

     

    • Martin Landajo comes on for Jaguares.
    • 75Gonzalo Bertranou leaves the field.
    • 75Dillon Smit comes on.
    • 75Ross Cronje comes off.
    • 75The touch judges raise their flags as Elton Jantjies kicks the penalty goal.
    • 74Pablo Matera has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 71Johannes Jonker comes on.
    • 71Ruan Dreyer comes off.
    • 69Howard Mnisi comes on.
    • 69Harold Vorster comes off.
    • 69Lions decide to make a substitution, with Lourens Erasmus getting some game time.
    • 69Lions decide to make a substitution, with Marvin Orie being replaced.
    • 69Lions make a substitution with Corne Fourie coming on.
    • 69Lions make a substitution with Malcolm Marx coming off.
    • 67Harold Vorster has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 66Jaguares have won 80 rucks so far this game.
    • 66Warren Whiteley has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 66Kwagga Smith has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 65Jaguares sub Juan Manuel Leguizamon comes onto the field.
    • 65Javier Ortega Desio departs for Jaguares.
    • 64Tomas Lavanini comes on for Jaguares.
    • 64Marcos Kremer leaves the field.
    • 64Matias Alemanno comes on.
    • 64Guido Petti Pagadizaval comes off.
    • 63Elton Jantjies has kicked a drop goal.
    • 63Lions have won 60 rucks so far this game.
    • 62Sebastian Cancelliere comes on.
    • 62Matias Moroni comes off.
    • 62Juan Pablo Zeiss comes on.
    • 62Santiago Garcia Botta comes off.
    • 62Jaguares decide to make a substitution, with Julian Montoya getting some game time.
    • 62Jaguares decide to make a substitution, with Agustin Creevy being replaced.
    • 61Lions make a substitution with Courtnall Skosan coming on.
    • 61Lions make a substitution with Aphiwe Dyantyi coming off.
    • 59Marvin Orie has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 59Ruan Combrinck makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea.
    • 57Jeronimo De La Fuente has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 57Jaguares sub Santiago Medrano comes onto the field.
    • 57Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro departs for Jaguares.
    • 57The touch judges raise their flags as Elton Jantjies kicks the conversion.
    • 56Fabulous play by Lions has led to Andries Coetzee being able to wriggle through a gap.
    • 56Elton Jantjies played a key part in that try.
    • 56A series of passes by Lions results in a try for Andries Coetzee.
    • 55Lions have won 40 rucks so far this game.
    • 52Jaguares have won 60 rucks so far this game.
    • 52Dylan Smith comes on for Lions.
    • 52Jacques Van Rooyen leaves the field.
    • 52Ruan Dreyer has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 48Nicolas Sanchez adds the two points for Jaguares.
    • 47Trouble here as Pablo Matera breaches the defence.
    • 47That’s a great try assist by Gonzalo Bertranou.
    • 47Jaguares are only a few metres out, surely they must score! And they do with Pablo Matera touching down.
    • 46This is dangerous for the defence as Jeronimo De La Fuente bursts through to advance the Jaguares attack.
    • 43Elton Jantjies adds the points for Lions.
    • 42Nicolas Sanchez does the business as his conversion attempt goes over.
    • 42A gap opened in the defence and Marnus Schoeman took full advantage.
    • 41Jeronimo De La Fuente sets up the try.
    • 41Great hands by Jaguares leads to a try for Bautista Delguy.
    • 41The defensive line has been broken as Bautista Delguy goes through the gap.
    • 40Marnus Schoeman comes on.
    • 40Cyle Brink comes off.
    • 40Franco Mostert has made 10 good tackles so far this game.
    • 40The second half is underway.
    • 40The half-time whistle blows and both teams’ head for the dressing rooms.
    • 36Nicolas Sanchez does the business as his penalty goal attempt goes over.
    • 35Jaguares have won 40 rucks so far this game.
    • 28Lions have won 20 rucks so far this game.
    • 27Elton Jantjies makes no mistake with that conversion attempt.
    • 26What a run here by Gonzalo Bertranou as they gets over the gainline!.
    • 26Malcolm Marx intercepts the pass to race ahead and score the try for Lions.
    • 26Malcolm Marx makes the break as the defence re-enacts the parting of the red sea.
    • 25Elton Jantjies makes no mistake with that penalty goal attempt.
    • 23Fabulous play by Lions has led to Cyle Brink being able to wriggle through a gap.
    • 15Elton Jantjies converts the try.
    • 14Trouble here as Harold Vorster breaches the defence.
    • 14What a kick! Harold Vorster takes full advantage to score for Lions.
    • 12Jaguares have won 20 rucks so far this game.
    • 8Elton Jantjies has kicked a conversion.
    • 7This is dangerous for the defence as Ruan Combrinck bursts through to advance the Lions attack.
    • 7The kick through from Lions has allowed Ruan Combrinck to touch down.
    • 5Nicolas Sanchez kicks the penalty.
    • 3Nicolas Sanchez has kicked a penalty goal.
    • 2A gap opened in the defence and Pablo Matera took full advantage.
    •  The defensive line has been broken as Tomas Lezana goes through the gap.
    •  We are underway as the referee blows his whistle.

    Lions

    15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen

    Substitutes: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Courtnall Skosan, 23 Howard Mnisi

    Jaguares

    15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Matias Moroni, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (captain), 5 Marcos Kremer 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta

    Substitutes: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lavanini, 21 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 22 Martin Landajo, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere

     

    Article written by

    Keo has written about South African and international rugby professionally for the last 25 years

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