Robert du Preez puts the boot into Lions & sorry Stormers lose again
Robert du Preez kicked a late penalty and converted Lwazi Mvovo’s 67th minute try to end the Sharks’ seven match losing streak against the Lions. The Stormers lost away from home for an eighth successive time this season in a 25-14 defeat against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.
The Lions also lost for the first time in 22 Super Rugby matches against South African opposition.
The Jaguares recorded a record-breaking clean sweep at home against SA’s four Super Rugby franchises and also won for a franchise record-breaking seventh successive time.
The win means the Jaguares are only three league points behind the South African conference leaders, the Lions.
The Jaguares raced to a 15-0 lead midway through the first half and were in control 22-7 at halftime.
Dillyn Leyds scored on the hour but a late Nicholas Sanchez penalty ensured a home team win.
In Durban, Springboks Warren Whiteley, Malcolm Marx and Ruan Combrinck all returned to action after long spells out of the game with injury and their impact was immediate in a first half that saw the Lions change ends ahead 21-11.
The hosts had scored within the first two minutes of the match through Dan du Preez but there was little cheer for the Sharks in the remainder of the half as the Lions scored three tries.
The Sharks refused to be beaten and their success was based on 13 point burst through Mvovo and Du Preez in the third quarter.
The Lions were in control of the match on the hour but Mvovo’s 67th minute intercept try from 50 metres out changed the momentum.
The try was against the run of play but it proved the decisive moment. Du Preez kicked the conversion and nailed a 72nd minute penalty to extend the lead to seven points.
Both teams scored three tries but it was the Sharks who finished the stronger, and only the intervention of the TMO denied Akker van der Merwe a try in the final minute.
Du Preez scored 16 points and Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies scored nine points.
LIVE MATCH CENTRE Sharks v Lions
Scorers:
Sharks
Tries: D Du Preez, Esterhuizen, Mvovo
Conversions: R Du Preez 2
Penalties: R Du Preez 4
Lions
Tries: Combrinck, Brink, Smith
Conversions: Jantjies 3
Penalties: Jantjies
Teams:
Sharks
15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sbu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Phillip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (captain), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Beast Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Lwazi Mvovo
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 Dylan Smith
Substitutes: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19, Lourens Erasmus, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Marnus Schoeman, 22 Nic Groom, 23 Courtnall Skosan
LIVE MATCH CENTRE – Jaguares v Stormers
Jaguares – Tries: Bautista Delguy, Guido Petti, Matias Orlando. Conversions: Nicolas Sanchez (2). Penalty: Sanchez (2).
Stormers – Tries: Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Dillyn Leyds. Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (2).
Jaguares – 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Orlando, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Santiago Garcia Botta.
Subs: 16 Diego Fortuny, 17 Javier Diaz, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Joaquin Diaz Bonila, 23 Matias Moroni.
Stormers – 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Craig Barry, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Jan de Klerk, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 JC Janse van Rensberg, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Kobus van Dyk, 22 Justin Phillips, 23 EW Viljoen.
