Lions try feast dazzles Boland
Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:55
Lions achieved their objective against the Cavaliers and collected a full house of five log points from their Currie Cup match at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The final score was 57-17 which included eight Lions tries to the two of the Cavaliers.
Coach Eugene Eloff said during the week that last year's losing finalists aimed for five points to get back in the race for the play-offs, and his charges didn't let him down.
The bonus point came in the first minute after the break, which was the Lions third try in just over eight minutes, and that knocked the stuffing out of the Cavaliers.
With the scores tied at 10-10 about seven minutes before half-time, the Cavaliers forwards, in particular, seemed up for the task.
However, with the exception of Sevens star Stefan Basson - who showed what vision and options are all about - the Cavaliers seemed to have little penetration for all the good work by their forwards who also started to fade as the score mounted.
The first try of the match came from as intercept when Cavaliers lock Cecil Kemp ran about 30 metres for No.8 Dries van Schalkwyk to be present and score under the posts.
The expansive play by the Lions whose backs looked quite sharp brought them close on a number of occasions until Earl Rose added a try to last week's three.
The two sides were then tied at 10-10 until seven minutes from the break when first Doppies le Grange cut inside from a backline move to carry an opponent over under the posts, and then a good inside pass from a hard-running Louis Ludik on the wing saw Jano Vermaak score.
With all three tries converted and a Rose penalty, the match seemed secure at the break with the Lions 24-10 ahead. The scoreline was perhaps a little flattering, but in fairness the Cavaliers seldom looked like scoring while the Lions often threatened.
When Alten Hulme, who had a lively game at lock, went over under the posts a minute after the break and Jaco Pretorius finished in the corner two minutes later for Rose to convert with a lovely kick, it was all over as a contest at 38-10 and a hiding for the Cavaliers was on the cards.
And so it proved, with tries by Willem Alberts, Jaco van Schalkwyk and another by Pretorius following.
Generally the Lions looked more structured than they had in their previous matches and also finished more clinically, although coach Eloff still has some work to do on their finishing. But to say they wasted, would be churlish.
The scorers:
For Lions:
Tries: Rose, le Grange, Vermaak, Hulme, Pretorius 2, Van Schalkwyk, Alberts
Cons: Rose 7
Pen: Rose
For Boland:
Tries: Van Schalkwyk, Watts
Cons: Cornelius 2
Pen: Cornelius
The Teams:
Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Louis Ludik, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe/Justin Wheeler, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Alten Hulme, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Derick Minnie, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Willem Stoltz, 19 Justin Wheeler/Francois Uys, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Jaque Fourie, 22 Jaco van Schalkwyk.
Boland Cavaliers: 15 Stefan Basson, 14 John Daniels, 13 Piet van Zyl (captain), 12 Lionel Cornelius, 11 Alvin Hugo, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Dries van Schalkwyk, 7 Frankie Horne, 6 Zolani Mofu, 5 Bradley Mockford, 4 Cecil Kemp, 3 Andries Human, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 Janro van Niekerk.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Wium, 17 Jean Botha, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Whalied Heyns, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Deon Scholtz, 22 Renfred
Dazel.
Referee: Deon van Blommestein
Touch judges: Joey Salmans, Peet Badenhorst
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
SAPA
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