Lions stay in the play-off hunt
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:53
The Lions continued their resurgent form when they hung on for a 36-32 Currie Cup win over a determined Griquas team in an 11-try thriller in Kimberley on Saturday.
It is the Lions' third successive win, after they started the season with two defeats.
The Lions raced into a 24-5 half-time lead and had the bonus point sewn up in the 46th minute, leading 29-5.
But a four-try burst by the home side saw them claw their way back into the match in the second half.
However, Griquas - who had stunned Western Province with a brave defensive effort last week - fell short as the result of poor goal-kicking.
Flyhalf Conrad Barnard and fullback Riaan Viljoen missed five kicks at goal between them, converting just one try - despite outscoring the Lions by six tries to five.
For the Lions fullback Earl Rose scored 11 points from four conversions and a penalty, while wing Louis Ludik and hooker Willie Wepener scored two tries each.
The Lions' third consecutive victory moved them to 16 points on the standings after five matches. Griquas earned two bonus points in the match and moved to nine points but remained seventh on the eight-team standings.
Griquas started the game with the confidence that came from beating Western Province last week and quickly reminded the Lions that winning in Kimberley is not an easy task.
Scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius collected a loose ball on the Lions 22 in the first minute of the match and stepped through a tackle before surging for the line to score in the corner. Despite the missed conversion the hosts had laid down a marker.
But the Lions showed great composure and dusted themselves off before working their way into Griquas territory through some quality phase play.
The ball was eventually recycled to Ludik, who slipped over the line in the seventh minute to tie the scores. Earl Rose converted and the Lions led a lead they wouldn't relinquish again.
Ludik was on hand to increase the lead with a second try in the 17th minute after the visitors had kept the hosts under pressure for a long period.
At this stage the Lions were dominant in terms of territory and possession and they made it count by setting up a try for hooker Willie Wepener in the 20th minute to triple their lead after Rose's third successful conversion.
Although Griquas regained their balance and had more ball to work with before half-time, it was the Lions who scored again before the break when Rose landed a penalty in the 33rd minute.
The second period belonged almost entirely to the home team as they scored tries through wings Egon Seconds and MJ Mentz, lock Wayne van Heerden, replacement fullback Bjorn Basson and replacement flank Rohan Kitshoff.
The Lions added additional second half tries through Wepener and centre Doppies La Grange
The scorers:
For Griquas:
Tries: Basson, Seconds, Mentz, Kitshoff, Pretorius, Van Heerden
Con: Botes
For the Lions:
Tries: Wepener 2, La Grange, Ludik 2
Cons: Rose 4
Pen: Rose
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Egon Seconds, 13 Lafras Uys, 12 Herkie Kruger (captain), 11 Gavin Passens, 10 Conrad Barnard, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Heinrich Stride, 7 Stephan Gerber, 6 Gareth Krause, 5 Jacques Lombaard, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Ruaan du Preez, 2 James van der Walt, 1 Albertus Buckle.
Replacements: 16 Bees van Dyk, 17 Steph Roberts, 18 Cilliers Coetzer, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Tobie Botes, 21 Jaco Bekker/Bjorn Basson, 22 MJ Mentz.
Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Jaco Pretorius, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Louis Ludik, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar
(captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Derek Harwood, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Alten Hulme, 19 Justin Wheeler, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 22 Tshepo Kokoali.
Referee: Christie du Preez
Touch judges: Lourens van der Merwe, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
With that to SA Rugby
