Resurgent Lions tame lame WP
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:12
The Lions produced some brutal hits on WP. (c) Gallo
The Lions scored their best victory of the season - and perhaps their most significant in some years - when they beat Western Province 46-28 in their Currie Cup match at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Friday.
Having trailed 10-21 inside half an hour and then 19-28 early in the second half, the Lions went on to score the last 27 points in the match and were full value for what was in the end a convincing win.
This Lions team was almost unrecognisable from that which had bungled their way through a dismal Super 14. They displayed a direction and purpose - a clear gameplan and far superior defensive organisation and resolve - and showed the value of having secured the services of one of the world's top coaches in John Mitchell.
The forwards won quality ball and their backs used their possession intelligently. They put Province under pressure and three of their four tries came from an adventurous approach as much as skilful attacking play.
Only one of the tries came from close range, with the other three tearing the much-vaunted Province defence apart.
And, of course, having Elton Jantjies succeeding with 10 out of 10 goal-kicks was a major boost to their momentum.
For much of the game - albeit with crucial exceptions - Province's ball retention was better than against the Cheetahs last week, and they scored three impressive tries, but referee Mark Lawrence believed their discipline poor and the six goalable penalties they conceded cost them dearly.
Their already reorganised backline - with Dewaldt Duvenage the only back left from the Super 14 - was thrown into disarray when first Tim Whitehead and then Frikkie Welsh went off injured, necessitating two replacements and two positional swaps, with changes at outside centre and in each of the back three positions.
But that should not have been sufficient to cost them victory and in the end it was the penalties they gave away in their own half and allowing three long-range tries to their enterprising opponents which facilitated their defeat.
Again, as against the Cheetahs and Sharks, Province will not be entirely happy with having played the game in the right areas of the field either - or their unforced errors - and the bottom line is that when all is said and done, they came a poor second.
Province put the Lions under early pressure when they attacked strongly from a perfectly-placed Duvenage box-kick and in the fourth minute Willem de Waal goaled a close-range penalty to put the visitors 3-0 ahead.
The Lions took the lead three minutes later when Doppies la Grange beat Deon Fourie on the outside and fed Michael Killian, who produced a textbook in-and-out to race past Conrad Jantjes. Jantjies converted from close to touch (7-3).
Province pulled back three points in the 12th minute when De Waal goaled an angled penalty (7-6) and then took a 9-7 lead in the 18th minute when the Lions were penalised close to their posts and the flyhalf goaled his third penalty.
The Lions regained the lead two minutes later when Jantjies goaled a penalty (10-9) but from the restart Province exerted concerted pressure inside the Lions 22, attacking through phases, and eventually found space on the outside for right wing JJ Engelbrecht to score in the left-hand corner. De Waal's conversion attempt hit the upright but the visitors had regained the lead (14-10).
They stretched the lead to 21-10 in the 27th minute when Paul Bosch broke past indifferent defence and passed inside to the ever-present Duane Vermeulen who rounded off without a defender near. De Waal converted.
Jantjies reduced the lead to 21-13 with his third consecutive neatly-struck goal-kick of the match and then maintained his 100 percent record when he goaled another angled penalty to decrease the deficit to five points (21-16).
By this stage Province had lost Whitehead and Welsh to injury and just on half-time Jantjies goaled his fifth consecutive kick to make the score 21-19 going into the break.
Province held the initiative in the opening minutes of the second half and retained possession through 16 phases deep inside the Lions 22 before Conrad Hoffmann crossed in the corner. De Waal converted from the touchline (28-19).
The Lions stayed in touch when Jantjies's fifth penalty-goal made it 28-22.
WP took the ball through 17 phases inside the Lions 22 but the home team's defence held. The Lions surged back into the WP half and when the visiting team were penalised yet again, Jantjies goaled yet again to take his tally to seven from seven (28-25).
Just over an hour into the match the Lions grabbed the lead when from a superb breakout run and kick ahead from Warren Whiteley, Province sub Marcel Brache failed to control the bouncing ball on his goal-line and Killian gathered to score the Lions second try. Jantjies goaled and the home team led 32-28.
Almost immediately, Renaldo Bothma launched an attack from close to his goal-line and Killian ripped the WP defence apart as he ran from inside his 22 and close to the Province goal-line fed Derick Minnie who rounded off close to touch. Jantjies converted (39-28).
With five minutes to play, the Lions elected to scrum when awarded a penalty five metres out and Jantjies stepped inside De Waal to score next to the posts. He converted and the Lions led 46-28.
Province made a valiant effort to score a fourth try to secure a bonus point but were denied by stout defence and the Lions ended the game with their happiest victory in many a week.
Man of the Match: Duane Vermeulen was again outstanding for Western Province, as he has been in every victory and defeat this season. For the Lions every player was a hero, with senior players Franco van der Merwe and Derick Minnie setting a superb example up front and Doppies la
Grange and Waylon Murray a forceful pair in midfield. Warren Whiteley showed why he has been one of the finds of the Currie Cup. Michael Killian was an absolute star, a constant threat on attack. But in a team of stars, the Man of the Match must be Elton Jantjies - not only for his immaculate 10/10 goal-kicking display, but because he shows the skills and judgment to take him a long way in his career.
The scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Killian 2, Minnie, Jantjies
Cons: Jantjies 4
Pens: Jantjies 6
For Western Province:
Tries: Engelbrecht, Vermeulen, Hoffmann
Cons: De Waal 2
Pens: De Waal 3
The teams:
Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies,
9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe (captain), 4 George Earle, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Renaldo Bothma, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marius Delport.
Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Frikkie Welsh, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Pieter Myburgh, 5 Anton van Zyl (captain), 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 19 De Kock Steenkamp, 20 Yaya Hartzenberg, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Marcel Brache.
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Archie Sehlako, Luke Burger
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
By Len Kaplan
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