Lions dent Chiefs' play-off dreams
Sat, 10 May 2008 19:09
The Lions put a serious dent in the Chiefs' Super 14 play-off hopes when they recorded a deserved 33-27 win over the New Zealand franchise in their penultimate round-robin match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday.
The result has been a huge boost to the Sharks and Stormers, who now have their destiny in their own hands, while the Chiefs will be hoping for some favourable results - not to mention that they have to face the Sharks next week.
It has been a huge transformation from the Lions team, who looked so ordinary on tour.
Their forwards dominated the set pieces, especially the line-outs - where Joe van Niekerk was instrumental in stealing a number of crucial throw-ins.
Then there was the Lions' transformed backline - with just two players making an enormous difference.
World Cup Springbok Jaque Fourie made his first appearance of the season, after a lengthy injury lay-off, and proved to be the steadying influence in a backline that finally managed to plug the gaps that saw them leak so many tries this season.
However, the spark was at scrumhalf, where Chris Jonck started ahead of Jano Vermaak, who was left on the sideline with flu. Jonck grabbed his opportunity and played a starring role behind a dominant pack.
His sniping breaks and educated boot kept that pack going forward.
The Lions looked full of fervour and enterprise in the early stages and kept the Chiefs pinned deep inside their own half.
The first scoring opportunity also went the Lions' way, in the fifth minute, when Ben May went offside. Earl Rose made no mistake and the Lions had a 3-0 lead.
It took the Lions just another four minutes to put their surfeit of possession to good use, as Willem Alberts broke off the back of a scrum and ran 30 metres through a huge hole, before offloading to scrumhalf Chris Jonck, who sprinted another 20 odd metres for the opening try. Rose added the conversion for a 10-0 lead - a deserved lead.
The Chiefs finally got their hands on some ball and in the 16th minute won a penalty as the Lions went offside. Stephen Donald made no mistake and narrowed the gap to seven points - 3-10.
Moments later the Lions had a golden opportunity, after a penalty from three high tackles in one movement on Jaque Fourie. However, the line-out throw was not straight.
With more ball the Chiefs backs had a couple of chances to run at the Lions' defence, which have not been that great this year. However, on this day the Ellis Park-based team showed more composure, even though they were still slipping some first-time tackles. At least the cover was a lot more assured.
The Chiefs suffered a big blow with 12 minutes of the first half remaining, when hard-running No.8 Sione Lauaki and flying wing Sitiveni Sivivatu both limped off with leg injuries.
But this did not halt their momentum, as hooker Aled de Malmanche rumbled his way over from a five-metre line-out. Donald added the extras to level at 10-all.
The Chiefs now clearly had momentum on their side and started to settle into a pattern, with the Lions dropping off the pace somewhat.
And the visitors hit the lead in the 34th minute when Donald slotted a penalty after the Lions were penalised while carrying a ball in the maul. A bemused Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar protested for all his worth, but the referee was having none of it and insisted the Lions had transgressed.
The penalties now came at regular intervals against the Lions, every time they were in possession. It changed the structure of the game.
But the Lions were not going to be outdone by a match official and moments later Earl Rose countered from deep and once in the hole offloaded to a flying Joe van Niekerk on the left. Once the cover caught him, the ball came back quickly to the right where No.8 Willem Alberts went over for a great try - probably the Lions' best of the season. Rose added the extras as the Lions hit the front.
They took that 17-13 lead into the half-time break.
The Lions looked to carry on after the break where they left off in the first 40 and in the 43rd minute won a penalty at a scrum. Rose made no mistake from 40 metres out and the Lions were seven points clear - 20-13.
It was now the Chiefs' turn to lose their composure, as the Lions' pressure mounted. But a lack of ball control robbed them of a couple of chances.
They did eventually get their next score - again coming from a great kick-and-chase, with captain Cobus Grobbelaar on the end of another scintillating Lions move. Rose added the conversion for a 14-point lead - 27-13.
With just 25 minutes left in the game, the Chiefs were looking like a team's who were beginning to see their play-off hopes slip away.
The Chiefs now became desperate and frustrated and even after Lelia Masaga went over for a try in the 64th minute, they were called back. Prop Ben May was red-carded after putting his boot into the face of a Lions player - the try became a penalty to the Lions.
And with a man extra, the Lions now also had the cover to look after the Chiefs' speedsters out wide.
Not that the Lions needed it. They employed their superior forward power to great effect and won a penalty in the 69th minute when the Chiefs collapsed the maul.
Rose slotted it to take the gap to 17 points - 30-13.
And the Chiefs, now even more desperate, failed to get the accuracy they required with the possession they did get.
And they continued to give away penalties as they became even more desperate to get their hands on the ball, with the Lions in rampaging mood.
In the 71st minute Rose made the lead 20 points - 33-13 -with his fourth penalty.
Rose was yellow carded with four minutes left, for deliberately slowing the ball down.
With the teams now level the Chiefs eventually found space and Lelia Masaga scored with less than two minutes remaining. Even at 33-20 it looked like too little too late.
Even with Mils Muliaina scoring after the final hooter had sounded, and Donald adding the conversion, the Lions scored a deserved 33-27 win - a scoreline that does not reflect the Lions' dominance.
The bonus point is unlikely to be enough for the Chiefs to sneak into the play-offs.
Man of the match: Young Chris Jonck, who played a starring role at scrumhalf, is certainly in the frame and so is captain Cobus Grobbelaar with another barnstorming performance. However, our award goes to Lions flank Joe van Niekerk, who has revived his career in Johannesburg after several injury-riddled and frustrating seasons in Cape Town. He looked pure Springbok and produced his best performance in years - not just those steals in the line-outs, but on defence and carrying the ball.
Moment of the match: The moment that turned the game in the favour of the home team was Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar's 55th minute try. It came from one of several great kick-and-chase moves by the Lions, with Grobbelaar on the end of a scintillating Lions move. It put the Lions two scores clear and left the Chiefs chasing the game.
Villain of the match: No doubt this award goes to Chiefs prop Ben May for his cowardly attack with the boot, in the face of a man prone on the playing field. He will face a judicial hearing and possibly a lengthy suspension. He should indeed be put away for a long time for such a cowardly act of thuggery!
The scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Jonck, Alberts, Grobbelaar
Cons: Rose 2
Pens: Rose 4
For the Chiefs:
Tries: De Malmanche, Masaga, Muliaina
Cons:
Donald 3
Pens: Donald 2
Yellow card: Earl Rose (Lions, 76 - professional foul, slowing the ball down)
Red card: Ben May (Chiefs, 64 - foul play, boot in the face)
Teams:
Auto & General Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Joe van Niekerk, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Wilhelm Koch, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Jannie Boshoff, 22 Dusty Noble.
Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Dwayne Sweeney, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Jamie Nutbrown, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6
Liam Messam, 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Tom Willis, 17 Simon Lemalu, 18 Jono Gibbes, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 David Bason, 21 Viliame Waqaseduadua, 22 Sosene Anesi.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Brett Bowden (Australia), Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
