Lions dismantle shocking Sunwolves

The one-sided match saw the home side score 35 first half points, before adding a further 59 second points against a Sunwolves side who seemed uninterested in participating.

It took the Lions just six minutes to open the scoring as scrumhalf Ross Cronjé benefitted from a powerful scrum on the Sunwolves' five-metre line. He wriggled his way through a few defenders before diving over. Jantjies added the extras to ensure a 7-0 lead.

The home side added two further tries in the next 14 minutes to quickly put some daylight between themselves and their opponents. Jaco Kriel was first to score when he went on a powerful run that saw him run over a few defenders.

Then Albertus Smith showed plenty of speed to race over from 40-metres out to grab the Lions' third of the match. Jantjies slotted both conversions to hand the home side a 21-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Smith bagged a double on 28 minutes when he raced through once again to grab his side's fourth. Jantjies added the extras before closing out the half with a converted try of his own to ensure a 35-0 lead at the half-time interval.

Six minutes into the second half and the Lions bagged their sixth try thanks to replacement hooker Armand van der Merwe. An attacking line-out five metres from the Sunwolves' try-line saw the Lions set up a maul that powered it's way over. Jantjies hit the upright with his conversion attempt but the Lions' lead was stretched to 40-0 after 46 minutes.

There was just no stopping the Lions as wing Ruan Combrinck scored his side's seventh of the night in the 52nd minute. Jantjies popped over the conversion for a 47-0 lead. The Kriel grabbed his second of the match a few minutes later when he was put through a massive gap.

Combrinck added the conversion to hand the home side a 54-0 lead after 54 minutes. Combrinck then bagged his second of the game on the hour mark when he cantered over but he failed to add the conversion.

The Sunwolves had something to smile about when Uwe Helu somehow found his way over the line to grab the visitors' first points of the game. Jumpei Ogura converted to trail 7-59 after 63 minutes. But that joy did not last as Francois de Klerk put Courtnall Skosan away to grab the Lions' 10th.

Combrinck's conversion took the score to 66-7 after 67 minutes.

The provider became the scorer in the 72nd minute as De Klerk added his side's 11th of the night. There was no stopping the playmaker though as he sent Sylvian Mahuza away for the replacement to score. Combrinck added both conversions to ensure an 80-7 lead in the 74th minute.

Combrinck rounded things off with a final minute try – claiming a hat-trick in the process. De Klerk slotted the final conversion of the match to end the Sunwolves' miserable showing.

Man of the match: The less said about the Sunwolves, the better. As for the Lions, take your pick. Each player from No.1 to No.23 contributed to the demolition. It is not often that an entire team gets the award but this is certainly a time when an exception to the rule is needed.

Scorers:

For the Lions:

Tries: Cronjé, Kriel 2, Smith 2, Jantjies, van der Merwe, Combrinck 3, Skosan, de Klerk, Mahuza, Ackermann

Cons: Jantjies 6, Combrinck 5, de Klerk

For the Sunwolves:

Try: Helu

Con: Ogura

Teams:

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Albertus Smith, 6 Jaco Kriel (captain), 5 Francois Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.

Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Corné Fourie, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Francois de Klerk, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Sylvian Mahuza.

Sunwolves: 15 Yasutaka Sasakura, 14 Takaaki Nakazuru, 13 Ryohei Yamanaka, 12 Derek Carpenter, 11 Teruya Goto, 10 Jumpei Ogura, 9 Keisuke Uchida, 8 Willem Britz (captain), 7 Shokei Kin, 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Kotaro Yatabe, 4 Sam Wykes, 3 Yasuo Yamaji, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Matasaka Mikami.

Replacements: 16 Takeshi Hino, 17 Koki Yamamoto, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Uwe Helu, 20 Malgene Ilaua, 21 Kaito Shigeno, 22 Rikiya Matshuda, 23 Riaan Viljoen.

Referee: Egon Seconds (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Archie Sehlako

TMO: Shaun Veldsman