Hungry Lions reign over Province

The Lions showed great character to hold off the challenge of Western Province who they beat 29-20 in their high octane Currie Cup semifinal in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Coach John Mitchell’s side ensured that they will play the final at home against the Sharks next week with a determined performance against a Province team packedwith Springbok stars.

Mull it over, think about it, discuss it and whatever you do with it, you will come to the conclusion that the Golden Lions thoroughly deserved this win. They played against a team with five Springbok outside backs to their none and won well.

It started with their pack – tight and loose. In the first half they enjoyed 61% of possession. Poor Western Province simply could not get the ball. They threw into one line-out and into one scrum in the whole of the first half. For the rest the ball belonged to the Golden Lions whose heavier pack knocked the Western Province men about and it was only Western Province’s determination that kept the score to 19-12 at the break – determination and the boot of Dimitri Catrakilis.

But it is was not just the tight ball. Throughout the match the Golden Lions won the turnovers that counted most and it was not just their forwards who won the ball. Deon van Rensburg had a great turnover when Western Province looked like scoring and so did Jaco Taute.

And then there was the whole Golden Lions side’s defence. In the second half when Western Province had more ball, the Golden Lions defended manfully and the only try against them happened when there were no men left to tackle.

The Golden Lions deserve their final. They have led the way throughout the Currie Cup. Their main players in the semi are the same men that brought them there. It would be silly to underestimate them just because Springboks have come seeping back from New Zealand and into the Currie Cup.

As Gio Aplon remarked after the match, the returnee Springboks are in for a tough week – watching the World Cup Final on Sunday, a competition in which they failed, and then the Currie Cup Final next Saturday, a competition in which they failed.

All credit to the Golden Lions. Apart from doing their basics so well, they played so cohesively, never afraid to run and pass and expect support. Throughout the Currie Cup their brand of rugby has been excellent, and so it was in this semifinal. And they do it with such apparent enjoyment.

There was big Western Province support in the crowd of 32,000 at Coca Cola Park but in the end it was the men in red and white who sang Olé.

For most of the first half, even though there was movement, especially by the Golden Lions, the scoring was via the boot – Catrakilis, Jantjies, Jantjies, Jantjies, Catrakilis, Jantjies till the score was 12-9 to the Golden Lions after 27 minutes.

In that time lots happened. Siya Kolisi went to tackle Elton Jantjies but the sturdy flyhalf bowled him over and the flank was helped off on wobbly legs. That was after just 12 minutes.

Lock (sic) Franco van der Merwe threw a dummy and accelerated down the field where Aplon was penalised and Jantjies goaled to give the Golden Lions the lead for the first time, after 19 minutes.

As the half was rushing to a close the Golden Lions went through many phases, starting on the left and then going wide right where an excellent pass by Michael Rhodes set up an overlap for Deon van Rensburg who raced ahead and passed inside to joyful Jaco Taute who scored. It was a splendid try.

Western Province were better in the second half. They started with a great scrum, but that was not repeated. They had a clean break by Jean de Villiers that Jaque Fourie carried on but lost the ball to Taute’s turnover.

Then on their 10-metre line Nic Groom of Western Province went blind after a tackle and passed towards Brok Harris but instead passed straight to Michael Killian who raced 40 metres, beating Nick Köster to score in the left corner. (There were queries about off-side, but in fact there had not been a ruck, just a tackle and so no off-side line.) From touch Jantjies nonchalantly converted., 26-12 after 47 minutes.

There was a lot of time left but, strive as they may, Western Province could not get closer. They had substituted half their pack by 55 minutes but that did not make for victory.

Western Province had a penalty and opted for an attacking line-out instead of a kick at posts. They won the line-out and did a front peel but Tiaan Liebenberg cheated in taking out Bandise Maku, the Golden Lions hooker, without the ball to clear a path for Schalk Burger and that came to an embarrassing nought.

De Villiers had an excellent break and Groom was set for the line till he was tackled and Taute won a crucial turnover.

Catrakilis kicked a penalty and Jantjies kicked a penalty and with 20 minutes left the score was 29-15.

There was a sudden outbreak of quick ball for Western Province and they flung attack after attack at the Golden Lions line. Harris was close but Patric Cilliers saved. They had a five-metre line-out and JJ Engelbrecht, Pieter Louw and Groom were close but then Burger threw a long pass to his right, skipping two on the way to Juan de Jongh who had an easy run-in for the try. 29-20 with 10 minutes to play.

In those 10 minutes the Golden Lions were more likely to score. Once Bondesio broke on the blind and sent Derek Minnie on his way to an open line but De Villiers got him from behind. And then, with time up, Butch James chipped and play ended on the Western Province line.

Man of the Match: Our choice from an embarrassment of Golden Lion riches is flank Derek Minnie, who tackled, won line-outs and ruled the crucial tackle.

Moment of the Match: Killian’s try – a score which effectively killed off the match as a contest.

Villain of the Match: Nobody.

The scorers:

For the Lions:
Tries: Taute, Killian
Cons: Jantjies 2
Pens: Jantjies 5

For Western Province:
Try: De Jongh
Pens: Catrakilis 5

The teams:

Golden Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Doppies la Grange, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Warren Whiteley, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Butch James, 21 Dylan Des Fountain, 22 James Kamana.

Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nick Köster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JC Kritzinger.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Tertius Daniller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Conrad Jantjes.

Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee