Lions run riot against willing Kings
Outscoring the home team seven tries to two, the Lions ensured the willing Kings are still looking for their first win against South African opposition.
Despite missing a few key players and struggling to get going in the first half, the Lions cruised to eased in the second half – after leading 21-5 at the break.
As Lions wing Ruan Combrink said in his post-match reaction: "We are cruising at about 70 percent of our capacity."
The Lions used a 10-minute numerical advantage to score three of their sic tries.
The Johannesburg outfit were 14-5 ahead as half-time approached at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, when Kings flank Thembelani Bholi was sin-binned.
His yellow card stemmed from the referee losing patience with the Kings for repeated infringements during the Round Nine match.
While Bholi watched from the touchline, the visitors scored a try before half-time to turn over 21-5 ahead, and notched two more early in the second half for a 28-point advantage.
From then on the only issue was how much the Lions would win by as they consolidated their leadership of the Africa Two conference standings.
Lions have 27 points, fellow South Africans the Sharks 21, the Argentine Jaguares seven and the Kings four.
Lions skipper and No. 8 Warren Whiteley, who scored the opening try of the match after 22 minutes, said his team achieved the twin objections of winning and securing a bonus point.
"We could have been more clinical, though, against a Kings team that I have a lot of respect for," Whiteley said.
"Next weekend we face a huge challenge at home to the Hurricanes from New Zealand.
"They are a quality side and we are going to need our 'A' game against them."
Kings skipper and lock Steven Sykes said the sin-binning and some soft moments cost his team dearly as they suffered a sixth loss in seven outings.
"I thought we matched the Lions for 35 minutes and then came the yellow card, after which we conceded a few soft tries.
"Our tackling needs to improve before we face the Jaguares in Buenos Aires next weekend, but we did well in the scrums and that is encouraging," said Sykes.
Hooker Armand van der Merwe and wing Ruan Combrinck scored two tries each for the Lions and Whiteley, wing Courtnall Skosan and centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg one apiece.
Flyhalf Elton Jantjies kicked five conversions, raising his season total to 114 points, six less than charts-topper Damian McKenzie of the Chiefs.
Wing Luzuko Vulindlu and Cloete scored a try each for the Kings, while flyhalf Louis Fouche had an off-day with his goal kicking, missing four attempts.
Man of the match: Thembelani Bholi and Chris Cloete were among a handful of Kings who showed their class. Francois de Klerk was, as usual, the energy behind the Lions pack. The angry warthog, Lions hooker Armand van der Merwe, was his usual bruising self. Ruan Combrink was a real handful with ball in hand and was rewarded with two great tries and had a third denied by the TMO. Warren Whiteley showed that his form is rising rapidly. However, our award goes to Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies, who – despite missing a few kicks at goal – was the man that directed the show and what a show it was.
The scorers:
For the Southern Kings:
Tries: Vulindlu, Cloete
For the Lions:
Tries: Whiteley, Skosan, Van der Merwe 2, Combrink 2, Janse van Rensburg
Cons: Jantjies 5
Yellow card: Thembelani Bholi (Southern Kings, 36 – repeated infringement, offside)
Teams:
Southern Kings: 15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Shane Gates, 11 JP du Plessis, 10 Louis Fouche, 9 James Hall, 8 CJ Velleman, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Steven Sykes (captain), 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Tom Botha, 18 Justin Ackermann, 19 JC Astle, 20 Jacques Engelbrecht, 21 Ntando Kebe, 22 Stefan Watermeyer, 23 Leighton Eksteen.
Lions: 15 Jaco Van Der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois De Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Armand Van Der Merwe, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Jacques Van Rooyen, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Jaco Kriel, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 John-Wessel Bell, 23 Rohan Janse Van Rensburg.
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden, AJ Jacobs
TMO: Christie du Preez
