Lions win Ellis Park thriller

This was rugby. It was not basketball or Twenty-20 cricket. It was not a match dependent on frequent scoring but it most certainly was rugby of a high calibre, as intense in the last minute as it was in the first minute and every minute in between.

It was totally absorbing. You had only to listen to and look at the crowd of 30 443. They lived every minute of the game, its ebb and flow, its ups and downs, the prospect of glory and the sudden prospect of disaster. They stayed right to the Saturday night end. The final whistle suddenly ended it all and reality came via glee on the one hand and disappointment on the other – both reactions to the result, not to the wonderful game  played by heroes.

As the players had lost themselves in the game with absolute concentration, so had the spectators.

There were just three tries in the match but each one was special – Elton Jantjies's special skill for the first one, Faf de Klerk's daring for the second and Siya Kolisi's outrageous sidestep for the third.

And in the end the team that deserved to win, did so.

It was a game to savour and no amount of picking it apart or recalling the 'highlights could replace the whole. It was a highlight of a game.

It started with a sombre silence for those who suffered in the Ellis Park disaster of 11 April 2001. That was a miserable memory.

Then the whistle went and two teams started going flat-out at each other with an intensity bordering on ferocity.

The Lions ran and ran and the Stormers tackled with determination till the Stormers got into Lion land and young Jean-Luc du Plessis kicked a penalty goal when the Lions were guilty of obstruction. 3-0 after 10 minutes.

From a line-out Courtnall Skosan broke. He was knocked down but got up heading for the goal-line till Cheslin Kolbe brought him down five metres from the line. The Lions attacked, the Stormers tackled high and Jantjies goaled. 3-3 after 12 minutes.

Du Plessis, then Jantjies kicked penalty goals till the Stormers led 12-9 after 32 minutes.

Then came a try born of genius.

The Lions were going right and Jantjies was in the face of the opposition when with the outside of his left boot he chipped a soft chip over the defenders, which sturdy Rohan Janse van Rensburg caught. He was tackled but the ball came back to Jantjies who threw a long pass out to Ruan Combrinck, unmarked on the right wing, and Combrinck scored right in the corner.  Jantjies converted from far out. 16-12 after 36 minutes.

That was the half-time score.

Early in the second half the Lions attacked at speed and Jaco van der Walt was over in the right corner but he had tiptoed on the touchline. But the Stormers survived and got downfield. Du Plessis kicked his fifth penalty. 16-15 after 54 minutes.

The Stormers kicked. Van der Walt countered and the Lions attacked. Jantjies was stopped right at the line. The Stormers were penalised and the Lions tapped and attacked again. The Stormers were penalised again and this time De Klerk tapped and darted for the line, scoring with an outstretched hand between Du Plessis and Nizaam Carr. The Lions led 23-15 after 58 minutes.

In the Stormers' half, Kobus van Wyk took a quick throw-in to Kolbe who ran back towards him and they attacked the Lions. The Stormers carried the ball forward with Carr and Nic Groom prominent till Groom gave to Kolisi who had just Jantjies to beat. Kolisi shaped to go right but sidestepped left and went past Jantjies to score near the posts. 23-22 to the Lions with 16 minutes to play.

The Stormers went offside and Jantjies goaled. 26-22 with 6 minutes to play.

The Lions got down into Stormers territory. De Klerk passed back to Jantjies who kicked a soaring drop from in front of the posts. 29-22 with 4 minutes to play.

Time was up but the Stormers started moving from near their line with two penalties and lots of passes till De Klerk won a turnover off Van Wyk and kicked the ball out, suddenly ending a wonderful match.

Man of the Match: Elton Jantjies.

The Scorers:

For the Lions:

Tries: Combrinck, De Klerk

Cons: Jantjies 2

Pens: Jantjies 4

DG: Jantjies

For the Stormers:

Try: Kolisi

Con: Du Plessis

Pens: Du Plessis 5

Teams:

Lions: 15 Jaco Van Der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Julian Redelinghuys, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith.

Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruan Ackermann, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Francois de Klerk, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Andries Coetzee.

Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Replacements: 16 Mike Willemse, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Rynhardt Elstadt, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Damian de Allende, 23 Huw Jones.

Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Lesego Legoete (South Africa), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)

TMO: Willie Vos (South Africa)