Lions roar in Johannesburg against very good Sharks team
The Lions and Sharks have shown on Saturday at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg that they will both be tough opponents in the Super Rugby tournament this year.
The 2018 Super Rugby season got off to an exciting start on Saturday afternoon when the Lions and the Stormers both clinched home victories in the first round of matches.
The Lions showed their class with a thrilling 26-19 win over the Sharks in Johannesburg, while in Cape Town Springbok centre Damian de Allende scored the first try of the 2018 campaign for the Stormers in their hard-earned 28-20 victory over the Jaguares.
With regular skipper Warren Whiteley back and leading his charges superbly again, the Lions delivered a dominant scrum display to set the platform for a pulsating 26-19 victory over their coastal rivals. The Highveld team led 14-7 at halftime.
Centre Lionel Mapoe scored a brace of tries and flank Kwagga Smith also scored. However, it was the display by debutant wing Aphiwe Dyantyi which must have pleased the home supporters.
Dyantyi showed an impressive burst of speed to collect his own grubber kick and dotted down for a breath taking try just five minutes into the game. To complete his memorable debut, the young flyer was also awarded with the Man of the Match prize afterwards. Springbok fly half Elton Jantjies kicked three conversions.
The Durban team rallied with three tries by imposing fly half Robert du Preez and speedsters Sbu Nkosi and Makazole Mapimpi. Du Preez also hit the mark with two conversions.
* On a hot afternoon in Cape Town, the Stormers surged into a 15-6 halftime lead following tries from De Allende and captain, Siya Kolisi. New recruit Raymond Rhule also got onto the scoresheet in the second half and young fly half Damian Willemse contributed two conversions and two penalties.
The Argentine side, who came with a strong onslaught towards the end, replied with a try by winger Emiliano Boffelli while they were rewarded a penalty try after a series of dominant scrums following Ramone Samuels’ yellow card for a repeated team offence.
Boffelli kicked a long-range penalty and fly half Nicolas Sanchez slotted a conversion and a penalty.
Next week, the Stormers start their Australasian tour with a match in Sydney against the Waratahs (10:45, SA time), the Lions entertain the Jaguares in Johannesburg (15:05), while the Bulls kick off their campaign when they welcome the Hurricanes to Pretoria (17:15).
The Sharks are not in action next weekend.
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