Lions roar again
Lions back on the winning track.
XEROX Golden Lions came back from their defeat the previous weekend and gave a good display of their form on Friday, September 9, beating the DHL Western Province.
The Lions outscored their counterparts from Cape Town 58-32 at Emirates Airline Park in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup.
Head coach Johan Ackermann selected the best combinations thus far this season to take on the WP. They opened up the scoreboard with the first try of the encounter which started on their try line. This was within the first minute of the match and another seven followed suit.
The local team from Johannesburg scored open and freely and displayed good line-out skills though the WP posted the more solid scrums during the match.
Two penalty goals and a stunning individual try by DHL Western Province winger Leolin Zas accounted for their first half points, which saw WP trail 37-13.
But the defending champions continued to run riot on attack in the second half as they added three more tries, two of which were scored by Olympic Games bronze medallist Kwagga Smith. Western Province, however, showed their fighting spirit as they scored three second-half tries to secure a valuable bonus point, despite going down 58-32.
Xerox Golden Lions tries: Andries Coetzee, Anthony Volmink, Jacques Nel, Jean-Pierre du Preez, Kwagga Smith (2), Robbie Coetzee, Rohan Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Jako van der Walt (6). Penalties: Van der Walt (2).
DHL Western Province tries: Dewaldt Duvenage, Jacques Vermeulen (2), Leolin Zas. Conversions: Robert du Preez (3). Penalties: Du Preez (2).
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Leopards reaffirmed their dominance in the Currie Cup Premier and First Divisions respectively over the weekend as they stretched their unbeaten runs to five rounds to top their log tables.
The Cheetahs registered a bonus-point 38-30 victory against the Cell C Sharks in Durban to leap to the top of the Premier Division log table. The Leopards in turn secured a full-house of points compliments of a 49-31 victory against SWD in Potchefstroom to cement their place at the top of the log in their final pool match, which also ensured that the defending First Division champions will host a semi-final.
In another significant outcome from the weekend’s Currie Cup action – brought to you by DirectAxis and Nashua – the Down Touch Griffons secured their place in the First Division semi-final with a memorable 84-25 victory against the Windhoek Draught Welwitschias.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls thumped the Steval Pumas 41-14 in Nelspruit.
