The Lions will complete their Currie Cup league-stage campaign with a match against Griquas at Ellis Park next Saturday, before the Bulls host the Cheetahs at Loftus.
The Lions ended the Vodacom Bulls’ Currie Cup semi-final hopes with a convincing win at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The 44-5 victory shot the Lions up to second on the log, while the Bulls remained sixth – 11 points outside the playoff spots – after a fourth consecutive defeat.
The Lions came into this fixture as heavy favourites having selected a team packed with URC players. The injury-hit Bulls, meanwhile, continued to back junior and club players while cotton-wooling their stars ahead of the 2025-26 URC season.
Flyhalf Chris Smith gave the Lions a 10-0 lead against his former team, with an early penalty followed by a converted try under the posts.
The Bulls responded immediately when No 10 Jaco van der Walt dotted down, but a Smit penalty and a try to loosehead prop SJ Kotze put the Lions 20-5 ahead at half time.
Lions captain PJ Botha scored his side’s third try from a lineout maul early in the second half after Bulls prop Simphiwe Matanzima had been sin-binned for a no-arms tackle.
In the final quarter, both teams were reduced to 14 men, with Bulls centre Cornel Smit and Lions flank Ruan Venter seeing yellow for high tackles, before midfielder Richard Kriel crossed for the hosts’ bonus-point try.
No sooner had Junior Boks scrumhalf Haashim Pead come off the bench to make his Currie Cup debut than fullback Quan Horn put replacement flyhalf Sam Francis over for the Lions’ fifth.
The Bulls went down to 13 following the sin-binning of replacement back row Marco Ferreira, and Pead darted over in the 82nd minute for his first senior provincial try.
The Lions will complete their Currie Cup league-stage campaign with a match against Griquas at Ellis Park next Saturday, before the Bulls host the Cheetahs at Loftus.
LIONS – Tries: Chris Smit, SJ Kotze, PJ Botha, Richard Kriel, Sam Francis, Haashim Pead. Conversions: Smit (2), Francis, Kriel. Penalties: Smit (2).
BULLS – Try: Jaco van der Walt.
This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.
