Lions do their thing and triumph while Stormers do their thing to banish bad memory
The best of SA’s Super Rugby challenge was evident in the last 20 minutes in Bloemfontein and the first 30 minutes in Cape Town. Whether the best will prove to be good enough as the season unfolds is debatable but for now, the Lions did what they had to do, which was to win, and the Stormers did what they had to do, which was to banish the memory of the 2016 quarterfinal embarrassment against New Zealand’s Chiefs.
The Lions struggled against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein but they still triumphed. It is always said the very good teams win when they should not and often find a way to beat the clock as much as they do an opponent.
The Cheetahs, whose provincial namesake won the 2016 Currie Cup, led 16-6 with 20 minutes to play. The momentum was also with the home team for much of the match, but momentum alone is not a match winner.
The Lions, boasting eight current Springboks, showcased the lessons of being a year older and wiser in how their individuals played the bigger moments. Two of 2016’s Bok newbies, Malcolm Marx and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, were particularly influential.
Van Rensburg, in the unfamiliar role of winger because of injury to centre Howard Mnisi, scored the winning try four minutes before the end, but it was Marx’s impact at the breakdown that proved decisive.
The Lions were considered an unknown in the 2015 and 2016 campaigns but are ranked among the tournament favourites because of their inspiring form in 2016. They whipped the Crusaders and Highlanders in home playoffs, smashed the Blues in Johannesburg and won against the Chiefs in Hamilton.
Their nemesis proved to be eventual champions, the Hurricanes, who put 50 on them in Johannesburg and won the final 20-3.
The Lions’ performance was not good but history has shown what seemed important in the first round does not rate a mention in the week building up to the final. The Hurricanes in 2016 conceded 50 points to the Brumbies in Canberra in round one and lost again the following week. Thereafter they dominated the tournament.
The Lions will improve as a cohesive unit and while the expectation (at least from me) was that they would win more comfortably in Bloemfontein, they did win away from home. That is always a good result.
The Stormers were brilliant in the first 30 minutes against the Bulls and the opening cameo was inspirational. The attitude was good, the application dynamic and the finishing brutal.
Stormers captain Siya Kolisi was outstanding, with Springbok lock Pieter-Stef du Toit imposing and important to the winning start.
Kolisi’s evening started indifferently when he came off second in a collision with Bulls captain Handré Pollard, but that proved a false dawn for Pollard and his Bulls because Kolisi would rise and soar and Pollard would stutter through his first competitive match since the 2015 World Cup.
Pollard, like the Bulls, will offer more menace than the meek surrender in those first 30 minutes. They improved to score 24 points and four tries in the second half, but they were always two scores off the pace against the Stormers.
The Bulls again struggled at the breakdown, unlike the Stormers who have benefited from Western Province head coach John Dobson’s introduction as a specialist in this area.
South African rugby needed a nine-try north-versus-south derby as a signal of intent to 2017. The match was pleasing on the eye, unlike so many traditional penalty-dominated South African derbies.
Forget, for a moment, how each team would shape against the best of New Zealand’s franchises. Reflect on the occasion that was Newlands and a derby that produced skill, tries and big performances from big-name players such as Du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Damian de Allende.
Newlands played home to the best of South African rugby and Port Elizabeth showcased the worst of the nation’s Super Rugby challenge.
The Kings were again brave and spirited, but their players are out of their depth. Each week, they will patronisingly be applauded for losing by 20 or less, but they are a charity to visiting teams.
The Sharks were the biggest South African disappointment of the weekend. They lost to a team that will be more bottom eight than top eight.
The Sharks will improve, but to be taken seriously as conference winners and playoff probables, they have to bury average opposition, instead of being buried.
● Keohane is a multi-award winning rugby writer and former Springbok communications manager. Follow him on twitter.com/mark_keohane