Lions’ victory keeps Super hopes alive
THE only thing the Lions have been better at this season than scoring tries has been keeping their Super Rugby ambitions in check.
But on Saturday captain Warren Whiteley couldn’t help but concede that the smartly executed 29-22 win over the Stormers at Ellis Park was satisfying because of the significance it could have in the race to the play-offs.
They didn’t need reminding that the 19-all draw with the Stormers and 22-19 at home last year eventually cost them a play-off place. This year they ticked that box with a Montblanc fountain pen.
“It was a tough game and no one gave an inch,” said Whiteley.
“It was a battle up front in the scrums and there was a lot of pressure at lineout time. The [41 000] crowd didn’t make it any easier, there was a lot of noise out there.
“But it feels satisfying to know we’ve knocked them over. It wasn’t easy and I’m really proud of the effort.
“We had to fight for our tries and at the end we had to defend well to keep them out. There were times when it could have gone either way, if they had scored a try at the death.”
After a cautious start by both teams the gloves went off after winger Ruan Combrinck opened the scoring for the home team four minutes before the break.
A 16-12 lead was hardly anything to bank on and that proved true when Stormers flyhalf, Jean-Luc du Plessis brought the visitors to within a point after the restart. The game hung on a cliff edge. The two opposing coaches, Johan Ackermann and Robbie Fleck, played their cards timeously. Substitutes Faf de Klerk and Siya Kolisi, who came on for the Lions and Stormers respectively, were decisive.
De Klerk scored an opportunist’s try in the 58th minute but Kolisi responded by nearly stepping cover defender Elton Jantjies into a coma five minutes later. Back to a one-point gap.
“We didn’t panic when they were within one point of us because we’ve been in worse situations before and this team has learnt to stay calm and play for 80 minutes,” said Whiteley.
“It’s never over until it’s over. At the end we had to keep fighting and Faf made a brilliant decision, made a good tackle and a turnover.
“We’ve learnt to focus on the present. We’d like to think our game management has improved.
“In the game against the Crusaders we were probably too attackand didn’t get the balance right. But we’ve been consistent in our decision-making in the last two weeks.
“There are still a few mistakes we want to iron out, like forcing matters a bit when we are in our own half but we are the kind of side that will look for opportunities and we back ourselves going forward.”
Jantjies, who was in charge all game and missed none of his goal kicks, put through a penalty and a drop goal that took the game away from the Stormers at the death.
The flyhalf, who is the frontrunner for the Bok No10 jersey for the Ireland incoming tour, showed composure and skill to see the Lions home.
“It’s fantastic for us to play around a guy as calm as Elton but it’s a collective effort at the end of the day,” his captain said.
“Elton wouldn’t be able to perform like he did if he didn’t have a pack that put in the hard yards or didn’t have the props doing well or the locks grinding.
“He’s playing with magnificent confidence but collectively.”