Lions’ gritty defence wins day in slippery conditions
IT WASN’T pretty‚ coach Johan Ackermann admitted‚ but it was effective enough to start the Lions’ Super Rugby campaign with an away win over the Cheetahs.
The Lions took four log points but left Bloemfontein with the nagging sensation that their road ahead is littered with peaks for which they may not yet be prepared.
They scaled the challenge presented by the Cheetahs, and for that Ackermann is thankful‚ although they are some distance off the freeflowing‚ cohesive unit that marched to last year’s final.
Their win over a game Cheetahs side, however‚ came at a cost.
Centre Howard Mnisi was a firsthalf casualty‚ leaving the field with a knee injury that, according to the coach, could sideline him for between five and eight weeks.
Ackermann would have been pleased with the performance of Harold Vorster‚ back after a long stint on the sidelines through injury. Vorster was one of the Lions’ foremost ball carriers; Malcolm Marx and Ruan Ackermann were full of energy but overall it was a performance in which the visitors rarely hit the high notes.
On the few occasions they did‚ it served to distance them from the plucky Cheetahs, who had made most of the running.
When opportunity presented itself in the second half Rohan Janse van Rensburg gleefully grabbed his opportunities.
In a slight departure from last year’s template‚ much of their win was built around solid defence.
“They [Lions] have shown improvement. There was intent and good line speed, and they were well organised‚” said Cheetahs coach Franco Smith.
“They competed well to slow our ball down. We conceded a lot of turnovers at the breakdown.
“If they keep an attacking mindset and defend like that they are going to be at the top end again.”
Ackermann was pleased his team showed resilience and found a different way to get the job done.
Although it did not rain the Lions’ game plan rarely found traction in the slippery conditions. “The field was a little difficult. We couldn’t play the brand we wanted to play. But we still scored tries. We haven’t played a lot together since [last year’s] Super Rugby‚” said Ackermann‚ referring to Springboks in his ranks.
Captain Warren Whiteley agreed conditions were difficult but he had an important point to bring across. “It is not about how you start; you need to peak at the right time.”
The Cheetahs were left to lament missed opportunities.
Unlike the Lions they lacked composure and maturity at vital stages.
Smith believes his team played well enough to win but he is getting a little tired of honourable mention in defeat. The Cheetahs lost a close match against the Jaguares at the start of last year’s competition, and it was to set the tone for a campaign of tantalising near-misses.
The Cheetahs also have an injury concern. Wing Sergeal Petersen injured a medial collateral ligament and it is not clear how long he will be on the sidelines.