Second-half blitz books Lions’ semis spot

Golden Lions

THE Lions scored all their points in an inspired second-half performance to down the Sharks in a do-or-die final-round Nashua Currie Cup game at Ellis Park last night to book their place in the semi-finals.

After being kept scoreless in a disappointing opening half, coach Johan Ackermann’s men scored three second-half tries and 28 points in a match where the winners would stay alive in the competition and the losers fall out of the semi-final places.

It was a real see-saw affair with the Sharks dominating the game in the first 40 minutes and the Lions fighting back after half-time.

The visitors, late to the ground after getting stuck in Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic, got off to the better start and were 10-0 up after 22 minutes thanks to a penalty by Curwin Bosch and a converted try by scrumhalf Michael Claassens.

The experienced No 9 scored down the blindside after the Sharks had pushed the Lions off their own scrum put-in and at that stage it was a deserved lead, the visitors dominating all aspects of the early exchanges.

The Sharks were especially good in defence and at the breakdowns, winning several turn-overs off their hosts. It didn’t help the Lions that flyhalf Jaco van der Walt missed two fairly easy penalties in the first half, leaving his side with plenty to do after half-time. Then again, it could have been a bigger Sharks’ lead at the interval had Bosch not missed two late penalties himself.

However, the former SA Schools player landed a penalty soon after the restart to put his side 13-0 up, but the Lions finally found some fire and scored a stunner of a try through their captain Kwagga Smith.

A further three-pointer, after Sharks’ flank Francois Kleynhans was pinned for a tip-tackle on Van der Walt, left the visitors just three points ahead.

Bosch, though, followed that up with a further penalty for his team to ensure the Sharks went six points clear, but the Lions hit back almost immediately with a try by Howard Mnisi, coming from a quick-tap penalty, and a penalty by fullback Andries Coetzee; the hosts hitting the front for the first time in the contest.

And with 10 minutes to go, the Lions had opened up a nine-point lead after a further try by Sylvian Mahuza, the speedy replacement back finishing off after the Lions had taken another quick-tap penalty and caught the Sharks defence off-guard.

The Lions then wrapped up the game in the 77th minute when the visitors were reduced to 14 men for the second time when centre André Esterhuizen was sin-binned for a shoulder-charge on Jacques Nel, Coetzee knocking over the penalty.

The Lions will play either the Free State Cheetahs or the Blue Bulls in the semi-finals in two weeks’ time.