...And brings a bit of magic to Lions’ game

By KHANYISO TSHWAKU at Ellis Park

● The Lions have a lot in Aphiwe Dyantyi, especially his brand of magic that helped gloss over the team’s errors yesterday.

Dyantyi’s two tries and an assist made the Lions look reasonably good.

A better side would have punished them, especially in the first half, but inventive resolve earned them a comfortable win. They made mistakes on defence and attack, but their industriousness will worry opponents once they find their fluency.

Picked the gaps

The key ingredient missing was the final pass. They went through the phases well and picked the gaps, but there was an over-eagerness that clouded their rugby judgement.

The Jaguares were resourceful opponents who took the points that came their way.

Emiliano Boffelli crossed in the fourth minute from a simple backline movement and added a long-range penalty 15 minutes later to give the Jaguares a 10-0 lead.

But it wasn’t that the Jaguares had the better of the Lions; most the game was in their half and the Lions owned the collisions.

Dyantyi’s 28th-minute try gave the Lions a boost after a forgettable first quarter.

Referee Jaco Peyper gave the Lions a contentious penalty try in the 33rd minute and Jaguares wing Bautista Delguy a yellow card for deliberately knocking the ball down.

There was nothing untoward, though, with Andries Coetzee’s 39th-minute try for the Lions when Lionel Mapoe’s pass found him in the right place at the right time.

However, many other passes did not go to hand.

Energised by the crucial try, Dyantyi’s pace and accurate pass put Sylvian Mahuza away from a wrap-around move eight minutes after the restart.

Four minutes later, Dyantyi turned on his own afterburners and from just inside their own half scored his second try.

The try was sweetened by the mother of all sidesteps that turned Delguy inside out.

While the Lions added a further 65thminute try through Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Delguy landed a quick brace that worried the 10 000-strong crowd.

However, Lions captain Warren Whiteley added a late try to rubber-stamp their second-half dominance.