Joburgers warm to their brave Lions

AS the Lions systematically destroyed the Cheetahs, a banner unfurled in the stands with the words “Ackermann for president and Swys for deputy” said everything about how much they are loving the Lions at Ellis Park right now.

Their main man Elton Jantjies also showed he isn’t the frontrunner for the Springbok No 10 jersey only because other players are injured, namely Handre Pollard and Pat Lambie. He’s the best exponent of the inside ball to a supporting runner. His deft pass from a first-phase backline move created space for Courtnall Skosan before he rounded the move off with the Lions’ first try of the game 19 minutes in.

Jantjies’s partnership with Faf de Klerk is telepathic and they are South Africa’s Aaron Smith and

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies is the best exponent of the inside ball to a supporting runner

Lima Sopoaga — wherever one goes the other is inextricably in tow.

De Klerk wasn’t left behind in the try count either as he rounded off a brilliant team move in the 29th minute to put the Lions 17-3 ahead. That was the move that removed the pin from the grenade and caused the home side to explode on offence. They turned defence into attack in a trice and showed the hands that could unravel any defence.

Pure Jantjies magic appeared again in the build up to the third try. Sure he fluffed a drop goal — considering his genius in this game it was probably intentional — but the scrappy loose play was exactly what the Lions hungered for.

A Jantjies inside ball, again, set Howard Mnisi through the gates for the score that put them 24-3 ahead at half time.

There’s a trance the Lions enter into once their game plan starts clicking. It’s like they are under a spell and everything works: balls stick inside hands, scrums become bulldozers and offloads are swallowed like candy.

The Cheetahs needed to break the spell in the second half with some destructive structure. But conceding within two minutes of the restart to a Ruan Ackermann touchdown put paid to that idea.

With the scoreboard running away from them, Cheetahs winger Sergeal Petersen put on a one-man show as he paraded to the line, beating three players to score the visitors’ first try.

Late tries by replacements Tian Meyer and Jacques du Toit denied the Lions a precious bonus point.