Proteas outclass Sri Lanka
IT’S ALMOST Super Rugby final time and for Warren Whiteley and his charges, the match in Christchurch againstthe Crusaders on Saturday is an opportunity to make history and finally bag the title after losing the deciders in 2016 and 2017. Here rugby writer
lists the 10 factors he believes will play a key part in determining whether the Lions are able to pull o ff a surprise win or whether the home team will make ittitle triumph number nine
THE majority of the Lions players know what they’re up against when they run out at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday for the Super Rugby final against the mighty Crusaders. Lock Marvin Orie,
is not one of them. The tall second row forward, who is in the midst of a stellar season, will experience Christchurch’s cold, wet weather and the intimidating atmosphere of the Crusaders’ home ground for the first time.
“It’ll be my first time playing there,” said the 25-year-old earlier this week before the Lions flew out of South Africa for Saturday’s final – their third straight appearance in the last match of the competition.
pictured,
“The coach (Swys de Bruin) has given us all a good description of what to expect... my job is to get the work done. I’m super excited about playing in the final.”
Saturday’s match (9.35am SA time kick-off) will also be Orie’s first major final after not featuring for the Lions in last season’s final at Ellis Park against the Crusaders, after joining earlier in the year.
It has been some last 18 months for Orie.
He joined the Lions from the Bulls but couldn’t crack the starting team on a regular basis, but this season with more game-time behind him, he not only became a Springbok (debuting against Wales in June), he’s also become a key man in the Lions’ pack playing alongside Franco Mostert.
It’s been quite a journey for the former Tuks player who suffered a horrific broken leg in helping his team win a second Varsity Cup title in 2013 that ruled him out of captaining the Junior Springboks at the World Cup that same year.
“That injury really set me back... but I always believed I could be here, go far with my rugby,” he said this week.
“Moving to the Lions last year was the best thing that I could have done. It’s great to be part of this team and to be playing in this final this weekend.”
Not knowing what to expect on Saturday has given Orie plenty of belief that he and his teammates can pull off a surprise win and lift the trophy for the first time.
“I have absolutely no doubt that we can do this,” he said.
“The Crusaders are a very good team, they’ve won Super Rugby titles before; they’re a fantastic team but we’re not intimidated by them and we all believe we can do this.
“The key for us is to focus on ourselves and to execute the plan the coach has come up with. It would be so special if we were to go there and win the title; that would be fantastic. But let me not get ahead of myself.”
There is a feeling among Lions fans that De Bruin’s team are hitting top form and peaking at just the right time, having comfortably got past the Jaguares and Waratahs in the quarter- and semifinals respectively.
But Orie looked at his team’s quality performances of the last few weeks in a different light.
“I don’t know if ‘peak’ is the right word. We still have quite a few challenges, like the way we’ve been starting our matches,” he said, referring to the slow starts and going behind early on in matches.
“It’s something we must address before kick-off this weekend.
“But the big positive for our team is all the guys who’ve come back into the side since the international break, like Warren (Whiteley), Malcolm (Marx), Courtnall (Skosan)... and Elton (Jantjies) is playing very well too.
Also, Aphiwe Dyantyi has come back after being out at one stage. So getting these players back and the composure they bring to the team, that’s the big positive.”
Orie and his teammates will certainly be hoping it is first time lucky for him because that will mean it is third time lucky for the Lions. A TYPICALLY flamboyant half century by Quinton de Kock backed up another top-class performance from South Africa’s bowlers as the tourists claimed a 2-0 lead in the five-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka yesterday.
Just as the Sri Lankans dominated the two Tests, so the Proteas have looked the more superior of the two teams since they switched to coloured clothes.
“I’m very pleased with how we are chasing the game. We are very positive and putting their spinners under pressure,” said SA captain Faf du Plessis.
Angelo Mathews again chose to bat first after winning the toss and Sri Lanka again handed the initiative to the South Africans early on with Lungi Ngidi picking up two wickets in the second over of the innings.
The Sri Lankan top order showed some backbone as Niroshan Dickwella shared a partnership of 67 for the fifth wicket with Mathews who scored an unbeaten 79.
The major improvement in SA’s bowling came from Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder who conceded 64 runs in a combined six overs in the first ODI, but yesterday displayed far better discipline .
Phehlukwayo’s “knuckle ball” that bowled Suranga Lakmal was the highlight of his performance.
Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi failed to pick up a wicket but kept the Sri Lankans in check with 0/43 from his 10 overs.
Du Plessis described his team’s bowling as “exceptional,” with the accuracy from all the bowlers a feature. “There were times when Sri Lanka looked like getting back into the game, but our bowling was spot on. Towards the middle it was looking like Sri Lanka should get 280-300, but we kept pulling it back. The plans were good and so was the execution,” said Du Plessis.
SA’s openers benefited from dreadful fielding from the Sri Lankans. Hashim Amla was dropped on four in the fourth over and Quinton de Kock was on 18 in the sixth when he was dropped. The pair shared a stand of 91 in just 14 overs.
Amla looked the best he has all tour, utilising the sweep effectively against the spinners to make a runa-ball 43 hitting six fours in the process.