The second Currie Cup match of the afternoon takes us to Johannesburg, the first of two matches in Gauteng, where the Lions host Western Province.
The Lions have back at their disposal Elton Jantjes, who comes straight into the starting line-up, as well as the return from injury of Bandise Maku, somewhat reinforces the Lions team. The big tackling Butch James in midfield against Marcel Brache should make for interesting viewing.
Province also welcome back some Springbok stalwarts in Siya Kolisi and Juan de Jongh, both straight into the starting line-up. The loose trio of Kolisi and Duane Vermeulen looks like one of the better combo’s in the current competition.
A tough match to call, as will all the matches in this year’s Currie Cup be, but I would think that recent developments in the Lions’ backroom will have a dire effect on their playing ability, and Province should be able to get a win from this match.
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 JR Esterhuizen, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Butch James, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Joshua Strauss, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (captain)
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Willie Britz, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Deon Helberg, 22 Ruan Combrinck
WP: 15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh (vice-captain), 12. Marcel Brache, 11. Ederies Arendse, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Tyrone Holmes, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Don Armand, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Deon Fourie (captain), 1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 JP du Plessis, 22 Kurt Coleman.
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The tendency today is for games to go looooong before anyone score…
Gerhard in for a try under the posts…. After more than 15 fases….
Go Lions!!!!!
Demetri converts
Lions 0 – 7 WP
9min
WP attacking with some serious woema…
5meter out and awarded a penalty…
Demetri PK
Lions 0 – 10 WP
13min
Elton get a chance to kick at goal as WP concedes a penalty at the kick-off..
Good kick from Elton
Lions 3 – 10 WP
15min
Demetri going for a PK from about 53meters….
About 1meter missed to the right…
Lions line-out, in WP half
Line break from Mapoe, but the Lions loose it on the ground…
Strauss over for a try…
Elton conversion missed
Lions 8 – 10 WP
28min
Elton goes for a PK from half way..
It over…
Good kick from Elton
Lions 11 – 10 WP
37min
Lions 11 – 10 WP
HALF TIME
Lions 14 – 10 WP
Elton opens the 2nd half with a PK
Grubber takes the players and the ball over the dead ball line… In the Lions in goal…
Gerhard gets a great run towards the try line but doesn’t pass and a good chance goes lost for WP…
WP opts to go for poles as they gets awarded a penalty..
Lions 14 – 13 WP
56 min
3/4 of the game gone and one point in it…
Wow
Lions camping in province half, Line-out on the 22
Butch drop goal missed, penalty advantage…
Elton lines up another PK
Never miss
Lions 17 – 13 WP
64min
Butch drops the ball in his 22, but they get called back as a province player was in front of the kicker…
Elton kicks a penalty..
Lions 20 – 13 WP
66min
WP goes for the side line when awarded a penalty…
And they loose the ball…
Not a good call…
This time Province takes the PK
Lions 20 – 16 WP
71min
Elton PK
Lions 23 – 16 WP
73min
CJ off with a yellow card,
Harris over for a try…
Demetri converts..
Scores level
1min to go
WP with possesion 30 seconds to go
Lions PK
Half line..
Lions opt for scrum
Lions scrum with one man short…
Lions run it closer, gets a penalty
Elton slots it for the Lions to win
Lions 26 – 23 WP
FT
awesome win Lions – awesome BMT Elton!
Must say….Vermeulen made a huge dif in the WP side….
I wont be surprised if Vermeulen is called up by Meyer in place of Daniels…
Was a very close game….a Currie Cup thriller
JC showed some guts with some of his captains calls…
But they paid off…so no complaining…
@robdylan (Comment 33) : Elton had a real good game, and now kicking for goal from the half line…
Lions whooooooooooooooo!!!
@robdylan (Comment 33) :
Thank you boss man !!! wow what a game !!!!!!! Well played to the boys !! im very happy !!!!
@Franshark (Comment 37) :
I think Elton’s agents phone is ringing red hot
@robdylan (Comment 33) : Rob, I think someone has hacked your logon
@Greg (Comment 41) : haha – yes, fair enough.
But he really impressed me in that game
@Greg (Comment 41) : I think the thing for me is that I like to SEE players do stuff. I don’t like to read about stuff that someone thinks they can do (a la Goosen).