The Lions, with South African Under-20 flyhalf Elton Jantjies in sublime form, scored a 30-26 come-from-behind Currie Cup victory over the Free State Cheetahs in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Rugby 365 reports that not just did the Lions outscore the visitors by three tries to two, but they achieved the win with two converted tries in the final five minutes – one of them from Man of the Match Jantjies.
It was only the Lions’ second win of the season, but the signs of a revival are there.
The Cheetahs will be disappointed for letting a 10-point lead slip, but the Lions must be applauded for fighting right to the end – even when it seemed their discipline would let them down.
In front of a sparse crowd the Lions continued their approach of all-out attack.
While the Lions look very exciting, and even found a few gaps in the Cheetahs defence, their execution often let them down.
And in the first quarter they also had the majority of the possession – with the Cheetahs forced to make more than 50 tackles and the Lions just 16. While the Cheetahs had their moments in the latter stages of the first half, they execution also let them down.
As they have done so often this year, it appeared the Lions failed to capitalise in the good work they had done ion the first half. In fact they once again became their own worst enemies, with a series of errors that allowed the Cheetahs to build a comfortable lead.
In fact in the 20 minutes just after the break the Cheetahs had 80 percent of the possession. And for 10 minutes of that the Lions were a man down, though poor discipline.
However, the Lions regathered their composure and bounced back in the final quarter to score a well-deserved win.
After seven minutes of helter-skelter action – in which both teams showed their willingness to carry the ball in hand – the Cheetahs eventually opted to take a shot at goal. Louis Strydom slotted the penalty to open the scoring – 3-0 to the visitors.
The game continued for another 14 minutes, much in the same vein, before Strydom had another shot at goal – when the Lions scrums came under pressure and Ross Geldenhuys dropped his bind. Strydom made it 6-0 for the Cheetahs.
After taking a quick tap from an earlier penalty, and not getting much reward, Elton Jantjies eventually put the Lions on the board in the 19th minute – a penalty for an incorrect entry at a ruck – making it 3-6.
Jantjies came agonisingly close to scoring the game’s first try, in the 20th minute, but the TMO ruled that he did not touch down.
From the resulting five-metre scrum the Lions won a penalty at the breakdown and Jantjies leveled the scores – 6-all.
Just on the half-hour mark the Cheetahs won a penalty right in front, with the Lions transgressing in the face of a series of forward rushes by the Cheetahs. Strydom put his team back in front – 9-6 to the Cheetahs.
The first try of the match eventually came in the 38th minute – a sublime chip-kick by the Lions flyhalf, Jantjies, which showed just how much and what skills he has been taught by All Black Carlos Spencer. Wing Deon van Rensburg was on hand to collect the bouncing ball in open space and sprinted over for the score. Jantjies’ conversion made it 13-9, a lead the Lions kept going into the half-time break.
The Cheetahs got the second half off to the perfect start. A loose pass gave the Cheetahs an attacking line-out, which became a five-metre scrum, after several phases of forward rushes. The Cheetahs demolished the Lions scrum and Ashley Johnson strolled over for his team’s first try. Strydom made it 16-13 with the conversion.
And minutes later the Lions conceded another penalty, which was advanced 10 metres – allowing Strydom to stretch his team’s lead to 19-13.
The Lions’ disastrous start to the second half was compounded by a brain explosion from rookie flank Renaldo Bothma, who was yellow carded for knocking the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands. However, the Cheetahs were unable to make their numerical advantage count – as they wasted the penalty and then conceded a number of turnovers.
With just over 15 minutes left on the clock the Lions got their first points of the half, a penalty by Jantjies – the result of replacement prop Kobus Calldo going offside – and at 16-19 it was game on again.
What appeared to be the most crucial score came with 12 minutes left on the clock. First Philip Snyman opened up the Lions’ defence and then Hennie Daniller cut through, before the replacement prop, Calldo, made amends for his earlier indiscretion by flopping over for the try from a couple of metres out. Meyer Bosman, who had taken over the goal-kicking after Strydom left the field, slotted the conversion for a 10-point lead – 26-16.
However, with five minute remaining Jantjies went over in the corner – following a long build-up and great interplay between the forwards and back. Jantjies added the conversion and at 23-26 it was game on again.
From the restart the Lions worked the ball through the phases and a kick upfield saw Jannie Boshoff collect the bouncing ball to score the try that put the Lions into the lead for the first time. Jantjies’ conversion made it 30-26 to the home team.
The home team played out the last few minutes to hold on for a famous win.
Man of the match: You can look at Coenie Oosthuizen’s bulldozing runs, or Meyer Bosman – who showed why he is often on the fringes of Bok selection. For the Lions there was Derick Minnie’s hard work and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak’s sniping runs and great defence. However, our man of the match is young Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies – who showed the full array of skills he has been taught by Carlos Spencer.
The scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Van Rensburg, Jantjies, Boshoff
Cons: Jantjies 3
Pens: Jantjies 3
For the Free State Cheetahs:
Tries: Johnson, Calldo
Cons: Strydom, Bosman
Pens: Strydom 4
Yellow card: Renaldo Bothma (Lions, 49 – professional foul, knocking the ball out of the scrumhalf’s hands)
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!!!!!!!!!SNOIL
LIONS you beauties! Rob how do I attach some pics here?!
On a serious note, I know I`ve been punting Jano Vermaak on this site in the past but I feel the Lions won yesterday despite him not because of him.
How many times did he pull a Kockott by either going alone or just not pitching up at the breakdown?
If Elton had better service the Lions would`ve run FS ragged.
RED AND WHITE DYNAMITE!!
Must say i really enjoyed having the lions win.Nice one boys
Cheetahs certainly showed the world they can win without Juan Smith. 😈
no need for the hype, let the boy mature, he will still make mistakes going forward. Leave all the write-ups for lambie 😀 after all he is the one with ‘bok written all over him’ hahahaha
Pierre, are you actually a Lions fan?
Well tell u sth the lions were great got me a MP BP was just 1 point out and my it feels good
Well done LIONS it was a great game
😉
Janties u are in star in your team keep up the good work 😉
I agree with Megatroll to a certain extent.
I just hope Div gives the lad at least another season before he calls him up.
Lambie on the other hand is a must for the Boks!!
@McLovin (Comment 4) :
During the week they were quoted in the press as saying they could.
Well they certainly showed us didn’t they?
@wpw (Comment 8) :
Why is there ANY talk of a call up even????????????? 👿
This is the CC not S14. LOTS of players look good at CC level and poor at S14.
This guy IS good but let’s first see how he does on the big stage.
Manie Reyneke must be hustling to get to the safe and see how water tight Jantjies’ contract is. 😛
A headline on Rugby 365.
Is this the start of a Lions revival?
NO it was only against the LOWLY Cheetahs.
The Lions could be doing quite well in the next few weeks. their next matches are against Pumas and Leopards.
The Lions of yesterday will beat those guys rather easily giving themsleves a big confidence boost before playing Western province.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : I’m not implying that they will beat WP BTW.
Sure you aren’t you bladdy agent!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 15) :
Lions have become a decent team not a great team. 😛
Why is pepe reina on arsenals scoresheet…
@Rahul (Comment 17) : because the ball came off the post and he knocked it into his own net! Typical Liverpool
@Rahul (Comment 17) :
Hehhehehehehehehehehehehe
@Rahul (Comment 17) :
From a mates FB status
Liverpool scores two and ties 1-1…
I thought this was a rugby website!! 🙄
Did wpw log off? my turn tomorrow… i might lose internet connection.
We could easily adapt the headline to suite our soccer needs.
Jose Reina does it for….
I just wouldn’t know whether to put Arsenal or Liverpool in there.
Oh there you are… I only caught the end of the game. Liverpool only had 9 players… Could they not afford the other two?
@Rahul (Comment 24) :
Says the guy who supports a club with debt of nearly a billion quid! 😈
@wpw (Comment 26) :
he supports Glasgow Rangers. 😛
Nah! He supports the Manc Scum!!
🙄
Ahhh, so glad poofball season has kicked off again!
What is comment 25 cant see anything
@Rahul (Comment 30) :
it’s 5 big smiley faces.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
@Greg (Comment 32) :
Congrats with the win on Saturday!! 😉 😕
@wpw (Comment 33) : Yeah, thanks, feels good! You guys ground out a reasonable win too, looking good for the top spot come end of the round robin phase!
@robdylan (Comment 6) : I`ll 100% honest with you Rob. I will support the Lions subject to 2 conditions: Not against the Sharks and not if Earl Rose is involved.
Bear in mind I`ve been to Ellispark lots of times but I`ve only seen the inside of the Shark Tank once in my life.
And have I mentioned the Felions 😉
@Original Pierre (Comment 35) : you seem to have very suspiciously divided loyalties here, dude 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Hey not my fault I`ve never lived in KZN.
I hope that he gets to wait out the Bok call up – with all the shinanigans going on in the Boks and Saru, I think will ony be detrimental to any new players career – rather wait for a new coach.
@Original Pierre (Comment 37) : why do you support the Sharks? Not any sort of accusation… merely a question out of interest
@robdylan (Comment 39) : That is a question I have often asked. (not of OP specifically, but in general). Why support a team whom you seldom see live, have never, or seldom seen in their home stadium, and you don’t even come from that part of town?
@robdylan (Comment 39) : urm tough one.
Okay we lived in Hartenbos, supported wp of course but wp couldn`t pry the CC away from Naas . . . Then the Sharks suddenly did.
Shortly after we moved to East London, became part of the Coastal Sharks for the super 10 ( yes I know in name only ) but then James Small joined the Sharks, their marketing kicked in, they were a cool team to support back then.
I grew up moved up north and the bulls supporters predictably treated me like crap which made me an even bigger shark supporter and while I`m back in CT now I don`t think I`ll ever switch teams. Unless maybe we get demoted to First Division!