After what feels like an absolute eternity, knock-out rugby finally returns to Johannesburg.
The Lions have lead this competition throughout, while the spectre of Province’s returning Springboks looms large as a major obstacle to the firs Currie Cup final to take place in Johannesburg since 1993.
Will Schalk Burger be able to inspire his men – especially his back line full of World Cup stars – to an upset away-from-home victory today? Or will John Mitchell’s men repeat the good victory over Province the last time these two sides met and claim the prize that many would argue is rightfully theirs?
Golden Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Doppies la Grange, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Joshua Strauss (captain), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Warren Whiteley, 19 Cobus Grobbelaar, 20 Butch James, 21 Dylan Des Fountain, 22 James Kamana.
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nick Köster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JC Kritzinger.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Tertius Daniller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Conrad Jantjes.
Date: Saturday, October 22
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Expected weather: Sunny with a moderate northerly wind high of 27°C, dropping to 13°C.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
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Anybody knows what happened in the u/19 game
Final in Joburg or Durban???
Go Lions you can do it, I think
@Mutley (Comment 2) : I’d prefer to play the Lions in the final, but I’d prefer to play in Durban.
You can’t have EVERYTHING I suppose.
On the Lions side, only CJ, Maku, Franco, Wickus, Hollenbach and Doppies in the Startingxv played in a play off, only Butch on the bench
So let’s see how the Lions handle the tight game that matters…
land slide victory for problems
WP have not won at Coke park for 7 consec games…will that play a role…
The Lions must take WP on in the forwards
wow its the red sea
Not a good start by the Lions
I back the Lions lose trio to dominate the WP less physical lose trio…
@Hmmm (Comment 8) : yes it will. In them being determined and walking away comfortable winners.
Minnie driving Siya home and then rippng clear of the tackle…
Taute going for goal
Missed and WP counter
WP penalised for off-side…
Taute going for goal about 50 out…
Missesd…
WP running out of in-goal but bundeled into touch after making over 50 meters…
Bladen. “Habana had a period at the bulls.” 😯 😯
PK Catrikilias
WP 3
Lions 0
Elton Jantjies runs right over Siya…
Siya does not seemed to have recovered…still down..
Penalty Lions dangerous tackle Fondse on Elton
PK Jantjies
WP 3
Lions 3
12min
Elton Jantjies knocks Kolisi out cold when he bumps him off and says Siya later. 😯
Elton knocked out Siya with a shoulder on attack…Siya helped off…
Lions 3 – 3 WP
Cat going for another pen from kick-off
PK Catrikilias but misses
Rare miss for Cat…scores remain
The Lions looking the better team…but we saw how the game is 80 min…semi 1 perfect example of that
so jantjies coping beter than golden boy goosen ?
@Big Fish (Comment 23) : 😆
PK Jantjies
Lions 6
WP 3
19min
@Big Fish (Comment 23) : ha-ha
PK Jantjies
Lions 9
WP 3
21 min
Lions 9 – 3 WP
province doing the same as the sharks by giving away stupid penaltys
WP first get out of jail free card after Cat kicks-off straight into touch with a midfield scrum penalty…
PK Catrikilias
WP 6
Lions 9
24min
Slotted by Cat…
Lions 9 – 6 WP
PK Jantjies
Lions 12
WP 6
27min
Another break down penalty after another midflied break by the Lions…Habana on a warning for deliberately spoiling advantage…
PG slotted
Lions 12 – 6 WP
The WP side half are from Gauteng and should be used to altitude…
mmmmmm foreward!!!!!!
PK Catrikilias
WP 9
Lions 12
32 min
Penalty slotted by Cat…
Lions 12 – 9 WP
Try Taute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is a GOOD try
Converted
Lions 19
WP 9
37min
Great play by Lions…
Been long time coming and Lions score 1st try…Taute
Converted…
Lions 17 – 9 WP
Great try by the Lions.
People have been forgetting Elton cos of Goosen, but in my opinion Elton is a much better conductor of play.
Of course, Pat is still the best.
Lions making another mistake straight after scoring…
Kickable pen for Cat…
PK Catrikilias
WP 12
Lions 19
39min
Penalty slotted…
Lions 19 – 12 WP last min of 1st half
Halftime
WP 12
Lions 19
Will the Lions fitness and the altitude help in extending their lead…
Anybody knows what happened in the Lions u/19 game?
As hard as I’ve tried, I just can’t bring myself to supporting WP.
I’m just happy to learn that I have a moral standard.
Go Lions!
Is it going to be a fairy tale come true for the Lions or will the experience and skill of WP pull it threw for them?
The Lions must score first in the 2nd half if they want to win it
Still a long 40 min to come…do the Lions have the character…
Lions have the upper hand imo. They could make it if they keep on going like they had.
Is this the last 40 for WP or will we see a repeat of last years final
Again the Lions start poorly…
The pressure will get the Lions I think
Lions nmaking too many silly mistakes…lead only 7…
WP break the line for the first time but Lions turn over 5 meters from the line…
WP starting to build phases
Killian jou yster
time to braai
Conversion over from the corner
Lions 26
WP 12
50min
The most classic of intercepts I have ever seen…Killian scores…
Elton converts from the touch…
Lions 26 – 12 WP
Nee Leeus focus
Is this the start of a WP comeback
WP blowing for blocking for the 3rd time…must be a record…
Doppies bumping De Jonghg back to cape
Deon van Rensburg had a great game
Think the Lions are gonna take it. Plenty of time left, but WP have already looked to the bench, and altitude is going to start counting now.
PK Catrikilias
WP 15
Lions 26
57 min
Lions making silly mistakes…could be costly…
Cat slotting another penalty…
Lions 26-15 WP
PK Jantjies
Lions 29
WP 15
60min
Lions great play with Doppies and Hollenbach making breaks resulting in another ruck penalty for the Lions…
Slotted…
Lions 29-15 WP
Great play by WP but Lions def holds up…
De Jongh scores
Conversion missed
WP 20
Lions 29
71min
Try WP after phases and phases and scrum from dead ruck ball and more phases…
Great def showed by Lions during that play…
Conversion missed
Lions 29-20 WP
Lions get pen straight after kick-off…
Butch going for goals in Elton’s absence…
Missed
PK James but misses
73min
76min
77min
78min
79min
Rob, hats off – you called it: WP were beaten up front here.
All the talent in the world in the backline, but barring Schalk, the forwards just got creamed by the Lions forwards, and even found the centres too hard to break.
Will be a cracker next week – battle of the forward packs.
Fulltime
GOLDEN LIONS 29
WP 20
Mooi my boytjies
Lions scrum…time up and leading by 9…
Semi at Coke park..
Well done Lions.
What a good game. Very exciting.
The Lions centres stood up…Lions loosies beat WP at almost every ruck…Taute played better than Aplon and both Lions wings were better than Habana…
When De Jongh came on the got tackled well and ran over…
= return of Bokke no impact in WP side
But the Sharks are a dif cattle if fish to WP…
Gonna be a tough final…
@Hmmm (Comment 95) :
De Villiers, De Jongh, Fourie, Burger, I guess they dont count as Bokke to you right?
Great game Province and a great campaign given all the injuries.
Good performance by the Lions but still hoping for a Sharks win in the final.
Jaque Fourie said he left the Lions to win the Curry Cup mmm, how [email protected] must he feel now
@Mutley (Comment 98) :
I’m sure that everyday he rocks himself to sleep wishing he stilled live in Joburg and had stayed and won all those trophies with the Lions… Oh wait… 😈 😉
@Big Fish (Comment 99) :
And how many trophies has Jaque Fourie won since he left???
@Mutley (Comment 101) : He won that trophy for the Stormers finishing top in the SA Conference for Superugby + that pre-season trophy vs Lions and Sharks
@Leviathan (Comment 97) : they are…JFourie one of the best if not the best 13 in the world…
Just saying the Lions stood up above them…
JdV did have a good break though…I don’t think bringing de jongh cozz then the Lions dominated the midfield physically with the Lions centres breaking through many times…
@beet (Comment 102) :
Twice I believe. A tin cup is still better than no cup, I guess.
@Big Fish (Comment 99) : that would be dumb…cozz the Lions have been just as bad as province in that aspect
@ beet
Good point he has won 2 kinda trophies but the Bok laden team he is playing for now fail to deliver when it counts
@Hmmm (Comment 96) : “like”
Well done Lions! You played a great game!
@Hmmm (Comment 103) :
By the time De Jongh was brought on we were behind and needed to be more attacking. He was our try scorer after all.
Schalk was at his physical best today, and De Villiers and Fourie played as well as they usually do. We just played too laterally instead of running hard at the defence. When we finally straightened we scored.
Still a disappointing result, but alot of potential in our younger players. A bit disappointed that Catrikilis wasn’t named our player of the year. And I’m stil backing Schalk as our next national captain.
Good luck for the final, but I dont see anything overcoming the Sharks forward pack.
@Leviathan (Comment 109) : If WP played like they did in the last 15 mins or so , the whole game, I would have said that you had a game on hand. The Lion outplayed the WP…be it bad callings from AC or whatever…Or perhaps the Lions were underestimated?
And old Bladen had too much whiskey again…CaStrikilis…I MEAN!! Can this guy get a disciplinary for drinking on the job, please!
I love how the Lions supporters are all of a sudden appearing out of nowhere. Talk about fair weather supporters… 🙄
Well done on the win though.
@wpw (Comment 111) : I love the way you said they were soft today. 🙂
@Leviathan (Comment 109) : attacking is no excuse for being bulldosed…Hollenbach and Doppies broke through his channel a few times…
That 1 score you were in the Lions 22 for over 10 min…and De Jongh just caught and fell over…
I do think if the Lions manage to steal as much ball as they did today they will score through the Sharks backline…easier said than done…gonna be tough
@wpw (Comment 111) : Out of nowhere?
I was as vocal when we were losing to but never stopped supporting…
Well done Lions 😀
@ wpw
I’ve always been here supporting the Lions, but even I was optimistic about today, realistically I didn’t think they would be able to upset the WP boasting with 4 Boks in the back line, 3 who started in the WC quarter, but the nobody Lions should guts and a hunger I haven’t seen in years. The best thing Dick Muir ever done at the Lions was to get John Mitchell to coach
WP were shocking if you consider the amount of Boks that suddenly boosted their ranks.
Maybe SUDDENLY is the key word.
These were effectively the SR teams of 2012, with a small change here or there and WP should have won comfortably.
Maybe Mitchell is getting the best out of his players. The Lions are playing for each other and the love of the game, not just for the money and maybe just maybe that can be one the problems at WP
i cant help but wonder how would the sharks go under mitchell and spencer.
WOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow great stuff LIONS !!!!!!! LEKKER BOYTJIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
@Mutley (Comment 119) :
“Problems” at WP? They did well to make the semis given their injuries, and its not unusual for any team to struggle a bit with coesion when a whole bunch of Boks return after being away for a whole campaign – the Sharks have also ad this issue in the past.
There is no reason for WP to be disappointed in their season or their players – looking at what they have done over the last few seasons compared to the Lions, you may want to re-assess which team has more “problems”.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 118) : I did say I don’t think the Bokke will make such a great impact due toi the positions they fill…the Lions were strong in those positions and did not expect much of an impact…in actual fact when another Bok in De Jongh came on I actual swang the advantage to us…which was evident the Lions then did have the advantage in the backline…
The Sharks are dif cozz their Bokke are in key positions and make a great impact in possession stats…retaining and winning…which has a much greater impact on the game…
Winner R Grinners ! 😀
First off .. Province can be extremely proud for making the semis..it won’t be long before you guys get some silverware of that i’m certain.
I’m very proud of the Lions and being at Ellis last night felt like a dream .. Province supporters were gracious in defeat and we all hung around and had a few beers togethers.
What a difference when a team is actually coached properly.
Sharks next week is gonna be a big ask but ill be there hoping , believing that we can win.
LIONS !
@wpw (Comment 111) :
LIONS are Hard !
pass it on 😉 😆
hendrikp not bad for a talentless bunch of players hey .. 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 118) :
You spot on there .. slotting in a week before didn’t help with the synergy built up over the season ..