JOHANNESBURG – The Lions went into their last Vodacom Super Rugby fixture with the idea that they want to end the season notching up a record of seven wins. The local team from Johannesburg had no idea that they will also record their biggest win of the season, when they demolished Toyota Cheetahs 60-25.
Both teams played their last Vodacom Super Rugby match on Saturday July 12 at Ellis Park. Lions ended in the 12th position, while Toyota Cheetahs finished at the bottom of the South African Conference log.
The Lions set a number of records, outscoring their former Cats-partners by eight tries to three in arguably their best performance of the season.
Lions 60 (27) Toyota Cheetahs 25 (13)
The home team scored eight tries, with three of them going to Lionel Mapoe on the right wing.
Ross Cronje, Robbie Coetzee, Warren Whiteley, Andries Coetzee and Corné Fourie all got in on the try-scoring action as the Lions played an attractive brand of attacking rugby, which had the Toyota Cheetahs’ defence at sixes and sevens.
Only once before had the Lions scored more points and more tries in a single match – in 2010 against the Chiefs – but amazingly enough, they lost that encounter by 72-65, with both sides crossing for nine tries each.
The bulk of the damage done to the Toyota Cheetahs’ cause came in two 10-minute try-scoring frenzies in either half. During these 20 minutes, the Lions accumulated six tries and 42 points, which basically knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.
For the Toyota Cheetahs this was a bad end to a disappointing season. Cornal Hendricks and Willie le Roux scored their tries, but apart from that there wasn’t much to get excited about.
Scorers:
Lions – Tries: Lionel Mapoe (3), Ross Cronje, Robbie Coetzee, Warren Whiteley, Andries Coetzee, Corné Fourie. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (7). Penalty goals: Jantjies (2).
Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks (2). Conversions: Johan Goosen (2). Penalty goals: Goosen (2).
Cell C Sharks will host the Highlanders in the second Vodacom Super Rugby Qualifier next weekend after they managed to beat the DHL Stormers on Saturday July 12, but the winning margin was not enough to secure second spot on the log.
The KwaZulu-Natalians were crowned South African Conference champions after their 34-10 win at DHL Newlands, which was the biggest away victory in Cape Town in more than seven years, but also Cell C Sharks’ first win in South Africa since Round 10.
Cell C Sharks will host the Highlanders, the only Australasian team that managed to beat them at home this year, at 17:05 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday July 19.
The other qualifier will take place on Saturday at 11:40 in Canberra, where the Brumbies will host the Chiefs in a replay of last year’s final. The team from Waikato snuck into the top six thanks to an 11-8 win over the Blues on Friday, while the Brumbies finished strongly at home against the Force.
The two top teams in the competition are the Waratahs, who finished comfortably at the top of the standings, and the seven-time champion Crusaders. Both these sides will enjoy a break next weekend.
It was only the fourth time the DHL Stormers had lost at home in a South African derby in the last six seasons. The Capetonians had been impressive in their matches leading up to this one, but they came unstuck against a side that had their eye on a momentum-building win before heading for the playoffs.
On Friday evening July 11 Vodacom Bulls secured second spot in the South African Conference, when they scored four second-half tries to beat the Rebels by 40-7 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
2014 Vodacom Super Rugby Qualifiers
Qualifier A: Brumbies v Chiefs
Date: Saturday July 19
SA time: 11:40
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Qualifier B: Cell C Sharks v Highlanders
Date: Saturday July 19
SA time: 17:05
Venue: Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban
Other results – Round 19:
Blues 8 Chiefs 11 (Auckland)
Brumbies 47 Force 25 (Canberra)
Crusaders 34 Highlanders 8 (Christchurch)
Reds 3 Waratahs 34 (Brisbane)
