Lions edge courageous Cheetahs
6 Jun 2009
A Heinrich Brüssow-inspired Cheetahs team went down 26-24 to a second-rate Lions side in Bloemfontein.
This game was one of two halves with the sin-binning of flanker Stephen Ferris the watershed. The tourists were 20-0 up after 24 minutes before Ferris paid the price for the umpteenth breakdown transgression. The Cheetahs scored 14 points in the blindside’s absence to trail 23-14 at the break.
The option-taking and defence wasn’t always great from the home team. Their line defence repelled many a Lions surge, but a soft try by Ferris allowed the visitors to shoot to a 10-0 lead after 12 minutes. A subsequent chip by James Hook was gathered by centre Keith Earls who swerved past a couple of defenders en route to the tryline.
During this period, referee Wayne Barnes allowed the Lions to spoil on defence and seal the breakdown ball off on attack. Brüssow made a couple of turnovers but the Lions were still getting away with illegal play.
It took 23 minutes for Barnes to brandish yellow, and from here the Cheetahs began to gather some momentum. Danwel Demas rounded off a good move that exploited the Lions’ one-man disadvantage, and prop Wian du Preez reduced the deficit further when he steamrolled a defender from close range.
Back to their full compliment, the Lions sought to keep it tighter. They had the better of the Cheetahs’ scrum, Andrew Sheridan applying unsustainable pressure on the outclassed Kobus Calldo. The Lions’ set-piece even held its own when Ferris was off, and the Springbok management should take note, the Lions’ scrum is going to be a massive factor in the Test series. Hook goaled three penalties accrued from the Cheetahs’ scrum transgressions, and it kept the hosts at arm’s length.
The breakdown, however, was a different story. On defence, the visitors did everything they could to spoil the Cheetahs’ ball. Brüssow had another industrious outing in the tackle-department, but it was his ground-zero scavenging that proved the biggest boost to the hosts. Because of his proficiency, the visitors battled to get go-forward after the initial set-piece.
Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicked well initially but missed a great opportunity in the 52nd minute when he pushed a penalty-attempt wide. The three points would’ve reduced the deficit to 26-20 at a critical stage of the game.
The Cheetahs tried their hearts out, and it’s just a pity there weren’t more people at the stadium to witness their brave efforts. Vodacom Park saw 23 000 patrons through the gates, a shocking number considering the stadium now holds 48 000.
The Lions were shaky and it’s only through little errors that the Cheetahs didn’t put them away. Yet another Lions breakdown infringement gifted the hosts a penalty, but Potgieter proceeded to kick it dead. The Cheetahs’ inferiority at scrum time also continued to cost them possession and territory from ensuing penalties.
And yet, it was their strength at the tackle point that kept them afloat. Brüssow never relented in his quest for dominance and his team-mates never dropped their intensity. The Lions have a long way to go if they’re going to compete with the Bok breakdown in the coming Tests.
Both sides were exhausted by the hour mark and it was here that the Cheetahs were always going to be tested. They made another crucial turnover after the Lions launched a multi-phase assault on their tryline. It was clear the Lions would not be coasting to victory in the final minutes.
Replacement flyhalf Louis Strydom missed a difficult penalty attempt in the 70th minute to allow the Lions to keep their nine-point cushion. However, a brilliant reading of a flat Shane Williams pass allowed Corne Uys to sprint 80m for a seven-pointer. With six minutes to go, the Cheetahs had a chance of a massive upset.
The Lions were running out of puff as the clock wound down and the local supporters began to find their voice. After Meyer Bosman crashed it up into the suspect Irish midfield, Strydom slipped into the pocket for the drop-goal. Unfortunately, the kick drifted cruelly wide.
The Cheetahs looked to have another opportunity to win it when Lions fullback Lee Byrne dropped a high ball and his retreating team-mates played it from an offside position, but it was a transgression that the fallible Barnes missed.
The Lions eventually won a penalty in the final play and hacked it into touch. The win takes them to a three-from-three tour record, but there will be more concerns than positives for Ian McGeechan as he prepares his charges for the Tests.
By Jon Cardinelli, at Vodacom Park
718 Comments
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6 Jun 2009, 17:14 pm
#365 poppa69: I understand mate. Mentioned it my post 353.
Also should be neutral refs all the time. Just that we would probably have to have the Aussie refs.
6 Jun 2009, 17:14 pm
#384 Veltie: Ek stem saam. Hulle het ons almal trots gemaak vandag want hulle het hulle so bietjie korter gekap vandag na daai dof wedstryd teen die Leeus.
6 Jun 2009, 17:16 pm
All good Puma. No matter who refs, someone will always feel wronged. Shame, because the players try their guts out.
6 Jun 2009, 17:16 pm
Gooooooooo Argies……………. fark the Poms up well and solid… please !
6 Jun 2009, 17:16 pm
And actually I thought the refs today and on wednesday were both great! Well Done Craig and Wayne!
6 Jun 2009, 17:16 pm
#393 goyougoodthing2: Let it go mate…this is a rugby site…Lmao… #394 Slumtown: you have chosed to categorise me…not a good idea mate…SPEAK TO THE INDIVIDUAL NOT THE SOCIAL CATEGORY…
Its a bit difficult, isn’t it…. especially if you have racist mindset
6 Jun 2009, 17:17 pm
#398 wooden spoon: Sad days then. I’ll ignore him then, no use arguing with that type.
Must say, would be great if Argentina could beat England
6 Jun 2009, 17:17 pm
eish giys when ar you gonna learn to ignore the likes of lilith , kakkenhoven, skopgat,************* dawn etc??
their rugby knowledge is zero…
they come in here and give a few stabs to get you argueing with them
let them babble away and just dont respont to trailor traish its that simple
6 Jun 2009, 17:18 pm
the irb player of the year was brilliant today wasnt he? threw a beautiful intercept got munched multiple times .
u gotta love him shane williams hahah
6 Jun 2009, 17:19 pm
Potgieter’s first game back from injury, and the rust showed, but the Cheetah’s looked much beter with him running the lines rather than Strydom, who I don’t ate at all!!!!!
6 Jun 2009, 17:20 pm
as for todays game brilliant fight back by the cheetahs
brussouw you have put pdv to shame today with that performance
sheridan again got away with murder in the srums as he either pulls down or pushes before the balls in and gains parrity
in that respect the ref was poor
other then that one of the better games i seen barbes handle
6 Jun 2009, 17:20 pm
#390 grootblousmile: Jeez a full strength Bulls team would have walked it easy. I think a full strength Sharks team too. Our under strength Shark team I am not sure of. Are the Emerging Boks allowed to play for their franchise? If Rose was on the bench for Lions (I know he was taken off by PdV for reasons) but if he was there cant Deysel, Sykes and Botes play for Sharks? Just not sure.
6 Jun 2009, 17:20 pm
#408 sharks_lover: Amen, they don’t exist anymore…
6 Jun 2009, 17:20 pm
#405 Nightwalker: Craig Joubert needs to be strung up by his clitoris (i doubt he has balls). He likes the limelight and has lost the plot. Not today, but generally.
6 Jun 2009, 17:21 pm
#410 Cheetah 4 Eva: your team played damn well today congrats
6 Jun 2009, 17:21 pm
#408 sharks_lover: Or you could just talk about them and not to them. They hate that, can’t take it because they aren’t getting the direct confrontation they crave.
The only solution (and I’ve said this for months now) is for Langenhoven to be permanently banned. How many chances does he get to normalise himself? His aliases – Luke_is_king, DaOne, Cuito Carnivale, Shaun, and others have all been banned before. Why should we put up with depraved serial offenders like Langkop and Hater?
6 Jun 2009, 17:22 pm
#412 Puma: who knows lol guess we should know by monday as we play wednesday
6 Jun 2009, 17:22 pm
#399 goyougoodthing2: His record is still better than JW’s…and yes he did win in Dunedin…and the EYOT… but his non selection of Luke raises issues about teh size of his balls…in that respect I do think that he is dumbing down to fit in…
6 Jun 2009, 17:22 pm
#411 sharks_lover: Brussouw was superb. Should have been selected. Actually its a bloody shame that he was left out. Could have left out Bekker. Danie is there to cover. Brussouw should have got selected ahead of him I think.
6 Jun 2009, 17:22 pm
Must say, after watching these 3 Lions games, they do appear to be playing it dirty. Not really in the spirit of it one would think but then I guess one can’t expect much more from the NH yobbos.
6 Jun 2009, 17:23 pm
#392 Langenhoven: All of them, and all of their assistants. PdV thinks that losing and winning are the same thing. A great team can carry a passenger coach for a while, but I think young Pieter is becoming rather heavy and its going to be difficult for the Boks. You could even argue that the provincial games are the harder ones for the Lions as they’re playing established teams with professional coaches, not a rag tag group selected by an idiot
6 Jun 2009, 17:23 pm
#416 wooden spoon: stop acting like a girl…
6 Jun 2009, 17:23 pm
sounds like this game was more exciting than the one sided Barbarians game.
6 Jun 2009, 17:24 pm
#407 goyougoodthing2: Doesn’t help talking to him.
Previous page he is comparing 46′s stats with Brussouw and stating the previous ones are much better.
Someone should mention to him that in rugby you don’t compare a No.6′s stats with a No’8.
6 Jun 2009, 17:24 pm
#419 Puma: Bekker should NEVER have been picked. Mark my words he’s a one show pony.
Looking ahead for the Sharks… I can smell some fresh blood coming in the form of some Lions players… any guesses.
6 Jun 2009, 17:24 pm
#416 wooden spoon: i told roy in the week he should check out pogo games or yahoo games and chat rooms
they have a mute / ignore system, and you click on the *** you want muted and on the ignore button
once you have done that he cant speak to you or vice versa
you cant even see what the idiot types
in that way its easier for you to solve the problem yourself instead of having to complain to keo all the time
6 Jun 2009, 17:25 pm
#417 sharks_lover: I hope that Deysel, Sykes and Botes can play. Otherwise it wont be that great a game to watch. We still have Muller, Rory, Keegan but who else?
I would have really enjoyed to see a full strength Sharks playing on Wednesday. That would have been very interesting game to see.
6 Jun 2009, 17:25 pm
Amazing how Brussouw in one season has reduced Watson to obscurity. At last, we have a world class fetcher to match McCaw, Smith and Waugh.
6 Jun 2009, 17:26 pm
#425 goyougoodthing2: Gauteng Lions I mean…
6 Jun 2009, 17:26 pm
First off i must acknowledge those that have been promoting Brussow were quite right.
Absolutely brilliant, and after that performance if the selectors have not decided to have him on the bench for the first test, they are not only failing to give themselves a fallback option, but are ignorning an outstanding player in form.
As for the B&IL, they played a very stupid game.
The first 20 mins they never let the cheetahs or Brusow get a hand on it, they did this by keeping it tight, much like the Boks v Fiji.
However, as soon as Ferris went off, they loosened up and Brussow fed off the scraps quite brilliantly.
If the Lions had better ball control and discipline, it would have been a rout imo.
Finally, the ref. Mr Barnes that penalty at the end was blown so quickly and with so much certainty that i think gert bezuidenhout would have been proud of that one preventing the winning dropgoal effort from the homeside.
6 Jun 2009, 17:26 pm
yeah puma boet brussouw showed today what a huge mistake the selectors have made in not calling him up
6 Jun 2009, 17:27 pm
#415 sharks_lover: Cheers ! I am happy, got a bit agitated with the last play, but considering Pottie’s 1st game back they did well. Good luck for Wed!
6 Jun 2009, 17:27 pm
#391 wooden spoon:you’re talking k@k & you know it,”well documented” where? I’ll let you slide for this one
#367 goyougoodthing2: **** schalk burger snr who give’s hoot what he thinks?
6 Jun 2009, 17:27 pm
#426 sharks_lover: Sounds like a great system. If you take away the soapbox they will stop coming here to preach their racism.
6 Jun 2009, 17:27 pm
oh and very well done to the Cheetahs, a hugely gutsy effort.
i thought sheridan gave calldo and his replacement a torid time, but wiam du preez looked very good against murray.
6 Jun 2009, 17:28 pm
#421 Porto: You are obviously out of your depth here mate… come back later when I log off…The IQ level might subside… Loffie is a better coach??? LMAO
6 Jun 2009, 17:28 pm
#411 sharks_lover: Your comment on Sheridan’s scrum tactics is very pertinent. He has to do this to overcome his height, he gets called up North. But barnes is **** – for both sides.
6 Jun 2009, 17:29 pm
#433 Transformation: Trrransie, are you now saying you are a paid up member of Naka Dropkick’s fan club? If you don’t like him (which you clearly don’t) be a man and tell us all the REAL reason.
6 Jun 2009, 17:29 pm
#428 wooden spoon: I totally agree, but whats the point when the national selector ignores him?
6 Jun 2009, 17:30 pm
#433 Transformation: People who know rugby and not racism do…
You guys with your chips, it’s tired, really tired. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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6 Jun 2009, 17:31 pm
#438 wooden spoon: I wonder if the BNP have got to Langenhoven yet?
6 Jun 2009, 17:31 pm
#433 Transformation: WP rugby. He is very influential in business circles, you know the guys who actually sponsor rugby. Rupert is a personal friend (as in buddy).
6 Jun 2009, 17:32 pm
#438 wooden spoon: Not sure about Naka myself. Haven’t really seen much from him but he certainly has a passion for the team. But I also don’t really care
6 Jun 2009, 17:32 pm
#432 Cheetah 4 Eva: thanks mate tc and have a great weekend
6 Jun 2009, 17:32 pm
#439 Porto: It has no affect on me – but it must truly bite those that perhaps liken Watson to Che Guevara, their hero and matyr being reduced to insignificance… hehehehe.
6 Jun 2009, 17:33 pm
#442 Bul-a-Bhloo: And he makes a very good Pinotage
6 Jun 2009, 17:33 pm
#427 Puma: Yes I think a full strength Sharks team would give the Lions a full go, as would the Bulls. Pity we couldn’t pick one of them with their coach to be the Bok team
6 Jun 2009, 17:33 pm
#411 sharks_lover:
#437 SodaJoe:
I dont believe that is at all correct.
The lions are very wary of the fact that opposition THs in SA are either slipping their bind or not taking it at to prevent sheridan from getting any leverage.
This is the law and they’ve identified the refs to it.
Unless the SA tightheads learn how to bind properly they are going to get pinged.
When the did bind, sheridan was attacking the hell out of them.
6 Jun 2009, 17:33 pm
#441 Porto: The BNP are a bunch of inbred morons. Their racism is no different to Langkop’s.
6 Jun 2009, 17:34 pm
#428 wooden spoon:
“Amazing how Brussouw in one season has reduced Watson to obscurity”
Obscurity is a strong word …. Are we not getting ahead of ourself?
If I remember correctly Watson outplayed Brussouw during their last head to head contest 3 weeks ago.
The debate will however only be theoretical as long as Snor is in charge as he will never drop Schalk .
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