Hook nails late winner
Replacement James Hook goaled a penalty in the 74th minute to give the Lions a scrappy 26-23 win over WP.
The rain abated from kickoff to climax, but the heavy showers around lunchtime certainly left their mark on the Newlands turf. The greasy ball was even harder to field given the turbulent wind, as WP fullback Joe Pietersen indicated on more than one occasion.
The Lions employed the high-ball tactic to good effect as Pietersen and company dropped several bombs to hand the visitors both territory and possession. The first quarter was characterised by garryowens, probes for touch and low-trajectory grubbers, and for the most part it was the Lions who executed these kicks better.
Willem de Waal kicked two penalties and a drop goal in the first half while Pietersen sunk a drop goal of his own, but unfortunately for the home fans, WP just never looked like scoring a try. The Newlands’ faithful screamed whenever the hosts drew close, but as the move broke down a more prominent cry of ‘Lions, Lions’ could be heard from the travelling contingent.
Wales No 8 Andy Powell stood out for the tourists, beating the first tackler with his dangerous combo of quick feet and powerful upper-body strength. It was a Powell break that sparked the first try as the Lions’ backs and forwards combined to expose some poor WP defence.
Powell offloaded to Martyn Williams who in turn popped a smart pass to Stephen Jones. Rob Kearney took it wide, throwing a great floating pass in spite of conditions. Tommy Bowe received the ball on WP’s 22, spun out of one tackle, stepped inside another and bust through two more to dot down.
Bowe’s direct running set up the visitors’ second try in the 35th minute, and again credit must go to the shocking WP defence. Bowe slid through the first line effortlessly and was eventually hauled in by Tonderai Chavhanga after repelling the hapless Pietersen. He also found the time to deliver a basketball-pass to fellow winger Ugo Monye, who showed great anticipation and pace to finish.
De Waal goaled a penalty right on half-time to reduce the deficit to 18-12, but WP were struggling to stay in the match.
The scrums were a mess with both teams falling foul to a slippery pitch while the Lions’ lineout were solid on their own ball and competitive on WP’s. The breakdowns were also a mess with no team obtaining a clear advantage.
De Waal’s penalty attempt just after the break dropped under the bar, but several moments later he was on target to further narrow the gap. Province began to believe, and this was exemplified by lock Anton van Zyl’s scuffle with opposite number Donncha O’Callaghan.WP were outclassed but were determined to go down fighting.
But there was never enough accuracy in their fight for it to amount to any real threat. They bounced off too many first-time tackles and dropped too many passes. There were several turnovers that the Cape crowd cheered, but these were very minor and insignificant victories.
The Lions piled on the pressure and eventually the WP resistance crumbled again in the 57th minute. They built through the phases never shifting out from the first-receiver, and eventually Williams flopped over in the corner.
Stephen Jones’s goal-kicking radar was off in this fixture and he’ll surely be keen to get back up to the highveld. Newlands is notorious for its difficult goal-kicking conditions but that hardly seem to affect De Waal, who kicked an important penalty in the 61st minute to keep the hosts in the game at 23-18.
Province drew level three minutes later when a sustained period of pressure paid dividends. They looked to have butchered an opportunity but remained patient, and when the overlap was created De Waal threw a good overhead pass to Pietersen who showcased his finishing ability. De Waal, couldn’t convert from the touchline, but at 23-23 with 16 minutes remaining, the stage was set for a dramatic finish.
Hook didn’t fare any better than Jones with his first penalty attempt, and so the Lions failed to take the lead. Brimming with confidence, the hosts fought their way into Lions territory but were undone by a handling error again. This time it was De Waal who dropped the ball cold.
Hook goaled a difficult penalty from 50m out to regain the lead and from here the Lions fought to hang on. Again they were helped by WP’s errors, an attacking movement in Lions territory coming to nought due to a forward pass. On the hooter, Pietersen also grubbered the ball away to hand the visitors victory.
It was a far from polished performance from the men in red, but the bottom line is the Lions have won their fifth match in succession and gained further match preparation ahead of next Saturday’s Test in Durban.
By Jon Cardinelli, at Newlands
June 13th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
#396 carol:
none are poms….
June 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
#394 Ed_the_Lion: dankie ed. bokke gaan hulle gas gee!!!!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
#392 goyougoodthing2: With Luke being the shortest of the three. Strange how history repeats itself.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I can hear 2 noises in here that both sound like canned ****
June 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
#401 Veltie: Ek hoop so Veltie. Ek is baie onrustig oor die toetse.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
#398 Langenhoven:
don’t start quoting the electrician….remember when the tide comes in all boats rise…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Supporting the WP is a bit like service providers in SA. So used to not to expect to much, but when they deliver, ai man.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
#383 gunther: We all know that the man stays in the war zone… but directing the troops means that you need to stay out of the brawls
June 13th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
So wearing my Springbok Jersey I now wend my way into town, see you later….
Hey if you see Rugby Princess tell her I just passed Jeremy Clarkson in his car, looked like a Bentley!
#397 grootblousmile: See you Titanium x
June 13th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Boastful people are quite sad. It tells a story of weak character and feeble mind.
I pity them
June 13th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
#396 carol: 5 down, 5 to go !! All are awaiting your arrival. Two glorious tries by Lions today. That was good value. Empty seats again I see. Wasn’t this the only Lions visit to Newlands?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
#404 Ed_the_Lion: ek was, maar ek slaap nou rustig. het n visioen gehad.en dit was n 3-0 visioen….hierdie leeus is gemiddeld. maak nie saak wat wie vir jou se nie. kyk maar vandag. die WP moes nie naby gekom het teen n groep toetsspelers nie. en ons het bleddie amper gewen. nee wat; bokke met Bakkies aan die spits gaan hulle verkrag.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Cheers.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
#399 Langenhoven:
Kom, kom nou my ou…het jy matriek?
En het jy n universiteitsgraad van Ikeys?
Ja, of nee?
Jy verstaan mos Afrikaans, jy kom dan uitie Kaap uit, hoe moeilik is daai?
So nie, sal ek jou in Engels vra…
Het jy kuk gepraat oor jou kwalifikasies op jou blog, ja of nee?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
West Indies are falling to pieces. Must be Watson’s leadership from afar that’s doing the trick.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
#411 Veltie: Ek gaan jou woord en visioen vat vir dit Veltie. Lekker dag verder.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
#410 JimT: Jim do you do this on purpose, I sign off and you pop in!!
YEY – WE DID IT (ok scraped it) !! Heheheh
No we will see the Emerging Springboks play there between the first and second test!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
#415 Ed_the_Lion: cheers pel
June 13th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Anyway, boys play nicely, I only want to see witty insults today!! Lol
June 13th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
As mens 600 Pond ‘n dag verdien in Ingeland, 22 dae van die maand (werksdae) dan verdien mens so 13 200 Pond ‘n maand…. so bietjie oor R 100 000.00 per maand…. flokkkkk dis maar min, in ag genome die lewenskoste in Ingeland… ek het al offers vir dubbel dit van die hand gewys in Ingeland, met ‘n smile…
Flok, cherry-pickers verdien amper halfte soveel in Ingeland….
June 13th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Geez…Im impressed with Parnell…..huge talent.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
#413 Pietman: Come now Piet. Traditional qualifications merely represent a Western Elitist model of success, based on class and oppression through access to education.
It’s a plot to down the already downtrodden. Therefore any self-respecting anti-western idealist would not want any education to reflect negatively on their allegiance to the struggle. Working within the system to make lots of money is the way that the subversives work, enriching themselves tirelessly so that the money doesn’t end up in hands of the greedy western oppressors. It’s a hard job you know, and thankless. So thankless many of the heroes have to tell their own story as no one else will
June 13th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Parnell you LEGEND ….
June 13th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
#420 grootblousmile:
Nie as jy in n council flatjie woon en baaisiekel ry nie, en jou vrou haar afsloof met die ‘char’ jobbies terwyl jy innnie dole Q uithang en nonsens praat met jou sokkergabbas heeldag nie…jy kan lekker leef so daar in die NE side van die ‘Eiland’.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
#413 Pietman: Yep mate…no qualification…I bullshitted my way to become the best in the world….Also made it through immigration without papers…You should report me to British Immigration..LMAO
June 13th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I am off to watch the cricket, you guys are NT funny…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
#422 goyougoodthing2:
Hmmmm……so I was selling newspapers in the morning rain in CT at 5 in the morning to pay my way thru Uni for nothing then….now you tell me!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
#425 Loserer: Enjoy!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
#422 gunther: Are you OK with the fact that he is not white???
June 13th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
#426 Pietman: Sorry. Had to break it to you. I only discovered the truth myself after 2 degrees, some hons and half way into a Masters… buggar lol.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Windies need 25 from the last over with only 1 wicket left…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
#428 Langenhoven:
don’t be a pratt… speak to the individual not the social category…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I think the West Indies really do reflect the demography of South Africa better than the Proteas. Is Luke perhaps leading the West Indies from afar today, great leader that he is.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
#425 Langenhoven:
Thx.
Honesty has set you free at last.
Now we can talk, at your level….
June 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Well done Proteas
June 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
#421 goyougoodthing2: Very close to the truth mate…lol..Che Guevara was a banker…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
#431 gunther: Lol…well done!!…You may proceed now..just checking
June 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
OK, SA win the cricket for today as well… not a bad day at all… Baby Bokkies won, NZ lost, Proteas won…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
#430 goyougoodthing2:
Thank you, my work is done here for the nite…
I have to reflect on a few things, hehehehe!
Jeeez, some people….here on keo, I tell you…
Who are these people, not rugby folks, I am sure?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Tight Head where’s your 50 point hiding you were promoting, if De Waal and Duvenhage and Pietersen would have kicked less we may have turned this game into a win. And Moller gave them the victory where they got out of jail.
WP almost had it in the bag in spite of all the big bok benign begrudgers that love to hate so randomly in sinc with each other. Its already in their bees knees genes all this benign bedrieglike hating they so proudly nail to their deluded ideological debauched masts.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
#433 Pietman: You will never know…dit vreet jou kop op ne… It gives me great pleasure
June 13th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
#435 Langenhoven: LOL
AT least you make me laugh. Putting a smile on my face is a good thing.
#439 skopskiet: Poetry for the people… The Fist of Fury in full song!
June 13th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
431.Gunther.That was an honest question from Langenhoven,whether you liked the intention or not.Not at all shallow.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
#435 Langenhoven:
President of the Bank of Cuba….look how well that turned out…
June 13th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I am quite concerned with this Parnell fellow now that I find out he’s not “white”. It’s terrible when the natives show up their former masters LOL.
Come now guys… seriously… we all need a beer together, like a castle ad but without the castle
June 13th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
#443 namakwaland:
Hey, daai Kharkams of Gamoeb vraag van my is nog uitstaande….of gaan jy ook uit-chicken soos Langkop?
June 13th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
#443 gunther: Banker fro Argentina… BTW…the credit crunch did not affect cuba…why?? Their economy in fact continues to grow…why??
June 13th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
#442 namakwaland:
it wasn’t an honest question and you know it…it was a dig implying that I wouldn’t support an sa sportsman who wasn’t white …
June 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
#443 gunther: Didn’t he murder a few fellows along the way too… in any case…
After 5 games I still have NO IDEA how the Lions will shape up to the Boks. This worries me both ways.
Lions look okay, Boks will be rusty, who knows what kind of combos we will play, who knows who will play where? It’s not an idea and strategically sound start to a test campaign in my opinion.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
JD Moller is a real poephol. If it wasnt for hom province would have won!! And that welsh nr 8 – Powell is a real thug. I trick pony. The bokds will smash him back so quickly he wont know if its saturday or sunday