Lions’ late rally sinks Cheetahs

14 Aug 2010

Two tries in the last five minutes secured the Lions a 30-26 victory over the Cheetahs at Ellis Park.

Elton Jantjies and Jannie Boshoff rescued what looked a lost cause for the Lions, the former putting on an expert all round performance for one so young.

The Cheetahs will lament poor defence in the dying minutes, after resisting well for most of the match. The Lions squandered good scoring opportunities and a more accomplished side would have capitalised on those errors.

The try count reflects that both sides acquitted themselves well enough in defence, but then the attacking play was hardly testing and was marked by a plethora of fundamental errors.

The hosts were the worse in this regard, seeking to play expansively from anywhere on the track. They largely lacked penetration because of their refusal to establish an attacking platform through phase play. This often exposed their ball carriers at the breakdown and offered the Cheetahs chances to slow or turn over possession. What infuriates is that when they did build patiently through phases, as was evident in their tries, they look a very competent side.

The Cheetahs were more structured and controlled the ball better through phases, but their failure to breach the gain line initially meant their possession counted for very little.

Louis Strydom took them into an early lead with three penalties, but that advantage was quickly cut to three points by Lions flyhalf Jantjies’ boot. Jantjies then produced a touch that would have had his backline coach Carlos Spencer smiling, chipping the rushing defensive line to put Deon van Rensburg clean through on goal. He duly converted to give the Lions a 13-9 half-time lead.

The Cheetahs’ response was immediate, Ashley Johnson scoring after a powerful 5m scrum. Strydom converted and added another penalty for a 50th minute 19-13 lead.

The Lions crafted the better chances in the period that followed, none more so than a 12-phase move. It, however, ended with Jano Vermaak spilling a pass forward with the tryline in sight. It summed up the amatuerish errors that continue to undermine the cause of John Mitchell’s side.

Jantjies bank three points, but a Kobus Calso converted try 13 minutes from full time, marked by some poor one-on-one defending, gave the Cheetahs a comfortable 10-point buffer.

But Jantjies set up a tense last five minutes when he converted his own try in the corner, and two minutes later the Lions snatched victory when Jannie Boshoff chased a Michael Killian punt and grabbed a fortuitous bounce to score. Jantjies sent the touchline conversion sailing over and the Lions held on for a rare victory.


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