URC: Julius stars but the Lions roar loudest at Ellis Park

URC: The Lions, with Morne van den Berg massive, roared the loudest at Ellis Park with an emphatic win against the Sharks, for whom Jurenzo Julius was the best player.

Morne van den Berg was the pick of the Lions and the best player on display in the Lions bonus point win. The Springboks scrum half was at the heart of everything good about the Lions performance, in a Round 8 match that was played between Rounds 11 and 12 of the competition.

The win moves the Lions into seventh place in the URC and it also kept alive the SA Shield. Had the Sharks won, they would have claimed the Shield, given they already had three bonus-point wins in four matches against their South African colleagues.

The Sharks have beaten the Bulls and the Stormers twice and lost in the final play against the Lions in Durban a month ago.

But it is the Lions who now can claim the Shield if they beat the Stormers at Ellis Park next Saturday.

The Sharks will play the Bulls at Loftus in Pretoria next week and the Stormers and Bulls will complete the South African derbies within the URC in Pretoria on the 14th March.

The Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen picked his strongest match 23 and they were too powerful and precise for a Sharks match 23 missing seven of their first choice Springboks. Sharks coach JP Pietersen invested in youth and some hardened veterans, but the collective of the Sharks could not match the individual class of 21 year-old centre Jurenzo Julius, who ran with condition and with reward, scored a try, had one disallowed and always made metres in the tackle.

JULIUS IN BOKS MIDFIELD AUDITION

Veteran lock Jason Jenkins battled hard, but that was the lot for the visitors who are ninth in the URC league standings. They have four wins in 11 matches.

Van den Berg was the general at No 9, his halfback partner Chris Smith did not miss a kick at posts and the Lions midfield of Bronson Mills and Henco Van Wyk were convincing as a pairing.

Wingers Angelo Davids and Kelly Mpeku chased everything and turned every kick into an attacking one.

Lions fullback Quan Horn was confident and flanker Ruan Venter, lock Ettienne Oosthuizen were a menace and a presence. My personal favourite Asenathi Ntlabakanye produced trademark tackles, handled the tighthead side of the scrum effectively and was regular in taking the ball to the line.

Van den Berg was very good and the Lions were very good in responding from the 52-17 defeat a fortnight ago against the Bulls at Ellis Park.

The Lions have beaten the Sharks in the last three matches at Ellis Park in the URC, each time comfortably, and have won five of the last six matches against the Sharks.

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