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October 9 - The two junior provincial sides set the scene on Saturday when they beat Western Province under-21 and Under-19 respectively to make it an impressive full house of wins for the MTN Lions over the Capetonians at Coca Cola Park with the Absa Currie Cup side providing the cherry on top with their 42-25 win on Saturday.
The Lions Under-19s won their match, which means that they will play either the Free State or Western Province in the semi-final on October 22. The Free State have completed their fixtures, while WP still have to play the struggling SWD at Newlands this weekend, with a win virtually assured.
As WP trail the Free State by only a single log point, they seem assured of a third place to set up another meeting with the Lions in the semi-final - and the Lions now know that they are capable of beating the Cape youngsters.
The Blue Bulls, who top the log, are therefore bound to play the Free State in the other play-off – barring an unbelievable upset in the WP v SWD match this weekend.
** On Saturday the Lions Under-19s won 31-20, scoring four tries to two after a tight first half with the score at the break 21-17. The Lions tries were all scored by the forwards, with a brace by lock Paul Willemse, with No 8 Ruaan Lerm and flank Stephan Nel getting the other. Marais Schmidt converted all four tries and also kicked a penalty.
** Hein Cronje kicked seven penalties for the Lions Under-21 side who scored three tries to the five - one a penalty try - by Western Province but still ran out 42-38 winners. Cronje also converted all three tries and missed only one from his one of his 11 attempts.
The Lions tries came from AJ Le Roux, Ruan Combrinck and Thurlow Kohler, with the latter’s converted try the last score of the match and coming eleven minutes before time. The visitors had taken the lead four minutes earlier.
The win puts the Lions in a position to finish third on the log. For that to happen, however, they will have to beat the Sharks in Durban this weekend. A defeat will see the Lions remain in furth place and pit the Lions against the Blue Bulls in the semi-final, while a win over the Sharks and third place will set up semi-finals between the Lions and WP and the Bulls and Sharks respectively.
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