Some frustration and lots of satisfaction for Xerox Lions’ Mitchell |
26 September - The exuberance of youth at times frustrated Xerox Lions coach John Mitchell, but generally he was very happy with the performance that saw his side beat the Sharks 22-20 at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.
“They certainly care for each other,” he said after the match, referring to the way his side fought back from a deficit and continued to hammer at the Sharks line.
But he added: “Being a youthful side they actually at times can certainly frustrate you. There was a time in the second half when we were on attack when their decision-taking was immature – I nearly had kittens!” he said.
“We stuck to first phase script really well; stuck to the kicking game OK, we probably didn’t kick out enough in second half; the second phase shape was right to plan
Mitchell said that the Sharks were a very good side on attack and defence and that the Lions, by breaking the line from first phase found some weaknesses. It could well be that the other sides will start following the Lions’ example in this respect.
“We thought Stefan was so good at cutting off the wide attacks and that we would switch the attack to work their forwards a bit and we got some pay-off from that, he said about his team’s play on attack.
On defence, Mitchell felt, his side “wasted lots of defenders close in. It proved costly for us (when Sharks took it wide) but we sorted it out in the second half.”
Sharks coach John Plumtree was full of praise for his long-time friend’s team and coaching.
“You have to give them credit for their scrambling defence,” he said when asked whether the Sharks hadn’t let some opportunities. “You’re not going to finish all the time, it’s how many times you’re going to convert.
“It was always going to be a close game, could have gone rather way.”
Plumtree felt his side was a little naïve at times, running from their own line in the last five minutes when they were five points ahead instead of clearing. “We didn’t clear the pressure when we had the ball. These are things we’ll take into our next contest.”
Commenting on the Lions’ performance: “But they didn’t go away, did they? They held onto ball at crucial times for long periods; their set piece was fine, you’ll probably find the tackle count was even. We probably had most of the first half; they dominated the second half, certainly the last 20 minutes.”
If was a fine performance by the Lions, their fifth successive win at home and making it six from the last seven all in all.
On 35 points they remain in fifth place as all the sides above them also won this weekend. A Lions win against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday will be virtually a quarter-final.
Plumtree said that the Lions could win that en counter. “Yeah, it’s going to be tough.” Plumtree said it depended on how they picked themselves up after the tough match against the Sharks. ”But they (Lions) can do it, they definitely can.”
It’s almost certain that the Lions will be without fullback Jaco Taute for the rest of the season. He seems to have damaged a shoulder AC joint. Deon van Rensburg will most probably be back on the wing with Michael Killian moving to fullback.
** meanwhile the Free State Cheetahs and the Vodacom Blue Bulls stepped closer to next month’s playoffs after victories against the Pumas and the Platinum Leopards respectively.
In Bloemfontein the hosts outclassed their Witbank opponents before running in 59-24 winners while the defending champions achieved their goal of accumulating maximum points from their clash against the Platinum Leopards. The Pretoria side secured a 39-26 victory in Potchefstroom.
The Blue Bulls remain five points behind Western Province who are in second position on the log. The Free State Cheetahs are six points behind Province.
Meanwhile the Sharks, despite a bonus point for losing within seven points of the Lions, are now in danger of losing their place at the top of the log. The log-leaders are on 47 points and still have two league games left in the competition. They host the Platinum Leopards in Durban on Friday before facing WP in what could turn out to be a top of the table clash for pole position in the final game of the league season on October 9.
The Durban side will have to defeat the Platinum Leopards and Province to ensure that they remain in first position at the end of the competition. They will be keeping a close eye on proceedings in Pretoria on Saturday when WP play the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
The defending champions could mathematically still end the season in pole position, and victory for Frans Ludeke’s side this Saturday will strengthen their chances of finishing second and relegating Province to third position on the log.
Western Province maintained the pressure on the log-leading The Sharks on Friday night following their 48-32 victory over the GWK Griquas at Newlands in Cape Town.
GWK Griquas winger Bjorn Basson took another step closer to the try-scoring record of 19 held by former Western Province winger Carel du Plessis (1989) and Platinum Leopards’ Colin Lloyd (2006). Basson is the leading try-scorer in the competition with 17 tries and is eight tries clear of the second-placed Sharks winger Lwazi Mvovo.
** The GWK Griquas achieved a bonus point for scoring five tries with Basson running in a hat-trick at Newlands. Burger Schoeman and Jean Stemmet added the visitors other tries. Flyhalf Naas Olivier kicked one conversion and a penalty while Rudi Vogt slotted one conversion.
Vodacom WP winger JJ Engelbrecht added a hat-trick of tries for the hosts who managed to cross the try line seven times. Springbok centre Jean de Villiers along with his Province teammates - hooker Deon Fourie, No 8 Duane Vermeulen and reserve lock Adriaan Fondse were the other try-scorers.
Willem de Waal regained his position as the leading points’ scorer when he kicked four conversions and a penalty during his side’s victory in Cape Town. Substitute flyhalf Gary van Aswegen added one conversion.
The Vodacom WP pivot is currently on 161 points and is four points clear of the Sharks’ Patrick Lambie. Potgieter (Vodacom Blue Bulls) is in third place with 153. |
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Good one LIONS. Now we are in with a good chance. Saturday was a great game. The ref and line judges were not in the game, but thats besides the point. We beat the Sharks and it feels good. I have a lot of Sharks supporter buddies and you guys made my weekend. Now I can BRAG and ROARRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRR with PRIDE. Keep it up my PRIDE OF LIONS.
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