Madosh Tambwe scored two tries as the Lions cruised to a 42-19 bonus-point win over the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. JON CARDINELLI reports.
The Lions were never in danger of losing this match. That said, they were made to work to secure the bonus point in the dying stages.
The Lions varied their play well to score five tries in the first half alone. Their lineout – led by Franco Mostert – set the platform for two mauling tries during this period. When the visitors had the opportunity to strike in the wider channels, they made it count, with Tambwe striking twice and Elton Jantjies dancing his way between Kings defenders.
The Lions' own defence, however, left a lot to be desired. Andries Coetzee was charged down by Andisa Ntsila in the second minute when attempting to exit. Ntsila had a hand in the Kings' second try too, making a linebreak and finding the debutant Yaw Penxe for the finish.
At half-time, the Lions enjoyed a 35-12 lead and looked to be on their way to a comfortable bonus-point victory.
ALSO READ: Sunwolves make Stormers sweat
The Kings hit back after half-time through Malcolm Jaer. The Lions' defence was stretched, and the fullback did well to cut back off the wing and score the Kings' third try.
While the hosts were competitive at the breakdowns, they were completely outplayed by the Lions at the lineouts. They had several opportunities deep in Lions territory, but were turned over when the likes of Mostert and Andries Ferreira beat their jumpers in the air.
The Kings did well to disrupt the Lions' attack during the early stages of the second stanza. They tested the visitors' defence, and came close to narrowing the deficit on several occasions.
ALSO READ: Blues run Bulls ragged
Poor handling as well as a drop in intensity limited the Lions' potency in the second half. Yet Harold Vorster's try in the 76th minute boosted the visitors into bonus-point territory, and then a desperate defensive display after the final hooter ensured that they achieved their five-log-point objective.
Kings – Tries: Andisa Ntsila, Yaw Penxe, Malcolm Jaer. Conversions: Lionel Cronje (2).
Lions – Tries: Madosh Tambwe (2), Malcolm Marx, Elton Jantjies, Jaco Kriel, Harold Vorster. Conversions: Jantjies (5), Andries Coetzee.
Kings – 15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Waylon Murray, 11 Alshaun Bock, 10 Lionel Cronjé (c), 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Andisa Ntsila, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Kurt Haupt, 1 Schalk van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 Michael Willemse, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Justin Forwood, 19 Tyler Paul, 20 Stefan Willemse, 21 Johan Steyn, 22 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 23 Luzuko Vulindlu.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Sylvian Mahuza.
Photo: Richard Huggard/BackpagePix
