Vodafone Super Rugby Wrap: Lions roar at home
The South African conferences of Super Rugby clicked back into gear over the weekend and the Lions gave their for and against percentages a huge boost.
Elsewhere the Stormers, Bulls and Southern Kings came up with victories.
Lions v Sunwolves
The Lions humiliated the Sunwolves 94-7 on Saturday in Johannesburg for a record Super Rugby winning margin this season and the second biggest ever.
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The 14-try massacre began in the sixth minute when scrum-half Ross Cronje scored and ended during the first minute of additional time as winger Ruan Combrinck completed a hat-trick.
Lions led 35-0 by half-tome at Ellis Park stadium and increased the tempo during the second half against overwhelmed opponents to average more than a point a minute by the final whistle.
Another South African side hold the record for the widest Super Rugby winning margin with Northern Bulls thrashing Australian visitors Queensland Reds 92-3 in Pretoria during 2007.
RESULT
Lions 94
Tries: Cronje, Kriel 2, Smith 2, Jantjies, van der Merwe, Combrinck 3, Skosan, de Klerk, Mahuza, Ackermann
Cons: Jantjies 6, Combrinck 5, de Klerk
Sunwolves 7
Try: Helu
Con: Ogura
Cheetahs v Stormers
The Cheetahs lost 40-34 to fellow South African side the Stormers on Saturday after a seesaw struggle in what could be their last home Super Rugby match.
The match-winning score came seven minutes from time at Free State Stadium in central city Bloemfontein from Stormers loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Stormers won a lineout close to Cheetahs’ tryline, a maul ensued and hooker Bongi Mbonambi burst through a mass of players and sent Notshe over.
Cheslin Kolbe, who began on the wing and moved to full-back when SP Marais was injured early on, converted for a 23-point personal tally, including three tries.
RESULT
Cheetahs 34
Tries: Hugo, Huggett, Swart, Rhule
Cons: Marais 4
Pens: Marais 2
Stormers 40
Tries: Kolbe 3, Willemse, Senatla, Notshe
Cons: Marais, Kolbe 4
Yellow cards: Cheetahs: Marais (26 minutes), Stormers: Rynardt Elstadt (38 minutes), Pieter-Steph du Toit (55 minutes)
Sharks v Bulls
Bulls fullback Warrick Gelant scored three tries Friday in a shock 30-17 victory over fellow South African side the Sharks at Kings Park stadium in Durban.
It was the first away win this season for the Pretoria-based Bulls and the first home loss for the Sharks, who have already secured a quarter-finals place.
Bulls, playing only for pride as they cannot make the knockout stage, dominated possession in their best performance of the year and led 17-10 at halftime.
While Gelant deservedly won the man-of-the-match award, centre Jan Serfontein also starred following three excellent Test performances for South Africa against France this month.
RESULT
Sharks 17
Tries: du Toit, Bosch
Cons: Bosch 2
Pen: Bosch
Bulls 30
Tries: de Jager, Gelant 3
Cons: Schoeman 2
Pens: Schoeman 2
Yellow cards: Sharks: Sibusiso Nkosi (45 minutes)
Jaguares v Southern Kings
A Southern Kings team facing the Super Rugby axe next week triumphed 31-30 in Buenos Aires on Friday as a horror run by the Jaguares continued.
It was the fourth win in six matches for the one-time South African whipping boys, and the seventh loss in eight games for an Argentine outfit who began the season promisingly.
Jaguares led 20-14 at half-time in an often scrappy, error-strewn round 15 tussle in which only pride was at stake in Estadio Jose Amalfitani as neither team can reach the knockout phase.
The decisive score came nine minutes from time when Kings winger Wandile Mjekevu scored a try which skipper and fly-half Lionel Cronje converted for a six-point advantage.
RESULT
Jaguares 30
Tries: Leguizamon, Boffelli, Sanchez, Tuculet 2
Con: Sanchez
Pen: Sanchez
Kings 31
Tries: Vulindlu, Mapimpi 2, Mjekevu
Cons: Cronje 4
Pen: Cronje
