Lions 40 (15) vs Leopards 19 (10)

Lions looking for five log points in Rustenburg

Leopards last beat the Lions 17 years ago

The Lions travel to Rustenburg to look for 5 log points against the Leopards, who have struggled in the premier division of the Currie Cup this year after winning promotion last year, and find themselves in the last place on the log.

The Leopards scored first when, on their first visit to the Lions 22, Clayton Durand kicked a drop goal to put the Leopards in a 3-0 lead.

Right from the restart the Lions hit back when from a ruck close to the Leopards line, a short pass went to Walter Venter, who had no defenders in front of him and strolled over for an easy try. Earl Rose missed the conversion, but the Lions now in front 5-3 after 7 minutes.

The Lions then started to take the ball up with their fowards, and started getting close to the Leopards try-line, but then when a ball came down the backline to the left, Jovan Bowles took the intercept and ran in a 80 meter try. Durand converted to make it 10-5 for the Leopards.

The Lions then came close to scoring, but Jano Vermaak was stopped with a swinging arm tackle just five meters out by Jovan Bowles. Bowles received a yellow card and Rose kicked the penalty to make it 10-8 for the Leopards.

On 36 minutes the Lions scored a spectacular try, it started when Dusty Noble caught a mark, and then instead of kicking for touch, passed to Hollenbach on his left. Hollenbach couldn't kick as there was a Leopards player in front of him, and he started to run to the left, and suddenly the Lions found acres of space in front of them. The ball went down the backline left, and then when the covering defense caught up with the wing, the ball came back inside, where Walter Venter was on hand to round off and score his second. This time Rose converted, and the score now 15-10 for the Lions, also the halftime score.

The Leopards opened the scoring in the second half when Clayton Durand kicked a penalty two minutes after the restart.

Just five minutes later the Leopards went back into the lead from a Durand penalty that was awarded when the Lions brought down a maul close to their own try-line.

17 minutes into the second half the Lions grabbed the lead back when Herkie Kruger kicked a penalty after the Leopards were penalised for holding on on their 10 meter line.

Five minutes later the Lions scored their third try, this one coming from a penalty line-out inside the Leopards 22, the Lions drove the ball up, and then Hans van Dyk broke away with the ball on the left and with Willem Stoltz helping, crashed over for the try. Herkie Kruger missed the conversion, but the Lions now leading 23-16.

30 minutes into the second half, Clayton Durand reduced the lead to just four with his second drop goal of the match, the score 23-19 for the Lions.

Three minutes later the Lions scored their bonus point try, it came from an attacking scrum deep in the Leopards 22, Alberts picked up at the base and passed to Venter, who took the ball at full pace, he was stopped about two meters short of the line, the Lions recycled the ball, and on the second try it came out to Alberts, who powered his way over the line. Kruger converted to make it 30-19.

Just three minutes from time the Lions went further ahead when Herkie Kruger kicked a penalty from close to the halfway line, making it 33-19 to the Lions.

After the hooter Earl Rose managed to put a nail in the Leopards coffin with a try under the poles, with Kruger kicking the conversion, making the final score 40-19 for the Lions.


The scorers: