Flyhalf Elton Jantjies contributed 12 points with the boot as the MTN Golden Lions entrenched themselves in first position on the Absa Currie Cup log with a 17-10 victory over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
But even though the Free Staters were trailing by 17-3 with less than 10 minutes left on the clock, they never gave up and scored their only try, by replacement scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn, late in the match to make for an exciting final few minutes. Unfortunately they could not replicate last weekend’s come-from-behind victory over DHL Western Province as the Golden Lions held out.
The MTN Golden Lions also scored only one try, in the first half by fullback Michael Killian, but Jantjies’ boot saw the scoreboard tick over regularly in the second half to keep the home team in front of the Cheetahs.
With the halfway stage of the competition a few weeks away, the Golden Lions are looking in solid form, even though they still have to play DHL WP (Friday 19 August in Cape Town) and The Sharks (Saturday 27 August in Johannesburg) in the first round.
Scorers:
- MTN Golden Lions – Try: Michael Killian. Penalties: Elton Jantjies (4).
- Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Try: Tewis de Bruyn. Conversion: Riaan Smit. Penalty: Sias Ebersohn.
Teams:
- MTN Golden Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Josh Strauss (captain), 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg. Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Warren Whiteley, 20 Rudi Paige, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Jannie Boshoff.
- Toyota Free State Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Smit, 14 Phillip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corné Uys, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen. Replacements: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Pieter Myburgh, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Nico Scheepers, 22 Philip Burger.
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Log
- MTN Golden Lions – 5 – 5 – 0 – 0 – 186 – 111 – 75 – 23 – 13 – 2 – 22
- The Sharks – 5 – 4 – 0 – 1 – 144 – 134 – 10 – 12 – 11 – 2 – 18
- GWK Griquas – 5 – 3 – 1 – 1 – 152 – 148 – 4 – 16 – 18 – 3 – 17
- DHL Western Province – 5 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 149 – 91 – 58 – 13 – 4 – 4 – 14
- Toyota Free State Cheetahs – 5 – 2 – 0 – 3 – 142 – 127 – 15 – 15 – 12 – 4 – 12
- Vodacom Blue Bulls – 5 – 2 – 0 – 3 – 99 – 148 – -49 – 9 – 14 – 0 – 8
- Ford Pumas – 5 – 0 – 0 – 5 – 109 – 137 – -28 – 11 – 14 – 5 – 5
- Platinum Leopards – 5 – 1 – 0 – 4 – 102 – 187 – -85 – 12 – 25 – 1 – 5
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