English: Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Lions have taken their first step back into Super Rugby by beating the Southern Kings 26-19 in the first leg of South Africa’s promotion-relegation playoff at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Centre Stokkies Hanekom scored two tries for the Johannesburg-based Lions on Friday evening to put them in position to take the Kings’ place in the southern hemisphere’s top rugby league next season. Flyhalf Elton Jantjies kicked 16 points on his return to the Lions from a season-long loan at Cape Town’s Stormers.
The teams will face off in the decisive second leg at the Lions’ home at Ellis Park in Johannesburg next weekend, when a Lions victory will return them to the Super 15 after they were relegated in 2012 for the Kings. It is the first time Super Rugby has held a promotion-relegation playoff.
The Lions took four points for their victory, while the Kings managed just a bonus point from their home leg for being within seven points.
The teams earn points in the playoff in exactly the same way as in Super Rugby’s regular season, meaning if the Kings win and deny the Lions a bonus point at Ellis Park they will leap above their challengers and maintain their place.
If the franchises finish the two games with the same amount of points, their aggregate scores will decide the winner.
The Kings also scored two tries, but were overtaken by the slow-starting Lions and also lost flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis – their important goalkicker – to an arm injury in the second half that could put his participation next weekend in doubt. – stuff
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