Lions 7 (0) vs Blue Bulls 21 (6)
Lions
shocked at home by Blue Bulls
Mametsa scores a hat-trick in his 100th game for Blue
Bulls
The Lions started their 2008 Currie Cup
campaign in the worst fashion at home, going down 21-7 to the Blue Bulls in a
match where the Lions struggled the whole match to find any kind of rhytm.
Mametsa scored three tries in his 100th match for the Blue Bulls and was
deservedly named man of the match.
The match was started by Jaco van Schalkwyk in
perfect rugby conditions. The first chance came early for the Blue Bulls when
they established an overlap on the left, and the Lions did well to tackle
Mametsa over the line in the left corner and keep him from scoring, even though
it took the TMO quite some time to decide that his feet did in fact go out in
the tackle.
Just about a minute later the Lions had their first chance for points when they
were awarded a penalty just inside their own half, and Rose indicated that he
was going for poles, but the kick was well short, even though the direction was
perfect.
The next chance
came after 15 minutes when the Blue Bulls conceded a penalty at a ruck just
outside their 10 meter line, but this time Rose pushed the penalty to the right.
Jannie Boshoff replaced Rayno Benjamin at this
stage, Benjamin looking like he injured his right leg.
The first points eventually came in the 31st
minute when Morne Steyn kicked a penalty from about 10 meters outside of the
Lions 22, the penalty awarded because the Lions tackled a player without the
ball inside their own 22 meter area.
Minutes later scrumhalf JP Joubert put the Blue
Bulls further ahead with a woer-woer dropgoal from the Lions 22 meter line, the
score now 6-0 for the Blue Bulls, and the Lions pinned in their own half.
Just before the break Mostert cleaned away Olivier
who looked offside at a ruck, but the ref wasn't happy and he received a yellow
card. That was basically the final happening of the first half, so the Blue
Bulls leading 6-0 at halftime.
12 minutes into the 2nd half the Lions finally
opened their score, it was a short pass to Jano Vermaak on the Blue Bulls 10
meter line, Jano was in space and no defenders in front of him, so he ran in the
try under the poles. Rose converted and the Lions now in front 7-6, but it was
short lived, as the Blue Bulls hit right back when Mametsa scored in the left
corner. Steyn missed the conversion, but the Blue Bulls back in the lead 11-7.
Koch was on for Alberts for a short blood injury.
The Blue Bulls pulled further ahead through
another try by Mametsa in the left had corner with 13 minutes left in the game.
Steyn missed the conversion again, but the score now 16-7 for the Blue Bulls.
Mametsa wasn't finished yet, he scored his 3rd,
also in the left corner, it came from a line-out the Lions lost on the Blue
Bulls 10 meter line, Wanneburg ran the ball up to about the Lions 22 meter line,
where the ball went left with a huge overlap and Mametsa scored in the corner.
Noble came on for Rose with about 4 minutes left
in the game. Muller, Reynecke and Jonck was also on now, but time ran out and
even though the Lions threatened a bit at the end the Blue Bulls defense held
and the final score was 21-7 for the Blue Bulls.
The scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Jano Vermaak
Cons: Earl Rose
Pens:
Drops:
For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: John Mametsa(3)
Cons:
Pens: Morne Steyn
Drops: JP Joubert
Yellow card: Gerhard Mostert(40)
Red card: None
Teams:
Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12
Walter Venter, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8
Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar(c), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4
Dewald Senekal, 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der
Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Gert Muller, 18 Justin
Wheeler,
19 Wilhelm Koch, 20 Chris Jonck, 21
Jannie Boshoff, 22 Dusty Noble.
Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Marius
Delport, 12
Wynand Olivier, 11 John Mametsa, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Pedrie
Wannenburg, 7 Wikus van Heerden(c), 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4
Francois van Schouwenburg, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuun, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Fudge Mabeta,
19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21
Burton Francis, 22 Dewald Potgieter.
Referee: Craig Joubert
Touch judges: Gareth Lloyd-Jones and Peter de Bruin
TV Match Official: None