×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Lions are 2011 Currie Cup champions

Sport
JOHANNESBURG — The MTN Golden Lions recalled the glory days of the 1990s as they peaked in the Absa Currie Cup final and hammered the Sharks 42-16 (half-time 19-6) at CocaCola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. It was a dream match for the Lions as they were clinical, enormously passionate and almost everything they tried […]

JOHANNESBURG — The MTN Golden Lions recalled the glory days of the 1990s as they peaked in the Absa Currie Cup final and hammered the Sharks 42-16 (half-time 19-6) at CocaCola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

It was a dream match for the Lions as they were clinical, enormously passionate and almost everything they tried came off.

The result was the most one-sided final since 1980 when Northern Transvaal beat Western Province 39-9 in Pretoria.

The Sharks were put to the sword and could score just one try, by flank Willem Alberts, and even then it should never have been allowed, with assistant referee Christie du Preez missing a blatant knock-on by the Springbok.

The Lions scored three tries and were ruthless in taking points when they were on offer, flyhalf Elton Jantjies proving once again that he is one of the brightest talents in South African rugby as he succeeded with all eight of his kicks at goal — five penalties, three conversions and a drop goal for good measure.

Fullback Jaco Taute also slotted one of the biggest kicks ever seen at CocaCola/Ellis Park with a monstrous 57-metre effort. It was the team ethos of the Lions that brought them to a home final and it was the same quality that saw them to a resounding victory.

It was obvious which team had the greater hunger right from the outset as the Sharks tried to run the kick-off out of their own 22 and loosehead prop CJ van der Linde raced across to scrag wing Odwa Ndungane into touch.

The first of a string of penalties the Sharks conceded then came when captain Keegan Daniel set the tone for a performance of little discipline when he pulled former team-mate Michael Rhodes down at the lineout. Jantjies stepped up and calmly kicked the angled penalty, the Lions leading 3-0 from the second minute, and for the rest of the match.

—Supersport

. .