Lions fans countrywide will be packing their middle finger for work on Monday after they smashed the Sharks to take home the Currie Cup. In winning in emphatic fashion they have overcome all the criticism and cheap shots directed at them this season.
There were many who said the absence of the Boks during the World Cup favoured the Lions and for a while it looked like the early Springbok exit of the World Cup would be bad news for their supporters, but the Lions silenced their critics by putting away to teams laden with Boks in both the semi-finals and the final.
The Lions have had a shocking decade. For a team that plays in the financial heart of South Africa, you’d expect them to be put out a team that conquers everything in front of it, New York Yankees style. Sadly, instead, long-suffering Lions fans have been tortured with poor coaching, poor management and poor squads.
So seeing Elton Jantjies flaying the Sharks on Saturday evening must be sweet comfort to Lions supporters. Elton was written off by many early in the season who tend to forget the basic rule of talent: that it needs to be nurtured with some experience. Jantjies looked the genuine article on Saturday getting his backs away and slotting his kicks – even with the disturbing spectre of having Hugh Bladen refer to him as a “boy” during the broadcast. Clearly Hugh never took lessons on class and taste in the new South Africa. Elton looked on form and the future of Bok rugby looks good when you consider that we have Lambo, Jantjies and Steyn with years left in them all pushing for the Bok flyhalf spot.
Rumour has it, Elton was seen celebrating at the Eagle Falls Spur restaurant until all hours of the night.
Well done Lions fans, bring your coffee mugs, smug grins and your middle fingers to work and show them proudly all week. You deserve it.
One of the advantages of using WordPress as your blogging software is that it provides some nifty statistics on the visitors to your site. As a visitor of our site, we thought it would be interesting to see the illustrious company you are keeping when it comes to your surfing habits.
Besides – we thought we’d do the WikiLeaks thing and share our secrets with our user base in protest against the government’s proposed Protection of Information Act.
“Right lads. Good showing, 25-17 up, we can bank that. There is just no way a Kiwi team is coming back from 8 points down. Believe me, I should know.
I’d say, fair enough, it’s time to rest on our laurels. I know we haven’t won a game yet this season, but it’s safe to say that this one is in the bag.
Elton? You listening? It’s going to be a long season, and we don’t need any big injuries. Take the foot off the gas boys, we’re in for a long ride, no point in spending all our energy once we’ve taken the lead.
Oh… and remember, you don’t need bonus points from penalties. That stuff is for the Stormers. If you’re less than 3 points behind and are given a shot goal bang in front of the posts, I want you to kick for the corner and set up the rolling maul. No worries that you’ve been smashed backwards at every tackle. Taking kicks instead of tries is for wussies.
It all makes sense now… no other explanation could given how the Lions butchered this one.
Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies indicates how many crucial kicks at goal he missed.
The Lions lost narrowly to the Bulls on Saturday, going down 24-20 but they showed enough promise to give hope to the long-suffering Lions’ fans that this season might just be different.
They started too slowly and Webster Elton Jantjies missed too many crucial kicks at goal, but they completely outplayed the Bulls in the second half after being down 24-5 at the break. Elton ‘Webster’ Jantjies can’t be blamed for the loss, as although he missed several vital shots at goal, he was also the spark that ignited their backline.
It was a far cry from the days of Jorrie Muller’s chip and chase – this Lions backline looked electric with the ball in hand. Webster delivered crisp flat passes that his backs were able to take at speed and with space to move. The Kiwi influence, from Mitchell to Spencer was evident in the Lions’ play, especially in the speed and threat of the latest Kiwi import, James Kamana.
It will be disappointing for the Lions to start off the season with a loss, especially in a match where they played so well. But there is a lot to take heart from here. With the change in the fixture list this season meaning that South African teams will play more games in the Republic than previously, the Lions can certainly target mid-table or higher this season.
Now if only Webster can rediscover his kicking form.