Golden Lions book home Currie Cup Semi-final

The Golden Lions have earned a home Currie Cup Semi-final by beating the Free State Cheetahs 47-7 with a bonus point at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The result means that the Sharks will travel to Johannesburg next week to take on the Lions.

The Blue Bulls will therefore travel to Newlands in Cape Town to play Western Province.

The hosts completely overshadowed the Cheetahs to bring the visitors’ 2014
Currie Cup campaign to an end in their final round-robin match of the season.

The Lions turned in another exciting performance as they scored three tries
on either side of the break.

The hosts played with width and bamboozled the Cheetahs defence with enterprising
backline play.

Going into the match the hosts needed a victory to deny the Sharks, who had
been snapping at their heels on the log, a home semi-final.

Any doubt that a semi-final would be hosted at Ellis Park Stadium was removed
by the half-hour mark with the Lions taking a 22-0 lead.

The Lions made their intent clear from the start when they opted for an attacking
lineout to set up a maul instead of going for a penalty conversion six minutes
into the match.

At the back of the advancing maul flanker Jaco Kriel made the touchdown with
flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff converting for the seven-point lead.

Four minutes later it was openside flanker Derick Minnie’s turn to get in on
the action as he showed some superb skills for his five-pointer.

Winger Ruan Combrinck made the initial breakthrough on the right-hand side
where gave a short pass to Minnie, who stepped to his outside and back in to
beat his man to score.

The Cheetahs had a few opportunities to close the gap but unforced errors stifled
their momentum and to further complicate matters, Springbok flanker Teboho Mohoje
copped a yellow card in the 21st minute.

Boshoff extended the Lions’ lead through a penalty conversion before the Johannesburg
side added their third try in the 29th minute.

Their third came courtesy of Combrinck, who sold a dummy to his inside before
he made a beeline for the line to score, while poor Cheetahs defence also aided
the Lions.

Ten minutes after the break the Cheetahs made a number of promising advances
on the gainline and were eventually rewarded in the 49th minute when scrumhalf
Sarel Pretorius scored from the back of a driving maul.

Their fightback, however, proved to be fleeting as the Lions shut the visitors
out and added three more tries to the scoresheet.

Four minutes after the Cheetahs opened their account, replacement flanker Warwick
Tecklenburg also dotted down from the back of a Lions driving maul for the bonus-point
try.

Boshoff’s placekicking made a further dent to the Cheetahs’ morale as he slotted
two penalty conversions four minutes apart.

With seven minutes on the clock centre Howard Mnisi added his side’s fifth
try of the night when he finished in the corner with Harold Vorster and Courtnall
Skosan both doing well to offload in the tackle.

To wrap up a convincing display, replacement hooker Akker van der Merwe scored
through a pick and go after Minnie made the initial break.

Final Score Golden Lions 47 Free State Cheetahs 7

Scorers

Golden Lions
Tries – J. Kriel, D. Minnie, R.Combrinck, W.Tecklenburg, H.Mnisi, A.van der Merwe
Pen – M. Boshoff 3
Con – M. Boshoff 4
Drop –
Cards –

Free State Cheetahs
Tries – S.Pretorius
Pen –
Con – W. du Plessis
Drop –
Cards – T.Mohoje

Teams

Golden Lions

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