JOHANNESBURG – The Lions rediscovered their bite at Ellis Park on Saturday, mauling the Sharks 34-22 in a rescheduled United Rugby Championship encounter that announced their return to the playoff conversation. After the humiliation of their last outing against the Bulls, this was exactly the response Ivan van Rooyen’s men needed; powerful, purposeful, and punctuated by four clinical tries that catapulted them back into the URC top eight.
From the opening whistle, the Lions meant business. Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg set the tempo with a scything break through the heart of the Sharks’ defence, telegraphing his side’s intentions to attack at pace and with venom. Chris Smith, who would go on to etch his name in the URC record books, got the scoreboard ticking with an early three-pointer.
The Sharks responded as you’d expect from a side fresh off back-to-back victories over the Stormers. They camped on the Lions’ 22-metre line, with Jurenzo Julius, who would later earn glowing praise from coach JP Pietersen, probing the defensive line with dangerous carries. When Bronson Mills held on too long at the ruck, the Durbanites capitalised. They found touch, set up a driving maul, and hooker Fez Mbatha burrowed over for the opening try. Siya Masuku’s conversion handed the visitors a 7-3 advantage.
But heroes and villains in rugby are often separated by mere seconds. Mbatha, fresh from crossing the whitewash, became the culprit when he failed to roll away at the breakdown. Smith gratefully accepted the three points on offer, narrowing the gap to 7-6.
The pivotal moment arrived on the half-hour mark when Jaden Hendrikse saw yellow for cynical play. The Lions, smelling blood, wasted no time exploiting their numerical advantage. Big prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye produced a moment of magic, breaking away from behind a ruck and storming over the line. Smith’s conversion pushed the hosts ahead 13-7.
The floodgates began to creak open. Van den Berg, pulling the strings magnificently all afternoon, delivered a perfectly weighted grubber that Kelly Mpeku, soon to be crowned Man of the Match, collected before feeding his scrumhalf for the second try. Smith’s conversion was more than just two points; it took his URC tally to 39, making him the competition’s top points scorer.
The altitude was clearly taking its toll on the Sharks’ forwards, who huffed and puffed while the Lions pack relentlessly drove forward. Playing a man down without Hendrikse, who returned two minutes before the break, the visitors were under siege. They did manage to reduce the deficit to 20-13 at halftime after Mills was binned for a high tackle and Masuku slotted the resulting penalty, but the damage was done.
The second half began with the Lions turning the screw. Their forwards operated in waves, battering away at the Sharks’ defence with pick-and-go after pick-and-go. Siba Mahashe eventually muscled over from close range, extending the lead to 27-13 despite the Lions being down to 14 men.
Zimbabwean international Tino Mavasere hit back for the Sharks from a well-executed lineout drive, but Masuku’s missed conversion left them trailing by 12 points. When Ruan Venter crossed for the Lions’ bonus-point try minutes later, the writing was on the wall. The Sharks, missing a host of their Springbok stars, looked a shadow of the side that had dominated the Stormers twice in succession.
Franco Marais became the third player to see yellow when he was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle, but by then the Lions were cruising at 34-15 with ten minutes remaining. The Sharks desperately chased respectability. Julius thought he’d scored a brilliant solo effort, slicing through the middle before combining with Aphelele Fassi, but TMO replays revealed Mavasere had stepped in front of a defender, and the try was chalked off.
The final minutes descended into farce as the Lions ran down the clock while the Sharks committed a succession of unforced errors in their desperation. Even after the hooter, the visitors pressed for a consolation score, and they finally got it when their winger dotted down to make the final score 34-22.
Kelly Mpeku earned Man of the Match honours for a performance that saw him comprehensively outplay Springbok flyer Edwill van der Merwe, winning the aerial battle and beating defenders with precision footwork. His display epitomised the Lions’ collective hunger to make amends for their previous setback.
Sharks coach JP Pietersen didn’t mince words. “It’s pretty poor if you look at our performance,” he admitted. “We did some good stuff, but we can’t back it up. It’s one positive and then two negatives.”
Pietersen identified a leadership vacuum created by the absence of several senior Springboks. “The other individuals need to step up. Some of them are in transition and learning to become leaders, but that’s part of the process.”
He did, however, single out Julius for special praise. “He was very good today. I love the way he backs himself. His decision-making was good and he showed what he can do at 12. In the modern game you need to play more than one position. If he can master 13 and 12, he’s a proper weapon for us.”
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen was understandably buoyant after watching his side deliver such a comprehensive response. “Not the perfect performance, but we were clearly bitterly disappointed after the last performance against the Bulls, so to walk away with five points, really proud, really happy.”
The set-piece, which had been brutally exposed by the Bulls, showed marked improvement. “I think we were a lot better and a lot more effective there today. We had the ability to put them under a bit of pressure. I felt there were some really good solutions today, so I’m really proud of the players.”
This victory makes the Lions genuine playoff contenders. The Johannesburg pride is awake and dangerous.
