Johannesburg - The Golden Lions annexed the 2015 Absa Currie Championship with a well-taken 32-24 victory over last season's champions Western Province in the final in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon after leading 22-10 at the break.
The Lions laid the foundation for a win with a strong first-half display midway through the half with a three-try burst and Province were left chasing the game after that setback.
The Lions showed great intent at the start and they managed to impose themselves on the match even they had to contend with a few strong plays by Province to reverse the flow of the match.
After holding the upper hand in the opening 12 minutes when they pinned Province down in their own half, they came away empty-handed after they were twice stopped just short of the whitewash.
To add to their woes, their place-kicker Marnitz Boshoff missed to two early kickable penalties. Last week, at the same venue, flyhalf Boshoff, who boasts a 94% accuracy rate this season was on target with nine successive kicks on goal.
Once Province managed to transfer play to the Lions' half, they were unable to look after their possession and they were punished severely, as three telling counter-attacks ended in tries over a 16-minute passage of play. Boshoff goaled twice for a splendid 19-point haul.
Province were presented with opportunities to stage a fight back which could have made an impact on the scoreboard. Instead, they knocked on, missed penalties, lost line-outs and then wasted penalties by kicking it into the in-goal area.
Province flyhalf Robert du Preez eventually goaled a 26th-minute penalty and then a minute after the halftime siren sounded he streaked through a gap in the Lions backline to score next to posts.
His conversion reduced the deficit to 12 points as the teams headed to the dressing rooms (22-10).
The early second-half play was fast and furious in a matter of six minutes, a try was scored at either end.
First Lions outside centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg scored and three minutes later Province No 8 crashed over. Both tries were converted to restore the 12-point difference at 29-17.
Play in the ensuing stages was fairly patchy and defences held but the Lions increased their lead with a 56th-minute penalty by Boshoff to stretch the lead to 15 points (32-17).
Province responded with a series of storming drives upfield and just when it seemed they could breach the defence a pass went astray with the try line in sight.
However, they made their ascendancy count with a try by Sikhumbuzo Notshe off the back of a driving maul in the 62nd minute. Replacement pivot Kurt Coleman converted splendidly (32-24).
Province threatened in patches but never looked like breaking down the Lions' defence again as they set off in search of nine points to upstage the Lions in the closing stages of the match.
Scorers: Golden Lions 32 (22): Tries: Ross Cronje (2), Warren Whiteley, Rohan Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (3). Penalties: Boshoff (2) Western Province 24 (10): Tries: Robert du Preez, Nizaam Carr, Sikhumbuzo Notshe. Conversions: Du Preez (2), Kurt Coleman. Penalty: Du Preez - ANA