By picking up a sixth straight win in this year’s Currie Cup on Saturday, Johan Ackermann’s team are well on their way to topping the points table in a few weeks’ time.
With three home games to come – against the Sharks, Western Province and Griquas – and just one on the road – in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs – Ackermann’s team are in pole position to go all the way.
A first place finish will ensure they play a semi-final at Ellis Park and should they win that, they’ll also host the final.
The Lions’ closest rivals, the Bulls, whom they beat in a thriller at Loftus on Saturday, also look good to make the semis and possibly finish in second place, but they’ve got a far trickier run in.
They’re away to the WP this weekend and then travel to Durban for a date with the Sharks. In the penultimate week they’re at home to the EP Kings, but then finish with another away game – against the Pumas in Nelspruit.
Ackermann and his charges will be happy campers today after picking up their sixth win on the trot, but the coach will also know his side cannot afford to take the foot off the pedal, like they did on Saturday, in the coming weeks.
After racing into a commanding 30-0 lead before half-time following a dominant display against the young Bulls, the Lions nearly let slip their grip on the game by conceding four tries to their hosts, who at one staged closed to within five points of the visitors.
It was nervy stuff by the Lions, who’d looked in control for the whole first half, but the unerring boot of No10 Marnitz Boshoff sealed the deal with a late penalty, putting his side eight points in the clear.
But, just as much as the Lions will be ruing their second half showing, the Bulls will be wondering what went wrong in the opening 40.
The good news for coach Nollis Marais is his side managed to pick up a bonus point for scoring four tries and are still very much in the race to secure a top two finish.
The Lions are on 29 and the Bulls on 25 points.
Western Province will also believe they’re still in the race for a home semi-final after downing the Sharks in Durban, but with matches against both the Lions and Bulls to come will do well to unseat their challengers from Gauteng.
The race for the final semi-finals place could be the most intriguing over the next few weeks with the Sharks (13 points), Cheetahs (12) and Pumas (9) all in the hunt. All three teams are struggling for consistency and not only was it the Sharks who let things slip at the weekend, but the Cheetahs and Pumas, too.
The men from Mpumalanga came unstuck in Kimberley as Griquas recorded their first win of the competition, while the other surprising result came in Port Elizabeth as the Kings also won for the first time this year.
Lions v Bulls - The shoot-out continues
Not only are the two Gauteng sides fighting it out for top spot in the Currie Cup standings, but the teams’ respective No10s are also involved in a duel to top the point-scoring charts.
After the weekend’s thriller at Loftus Versfeld the Bulls’ Tian Schoeman is top of the pile with 96 points, from one try, 20 conversions and 17 penalties. Hot on his heels though is the Lions’ Marnitz Boshoff who has 22 conversions, 14 penalties and three drop-goals for a total of 95 points. Back in third place is the Sharks’ Joe Pietersen, with 76 points.
Results
Bulls 28, Lions 36; Sharks 27, WP 37; Griquas 32, Pumas 15; Kings 32, Cheetahs 24
Fixtures
Friday: Pumas v Kings; WP v Bulls
Saturday: Lions v Sharks; Cheetahs v Griquas - The Star