Lions lead the way in the Currie Cup

The Fidelity ADT Lions are the new leaders on the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division log after the two top teams after the second round, the Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, both lost their first games of the season to shake up the standings.

The Lions, Suzuki Griquas, and the DHL Stormers XXIII all registered home wins in round three, while the Airlink Pumas were the only travelling side to emerge victorious.

Griquas held off a spirited late fightback from the Cheetahs for a 24-21 victory in their clash in Kimberley on Friday evening. The defending champions scored four tries to three and showed great composure in a tense finish.

The Stormers XXIII, who suffered a heavy defeat to the Kavaliers the previous week, bounced back to winning ways with a 36-28 bonus-point triumph over the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. The hosts crossed for five tries and collected a valuable five log points on Saturday.

In Saturday's second fixture at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg, the Lions proved too strong for the struggling Vodacom Bulls XV, powering to a 42-19 victory in the latest instalment of the Jukskei Derby.

The weekend's action concluded on Sunday afternoon in Wellington, where the Pumas produced an impressive performance to defeat Boland by 20-15, ending the Winelanders’ winning streak.

After three rounds, the Lions occupy top spot on the log with 12 points, one ahead of Griquas, who are level on log points with the Cheetahs but the holders have a superior points’ differential.

The Kavaliers dropped to fourth place on 10 points, one more than the Stormers XXIII. The Airlink Pumas moved up to seven points, followed by the Sharks XV on six, while the Bulls XV have collected only a single point.

Friday evening’s central derby in Kimberley between Griquas and their neighbours from Bloemfontein delivered a thrilling contest. The Cheetahs struck first through Simon Miller but Griquas responded with a devastating spell before the break as Tiaan Lange, Carl Els and Bobby Alexander crossed to establish a 17-7 advantage.

The visitors fought back strongly after the interval through Marko Janse van Rensburg and Prince Nkabinde but a second try by Lange ultimately proved decisive as the defending champions held on by three points on their home turf. The Cheetahs had Faf de Klerk and Juan Venter yellow-carded during the encounter, which didn’t help their cause.

The Stormers XXIII recovered impressively from last week's setback in Wellington to claim a five-try bonus-point victory in Cape Town on Saturday. The Sharks XV opened the scoring through Lyle Matthews, but the hosts responded through Vernon Paulo and Wandile Mlaba to take control.

Ross Braude's try brought the KwaZulu-Natalians level before Junior Bok midfielder Markus Muller restored the hosts’ lead before the break.

A Kyle Smith penalty extended the advantage before another Junior Bok, front-ranker Rambo Kubheka, scored to narrow the gap for the visitors. However, second-half scores by Josh Boulle and Xola Nyali pushed the hosts clear before Liam van Wyk, another member of the recent triumphant SA U20 squad, grabbed a late consolation try for the visitors.

The Lions dominated the Jukskei Derby from the outset, overwhelming the Bulls XV with physicality and precision.

Ruan Delport opened the scoring before Conraad van Vuuren added a second for the hosts. Morne Venter and Mahle Sithole also crossed before the interval as the Lions built a commanding 28-0 half-time lead. The home team struck again immediately after the restart and eventually finished with six tries to three.

The Bulls XV managed second-half tries through their forwards, with Junior Bok flanker Kebotile Maake among the scorers, but they never seriously threatened a comeback as the Joburgers completed a comprehensive victory despite having Jarod Cairns yellow-carded for a high tackle on the stroke of half-time.

On Sunday, the Pumas claimed their first victory of the season with a hard-fought win over the Kavaliers in Wellington, ending the hosts’ unbeaten home run stretching back to last year with Nevaldo Fleurs contributing 15 of the visitors’ points.

The Kavaliers struggled for accuracy and discipline throughout the contest, conceding 12 penalties in the first half and losing two players to the sin bin – Kwanda Dimaza was yellow-carded early in the match, while James Tedder also spent time off the field after a high tackle.

Despite their difficulties, the men from Wellington took the lead midway through the first half when Xavier Mitchell finished off a well-taken cross-kick from Chris Smit. However, the visitors responded through scrumhalf Thomas Bursey after capitalising on a loose ball from a high kick to carry a 10-5 advantage into the break.

Fleurs, who added the conversion to an earlier penalty goal, scored a converted try early in the second half, to push the visitors further ahead.

Dayan van der Westhuizen’s converted try then narrowed the gap to 17-12 but Fleurs gave his team an eight-point lead with his second penalty 10 minutes from time, before a late penalty from Jaydon Bantom ensure the hosts grabbed a losing bonus point from the contest.

Scores

Suzuki Griquas 24 (17), Toyota Cheetahs 21 (7)

Griquas – Tries: Tiaan Lange (2), Carl Els, Bobby Alexander. Conversions: George Whitehead (2).

Cheetahs – Tries: Simon Miller, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Prince Nkabinde. Conversions: Cohen Jasper (3).

DHL Stormers XXIII 36 (19), Hollywoodbets Sharks XV 28 (14)

Stormers XXIII – Tries: Vernon Paulo, Wandile Mlaba, Markus Muller, Josh Boulle, Xola Nyali. Conversions: Kyle Smith (4). Penalty: Smith.

Sharks XV – Tries: Lyle Matthews, Ross Braude, Rambo Kubheka, Liam van Wyk. Conversions: Tim Swiel (3), Luan Giliomee.

Fidelity ADT Lions 42 (28), Vodacom Bulls XV 19 (0)

Lions – Tries: Ruan Delport, Conraad van Vuuren, Morne Venter, Mahle Sithole, Dylan Sjoblom, Asad Moos. Conversions: Sam Francis (6).

Bulls XV – Tries: Kebotile Maake, Devon Williams, Riyaad Bam. Conversions: Keagan Johannes (2).

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 15 (5), Airlink Pumas 20 (10)

Boland – Tries: Xavier Mitchell, Dayan van der Westhuizen. Conversion: James Tedder. Penalty: Jayden Bantom.

Pumas – Tries: Thomas Bursey, Nevaldo Fleurs. Conversions: Fleurs (2). Penalties: Fleurs (2).