Lions thrashed the Waratahs 55-36 in a pulsating exhibition of rugby at Emirates Airlines Stadium in Johannesburg.
This was Super Rugby at its best: you score, we score. There were eight tries in the first half alone, as the teams went in at the break 33-24.
Rohan Janse van Rensburg scored his second brace in two weeks and Elton Jantjies, who had a great day with the boot, kicked 15 points.
The Lions were dominant in the scrum and line-out, scoring four of their first five tries from the set-piece. Conversely, the Waratahs were not.
The Tahs didn’t help themselves with two yellow cards in the first half and poor execution in the second, which the Lions used to their advantage, gifting them the win.
Next week in Round 3 the Lions travel to Buenos Aires to play the Jaguares while the Waratahs play the Sharks in Durban.
More to follow…
Final Score Lions 55 (33) Waratahs 29 (24)
Scorers
Lions
Tries – Whiteley, Ackermann, Janse van Rensburg (2), Coetzee, Cronje, Mahuza, Marx
Pen –
Con – Jantjies (6)
Drop – Jantjies
Cards – Mostert (Yellow, 57th minute)
Waratahs
Tries – Horne, Hooper, Hegarty, McDuling, Folau
Pen – Robinson
Con – Robinson (4), Hegarty (1)
Drop –
Cards – (2) Robinson (Yellow, 1oth minute), Kepu (Yellow, 31st minute)
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant Ref 1:Quinton Immelman
Assistant Ref 2: Stuart Berry
TMO :Johan Greeff
Teams
Lions
Jacques v Rooyen,2. Robbie Coetzee,3. Ruan Dreyer,4. Andries Ferreira,5. Franco Mostert,6. Jaco Kriel,7. Ruan Ackermann,8. Warren Whiteley ©,9. Ross Cronje,10. Elton Jantjies,11. Courtnall Skosan,12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg,13. Harold Vorster,14. Lionel Mapoe,15. Andries Coetzee
Replacements : Malcolm Marx,17. Dylan Smith,18. Johannes Jonker,19. Lourens Erasmus,20. Kwagga Smith,21. Faf de Klerk,22. Sylvian Mahuza,23. Jaco vd Walt
Waratahs
15 Andrew Kellaway 14 Reece Robinson, 13 Israel Folau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bryce Hegarty, 9 Matt Lucas, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Jack Dempsey, 5 Senio Toleafoa , 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Paddy Ryan, 18 David Lolohea, 19 David McDuling, 20 AN Other, 21 AN Other, 22 David Horwitz, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro
