Blues thump Lions
The Blues gave the Lions a lesson in fluid running and passing on Saturday night, easily beating the Johannesburg side 55-10 at Ellis park.
The Blues gave the Lions a lesson in fluid running and passing on Saturday night, easily beating the Johannesburg side 55-10 at Ellis park.
The side from Auckland scored seven tries to one and totally outclassed Lions, with fly-half Nick Evans landing 25 points, to confirm their status as one of the teams to beat in this year's Super14.
Both teams showed their willingness to throw the ball around from the onset and ran the ball from inside their 22 right from the start.
But there was only ever one it team in with a shout. The Blues were clinical in their finishing and the Lions missed more tackles than they had players on the field.
Evans showed his class after just six minutes – breaking the line and making 35 metres on his own. Joe Rokocoko steadied, and then Kurtis Haiu dived over for his first try to make it 5-0.
Evans slotted the conversion and things were already looking ominous for the home side.
It was bit loose at the break-down from both teams early on, but that played into the hands of the Blues whose handling was immaculate.
Lions scrum-half Jano Vermaak started well with two good kicks, one of which put Blues full-back Nacewa under pressure who had no choice but to hang-on inside his 22. The Blues came in from the side of the maul and Louis Strydom kicked the penalty for the Lions' only points of the half.
Then the Lions' half-backs undid all their good work. Between Vermaak and Strydom they managed to kick the ball out on the full three times within five minutes and the New Zealanders punished then with the ensuing possession.
A minute after kicking over a penalty, Evans crossed the try line. Centre Isaia Toeava broke the Lions line to put his fly-half in for an easy try.
That the Blues needed to make only four passes between break-down to the try line was an indication of how they were tearing the Lions defence apart.
In two more minutes Evans had converted his try and flanker Jerome Kaino had added five more points. Evans never missed a kick all night and after 25 minutes it was 24-3 to the visitors. The game was as good as over.
Such was the confidence of the Blues back-line that full-back Nacewa attempted a drop goal from nearly 40 metres out. His kick was unsuccessful but it didn't really matter.
The Lions lacked any kind of fluency when attacking and were never able to string more than four or five passes together. A few times the Jo'burg side looked like they might get close, but that final pass always went astray.
The Lions' tackling wasn't any better. Four times they missed crucial tackles and thereby conceded tries.
The second half started the way the first ended as the Blues number eight Nick Williams scored an awesome try. Centre Benson Stanley side-stepped through a gap in the Lions defence and run 45 meters. Williams then simply ran straight over three Lions defenders to score the try of the night.
After 65 minutes Toeava simply ran around Jaco Pretorius to illustrate the difference in class between the two sides. By then the Lions had made 70 tackles and had missed 17! The Blues had only needed to make 30.
In the last 20 minutes the Blues seemed to be taking it easy. The game became a little boring, purely because the Lions had all the possession but never, ever, looked dangerous and made error after error.
Two more tries followed for the Blues as they punished the Lions mistakes before replacement wing Jaco van Schalkwyk scored a last minute consolation try for the home side.
There were few positives the Lions could take away from the game.
Earl Rose showed his capacity for attacking when he came on in place of Strydom and captain Cobus Grobbelaar showed confidence in his scrum, which was steady against the much lauded Blues pack.
The Blues are without doubt one of the strongest teams in this competition and their clash with the Crusaders on April 25 is a mouth watering prospect.
Man of the match: Jerome Kaino was brilliant both in attack and defence and he scored an outstanding try. However, with a personal tally of 25
points Nick Evans confirmed that he is one of the best fly-halves in the world.
Moment of the match: Jerome Kaino's step 'n go follow by a run that carved through the Lions defence was something special. But, Nick Williams' try will go down as one of the best in the Super 14 so far, the Lions will want to forget it quickly.
Villain of the match: Apart from a few handbags at five paces, nothing serious to report.
Scorers:
For the Blues:
Tries:Haiu 2, Evans, Kaino, Nacewa, Williams,Wulf
Cons: Evans 7,
Pens: Evans 2
For the Lions:
Pen:Strydom
Try: Van Schalkwyk
Con: Jonk
Yellow Card: Tuitavake (dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Lions: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Dusty Noble, 13 Jaco Pretorius (v/c), 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Gavin Williamson, 17 Gert Andries van der Merwe, 18 Alten Hulme, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Earl Rose, 22 Jaco van Schalkwyk.
Blues: 15 Isa Nacewa, 14 Anthony Tuitavake, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Lee, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Justin Collins, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Troy Flavell (c), 4. Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Nick White, 18 Bryn Evans, 19 Onosa'i Tololima-Auva'a, 20 Taniela Moa, 21 Ben Atiga, 22 Rudi Wulf
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Television match official: Johan Meuwesen (South Africa)
Assessor: Banks Yantolo (South Africa))