The Fidelity ADT Lions secured top spot on the Carling Currie Cup log with a 10-try, 62-5 (halftime 31-0) mauling of the NovaVit Griffons at Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg on Friday evening.
The home side ran in five tries in each half with No 8 Jarod Cairns, wingers Rabz Maxwane and Boldwin Hansen as well as replacement flanker JC Pretorius all scoring a brace while lock Darrien Landsberg and flanker Renzo du Plessis added their mark to the score sheet.
Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter landed six conversions.
The Fidelity ADT Lions run riot in their last group stage game of the season 🦁🏉
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 6, 2024
How good has Jarod Cairns been in the #CarlingCurrieCup this season? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/6mce2L4G4N
The Griffons, who finished last in the Currie Cup without a win, kept fighting hard, both with ball in hand and on defense despite the 10-try scoreline.
The visitors were eventually rewarded with their solitary score on the hour mark as hooker Willem van der Hever crashed over after a good maul close to the tryline.
The Lions were on the scoresheet as early as the sixth minute when they secured turnover ball inside their own half, breaking up the field with Landsberg breaking through the Griffons' defence to open the scoring, with Wolhuter converting.
However, the visitors got stuck in and put the Lions on the backfoot, winning some scrum penalties which they were not able to turn into points.
The home side had to wait till midway through the first half for their second score when scrumhalf Nico Steyn placed a perfect box-kick which Maxwane was abled to win in the air as Cairns collected and raced away for an unconverted score.
A SIGHT TO BEHOLD
Du Plessis scored from a maul five metres out from the Griffons line before Maxwane's explosive running had him on the scoresheet too with the left winger coming across to the right, and bursting through - with pace - the Griffons defence to score the bonus-point try.
The home side rounded off the first half with their fifth try as centre Kelly Mpeku kicked the ball down field from inside his own 22m area which Hansen chased down, kicking ahead and managing to dot-down just before the dead-ball line to hand the Lions a 31-0 halftime lead.
Both sides moved the ball through the hands in the second half, but the Lions' handling skills were a sight to behold as the men from Egoli landed their sixth punch eight minutes after the restart with Maxwane landing his second score.
Replacement scrumhalf, Sanele Nohamba was busy after coming on for Steyn and setup the Lions' seventh try, kicking the ball downfield into open open space.
It looked to be a repeat as Hansen again chased and dotted down just short of the dead-ball line for his second try.
With the Griffons mauling their way over for their only score on the hour mark, the Lions still sat comfortably with a 38-point advantage, but they upped the ante as Pretorius scored from a maul close to the line before a brilliant dummy from Cairns saw the big No 8 go over close to the poles.
The home side finished off the game when Pretorius broke through a weak tackle to score his second try of the match, and his 6th Currie Cup try, with just a minute left on the clock.
The Lions will be eagerly watching the match between the Toyota Cheetahs and the Airlink Pumas to see who they will face in the Currie Cup semifinal.
Home semi-final confirmed 🤝, see you at Emirates Airline Park next weekend!
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) September 6, 2024
#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/2q1lBM2IcZ
SCORERS
FIDELITY ADT LIONS - Tries: Jarod Cairns (2), Rabz Maxwane (2), Boldwin Hansen (2), JC Pretorius (2), Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis; Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (6).
NOVAVIT GRIFFONS - Try: Willem van der Hever.