Ruan Venter notched a hat-trick of tries while Bronson Mills scored 20 points as the Lions thrashed the Pumas in the Currie Cup in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Leading 27-5 at half time, the Lions scored four tries either side of the break in a bonus-point 55-12 rout at Ellis Park, making it two wins on the trot for Mziwakhe Nkosi’s charges following a round 5 victory against Griquas in Kimberley last week.
The Highveld victory was a second mauling by the Lions in this year’s edition of rugby’s oldest competition of Jimmy Stonehouse’s men, who leaked 10 tries in a second-round clash between the teams in Nelspruit.
First-half tries from outside centre Kelly Mpeku, scrumhalf Nico Steyn, blindside flanker Venter and flyhalf Mills, who also kicked two conversions and a penalty, powered the hosts in front on Saturday afternoon.
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Speedster Phiko Sobahle dotted down in the fifth minute for the visitors’ only points of the opening stanza, with Pumas inside centre Clinton Swart seeing yellow before the close of the first quarter.
The men from Mpumalanga drew first blood after the restart when right winger Darren Adonis crossed the whitewash, and Swart added the extras.
But Venter barged over the tryline twice from close range, and Mills was on song from the kicking tee for both touchdowns, to extend the home side’s advantage on the scoreboard to 41-12.
Lions No 8 Jarod Cairns added his name to the scoresheet as the match entered the final 20 minutes, with replacement Sibabalo Qoma banking the eighth try in an emphatic win for the Pride on home soil.
The Lions will refocus for a visit from DHL Western Province in seven days’ time while the Pumas host frontrunners the Vodacom Bulls at Mbombela Stadium on Friday.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
