Golden Lions defeat defending champions Natal Sharks to lift Currie Cup title – Rugby News
Johannesburg based South African provincial Rugby Union outfit, Golden Lions, have defeated the defending champions, Natal Sharks, in the final of the 2011 ABSA Currie Cup competition to win
their first South African Premier domestic Rugby Union tournament in 12 years.
Lions last won the title in 1999 as they defeated Sharks by three tries to one. Lions finished as the leaders of the Currie Cup table at the end of the round matches with 50 points. This helped
them to register home final against the Sharks.
This was the fifth time both teams faced each other in the final of the Currie Cup competition, with both teams winning twice each. Lions defeated Sharks 42 – 16 at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg.
This was the first instance in which the team hosting the Currie Cup final between the two teams has actually won the game. In the past it was the other way around, as the visiting team ended
up defeating the hosts to lift the title.
Lions played like a coherent unit throughout the 2011 season, which other teams failed to do because the international commitment of several of their key players of clubs from the South African
domestic circuit.
Lions star fly half, Elton Jantjies, was named as the Man of the Match, although it was overall a team effort, Jantjies error free goal kicking helped Lions to keep on scoring throughout the
match.
Jantjies kicked five penalties, a drop goal and three conversions to finish the match with 24 points. His counterpart, Sharks former French international fly half Frederic Michalak, scored
most of the points in the match by the Sharks. Michalak scored 11 of Sharks 16 points in the match comprising of three penalties and a conversion. In addition to Michalak, Willem Alberts’ try points were the only other points scored by the Sharks in the game.
For Lions, besides Jantjies, Jaco Taute, Michael Killian and Pat Cilliers contributed in their team’s score. The trio of Jaco Taute, Michael Killian and Pat Cilliers scored a try each for the
Lions. Taute also scored a successful penalty.
The win is Lions first title win at the home soil since 1950.
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