The Lions roared to a 46-5 victory over the Sharks to help numb the bitter taste lingering from their Currie Cup final defeat last year against the same opponents.
This time, the Lions did not take the foot off the pedal and kept the young visitors under constant pressure by beating them to the punch in most facets.
The Lions were more assertive upfront, showing their claws in the scrums and at the breakdown, while their bite was keenly felt in the back division.
What will be concerning for the Sharks is that their defence was unlocked by several different means. They were exposed from broken play, from first phase possession, and the Lions also hurt them from deep, as evidenced with debutant Angelo Davids’s try in the 51st minute.
The Sharks hoofed the ball ahead, allowing Lions fullback Gianni Lombard to gather before passing to flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela. He sent the ball wide, where centre Rynhardt Jonker and No 8 WJ Steenkamp provided impetus before the burly Davids successfully stretched for the tryline.
The Sharks undermined their own cause by too frequently falling on the wrong side of the law. Yellow cards to Khuthi Rasivhaga and Jean Smith hurt them early in the second half.
Lions flank Jarod Cairns and captain Jaco Visagie toiled tirelessly, while Steenkamp’s support play was exemplary. He delivered two final passes that helped secure the hosts’ tries either side of the break.
Substitute backrower Renzo du Plessis made some timely interventions in the second half.
In midfield, Jonker made some telling contributions but the player that left the biggest impression in the first half was left-wing Rabz Maxwane, who ran in two tries.
The Sharks only made it onto the scoreboard in the 68th minute, when wing Phiko Sobahle profited from a Kade Wolhuter error.
The Lions, however, quickly reminded that they were the dominant force when they again found the Sharks wanting down the left. This time, Davids had two inside runners to pick from, and he sought and found Jonker, which stunningly underlined the Lions’ superiority on the day.
In Cape Town, the Bulls used power and precision to overwhelm Western Province in the first half of their Currie Cup opener. The visiting forwards performed much of the heavy lifting by ruthlessly maximising opportunity when it presented itself en route to a 48-23 win.
Their marauding maul, towering line-out and solid scrums were too much for WP as they took a 38-16 lead into the break.
No 8 Jeandre Rudolph displayed his warrior qualities, while the hosts also felt the wrath of former WP loose forward Nama Xaba and erstwhile Cheetah, Junior Pokomela.
WP came alive in the second half but, by then, the Bulls’ wagons were well over the Hex River Pass with their five log-point loot.
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