THE FINAL WHISTLE
MARK KEOHANE: Lions do their thing and triumph while Stormers do their thing to banish bad memory
Bloemfontein and Cape Town provide the best and the worst of SA’s Super Rugby action, writes Mark Keohane
The best of SA’s Super Rugby challenge was evident in the last 20 minutes in Bloemfontein and the first 30 minutes in Cape Town. Whether the best will prove to be good enough as the season unfolds is debatable but for now, the Lions did what they had to do, which was to win, and the Stormers did what they had to do, which was to banish the memory of the 2016 quarterfinal embarrassment against New Zealand’s Chiefs. The Lions struggled against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein but they still triumphed. It is always said the very good teams win when they should not and often find a way to beat the clock as much as they do an opponent. The Cheetahs, whose provincial namesake won the 2016 Currie Cup, led 16-6 with 20 minutes to play. The momentum was also with the home team for much of the match, but momentum alone is not a match winner. The Lions, boasting eight current Springboks, showcased the lessons of being a year older and wiser in how their individuals played the bigger moments. Two o...
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