A big kick for a big moment
Combrinck's definitive kick just before the final whistle barely made it over the crossbar but it was enough to seal a hard-fought victory
He was not even supposed to take the penalty but when Ruan Combrinck put his foot down‚ he gave flight to the Lions’ last throw of the dice in their Super Rugby quarterfinal against the Sharks on Saturday. The monster penalty attempt 3m inside his own half and on the angle was not his best strike‚ but the ball was willed on by a crowd that had seen their usually marauding side reduced to a stutter by a resilient Sharks team effort. The kick barely made it over the crossbar but it was enough to seal a hard-fought 23-21 victory and set up a meeting with the Hurricanes in the semifinal at Ellis Park this weekend. "I thought maybe we should go for the corner and see if we could get a penalty closer‚" said Lions coach Johan Ackermann about Combrinck’s insistence on taking the kick with three minutes left on the clock. "But Commies was in no doubt. He was so adamant he wanted to kick and credit to him he did it." The Lions were removed from their comfort zone by the spirited Sharks and ha...
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