- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Lions
36
Match Complete
Rebels
33
| G. Lombard |  | 81 | ||
| E. Jantjies |  | 64 | ||
| C. Skosan |  | 63 | ||
| E. Jantjies | | 56 | ||
| L. Mapoe | | 55 | ||
| E. Jantjies | | 54 | ||
| A. Coetzee | | 52 | ||
| E. Jantjies | | 50 | ||
| M. Schoeman | | 49 | ||
| 42 | | Q. Cooper | ||
| 41 | | T. English | ||
| 23 | | Q. Cooper | ||
| 22 | | I. Naisarani | ||
| 20 | | Q. Cooper | ||
| 19 | | B. Meakes | ||
| 13 | | Q. Cooper | ||
| 11 | | Q. Cooper | ||
| 7 | | R. Hodge | ||
| M. Marx | | 4 |
| 5 | Tries | 5 | ||
| 4 | Conversions | 4 | ||
| 1 | Penalty Goals | 0 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
Show Preview
The Rebels have let a chance to remain undefeated slip, allowing the Lions to snatch a three-point win in a thrilling match in Johannesburg.
Final score
Lions 36
Rebels 33
Rugby hearts are heavy because a great tragedy has unfolded in one of rugby’s heartlands.
South Africans, including the Melbourne Rebels’ coach Dave Wessels, know the numb feeling of the aftermath of mass violence all too well.
A great hand of friendship to our Muslim friends and neighbours; we stand with you, as well as refugees in general; rugby has always been a sport wanting to be global and show love in the midst of war and conflict.
The rugby will go on. This week, a reverse in script.
The visiting (and unbeaten) Rebels will field the bigger pack, seek to maul the smaller Saffas, and hope to win collisions.
The Lions will look to up the tempo, with the most sub-100 kg forwards in the comp, and continue the attacking flow shown against the Jaguares. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog, starting from 12:05am AEDT.
Lions’ mad scientist Swys de Bruin is the more innovative of the two coaches; backing young players and playing small ball.
Aussies should keep an eye on the super-talented youngster Tyrone Green at fullback, quicksilver centre Wandisile Simelane and rookie Vincent Tshituka.
Kwagga Smith and his loose forward mates are faster than the Lion halves, but also quick to infringe.
The Rebels are organised. You would think with Will Genia and Quade Cooper at the helm, it would be fireworks. But this season it’s set pieces, tactical kicking, smart decisions, resilience, and winning.
Add the educated boots of Reece Hodge and Dane Haylett-Petty to the Wessels mix, and you have Saffa-style Aussies playing Aussie-ish Lions.
The Lions will have to exert a much more manly version of maul defence this week, after ushering the Jags politely to take three tries from lineout drives last weekend.
Part of the problem is weight. The Lions are light. You can overcome that in the scrum with angles and core strength. A maul: mass is persuasive.
The Rebels will want to build more space between them and the chasing Aussie conference, by digging for log point gold.
The Lions will want to exploit the bye week for the Bulls and Sharks to stake their claim.
The Lions have never lost to the Rebels, and tend to smoke overseas visitors, usually scoring 40 or more.
Two very different styles clash. Can the Rebels win four in a row? Can they limit the Lions’ offloading? Can the Lions stop the Rebel maul?
When Elton Jantjies is on song, the Lions’ strike runners like Ruan Combrinck and Courtnall Skosan usually score easy tries.
Prediction
Lions by five tries to three.
Lions
15 Tyrone Green, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Franco Naude, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (c), 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Rhyno Herbst, 20 Ruan Vermaak, 21 Gianni Lombard, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Andries Coetzee.
Rebels
15 Dane Haylett-Petty (c), 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Tom English, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Brad Wilkin, 6 Rob Leota, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Matt Philip, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Robbie Abel, 1 Matt Gibbon.
Subs: 16 Anaru Rangi, 17 Tetera Faulkner, 18 Jermaine Ainsley, 19 Luke Jones, 20 Ross Haylett-Petty, 21 Richard Hardwick, 22 Michael Ruru, 23 Reece Hodge.
Hide Preview
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.