Kudos to Ackermann’s warriors

The Lions' win against the Chiefs could prove to be a watershed moment for them as they continue on their winning start to the competition.

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It was the Lions that probably produced the result of the weekend with an historic 36-32 win against the Chiefs for their maiden victory in Hamilton.

The Lions' win could prove to be a watershed moment for them as they continue on their winning start to the competition after playing two matches away from home.

It is too early in the competition to predict whether Johan Ackermann’s side will be title contenders but their hard- fought victory signalled their intent to go far this season, especially when they eventually return home.

But the Lions were not the only South African franchise to shine over the weekend as the Bulls showed glimpses of what a good side they can be if allowed to flourish in their new and expansive approach.

Playing at home for the first time this season after their 33-9 demolition at the hands of the Stormers last weekend, the men in blue were a pleasure to watch with ball in hand with the interchange between forwards and backs producing an astronomical six tries in less than an hour against the Melbourne Rebels.

It seems as if the Bulls have rectified the weakness of their scrum and to a lesser extent their line-out but it was their use of the width of the field to express themselves that yielded great returns.

What would have been a concern to coach Nollis Marais in the aftermath of their 45-25 victory will be how easily his team capitulated in the last quarter of the game, allowing the Rebels four tries and denying themselves a crucial bonus point.

The Stormers again impressed with the maturity with which they went about dismantling a stubborn Cheetahs team in Bloemfontein to remain unbeaten in their first two games of the season.

In the past three years, the Cheetahs have proven to be the Stormers hoodoo team in the Free State capital.

This time the Stormers gave the passionate Cheetahs the necessary respect.

What ultimately separated the sides was the abundance of experience within the Stormers ranks.

In the end it took a team effort for Robbie Fleck’s men to finally break their unenviable string of bad results in Bloemfontein but the win should be used as a stepping-stone to reaching greater heights.

The Cheetahs, on the other hand, will need to persist with their refreshing approach to the game and while the season might be long, it will be key for coach Franco Smith to keep the fire burning in the bellies of his young charges.

The Sharks were also made to toil hard for their 19-15 win over the Jaguares in Durban and it would have been a vital win in reinforcing their belief against a side that is expected to be the undoing of several of the competition’s established and decorated teams.

In the build-up to the game it was the Sharks who spoke frankly about the potential of the encounter being played with the same intensity of a Test match and as much as the Argentinians were found wanting in the set-piece, they remained a constant threat until the end.

There was little glitz and glamour in the performances of both teams but what stood out was how the Sharks dominated the set-pieces and kept a cool head against a team whose obvious weakness is their inability to stay disciplined. - The Star