Angelo Davids turned Ellis Park into his personal playground, scampering over the line four times to catapult the Lions into the Currie Cup final, leaving the Boland Cavaliers trampled in the dust with a 67-19 thrashing. The Lions, brimming with URC talent, unleashed a nine-try bonanza to secure their spot in yet another domestic showdown.
The game kicked off with the Lions setting a blistering pace. Centre Henco van Wyk and ex-Stormers flyer Davids each bagged a pair of tries early on, setting the tone for a dominant display. Former Bulls flyhalf Chris Smith was masterful with the boot, slotting a penalty and three conversions to widen the gap to a daunting 29-0.
The Lions' rampage didn't let up as prop SJ Kotze bulldozed his way through, snatching an offload from Richard Kriel, sidestepping a defender, and diving over for the fifth try. Smith’s conversion pushed the lead further out of reach. Despite a brief response from Boland captain Sidney Tobias, the Lions roared back with Davids completing a hat-trick in spectacular fashion, rising to snatch a cross-kick and touchdown.
"To watch Angelo fly high and land with such grace—it’s rugby poetry in motion,"
gushed Chris Smith, reflecting the awe in the stands.Leading 41-5 at halftime, the Lions kept their foot firmly on the accelerator. With Boland’s Tedder in the sin bin, the Lions earned a penalty try before Davids dazzled the crowd with his fourth try, stretching the lead to 53-5.
Although Boland managed to sneak in a couple more tries, it was too little too late. The Lions' Springbok fullback Quan Horn and flanker Renzo de Plessis piled on with tries, cementing a formidable victory.
The Lions now await their final opponents, with the Cheetahs and Griquas set to duke it out for the other final berth. Whatever the outcome, if today’s performance is anything to go by, the Lions are roaring into the finals with unstoppable momentum.
LIONS – Tries: Angelo Davids (4), Henco van Wyk, SJ Kotze, Quan Horn, Renzo du Plessis. Conversions: Chris Smith (6).
BOLAND – Tries: Sidney Tobias, Jayden Bantom, Chriswill September. Conversions: Juan Mostert, James Tedder.