Lions maul Jaguares in Super Rugby despite poor goal kicking

A strong second half showing enabled the Golden Lions to trounce the Jaguares 52-24 in a Super Rugby match in Johannesburg Saturday despite missing seven of 12 goal kicks.

The inaccuracy of fly-half Elton Jantjies (three misses) and winger Ruan Combrinck (four misses) did not harm the South African side because they scored eight tries.

After a relatively even first half at a chilly Ellis Park stadium ended 19-9 in favour of the Lions, the Argentinians faded dramatically and conceded several soft tries.

The Jaguares lacked two key forwards with No. 8 Leonardo Senatore starting a 10-week ban for biting and skipper and hooker Agustin Creevy a one-week suspension for a dangerous tackle.

Victory ensured the Lions would finish round 13 as the leading team in the two Africa conferences with 37 points and a top-two finish after the league phase will secure a home quarter-final.

It was the ninth loss in 11 games for the Jaguares, whose line-up is packed with Argentine Test regulars, and the heaviest defeat they have suffered in their debut Super Rugby season.

The South Africans often troubled the Argentinians at the scrums and were superior in the loose, winning many turn-overs, several of which led to scores.

Another area of strength for the home side was the ability to get the ball to wingers Combrinck and Courtnall Skosan, who scored two tries each.

The Jaguares seem to have become obsessed with running the ball, wherever they are in the field, and this has led to a season-long glut of handling errors.

Once superb scrummagers, the Argentines have literally gone backwards in this facet with Lions tighthead Julian Redelinghuys giving loosehead Santiago Garcia Botta a torrid time.

Skosan was first to score, dotting down in the corner after 150 seconds, but Jaguares fly-half Nicolas Sanchez slotted two penalties for a 6-5 lead.

Centre Lionel Mapoe became the joint leading Super Rugby try scorer this season with eight by displaying electric pace and Jantjies converted.

A third Sanchez penalty trimmed the Lions' lead to three points before lock Lourens Erasmus galloped past several half-hearted tackles to score and Jantjies converted for a 19-9 advantage.

Flanker Cyle Brink and Jaco Kriel, Combrinck, Skosan and Combrinck again scored second half tries for the now dominant Lions.

Combrinck, who replaced substituted Jantjies as the goal kicker for the second half, succeeded with only one of five conversions, but did goal two penalties.

Sanchez contributed 17 points from a try and four penalties, replacement scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou scored a try and another substitute back, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, kicked a conversion.