Lions kick-start Currie Cup campaign with win

If John Mitchell has learnt anything from watching the Lions implode from a distance, it is that they shouldn't get carried away at a hint of success.

After getting their Absa Currie Cup off to a decent start with an away bonus-points win over the Leopards (43-13) on Friday night, Mitchell, their head coach for the campaign, wasn't revealing much about what would constitute a successful season for the Johannesburg side.

"We'll take it one game at a time," he said yesterday, invoking the well-worn cliche. "We understand our strengths and we know what we've got to work on. We've got a clear rugby plan but we're not prepared to share it with anyone else."

For all that, Friday wasn't an entirely insignificant day for the Lions - it was Mitchell's first taste of Currie Cup rugby as a coach.

While he shrugged that off with the old "it's an honour to be involved in a competition with as much history as the Currie Cup", he was happy with the contribution of some of his younger players, some of whom were making their debuts.

Starting hooker Martin Bezuidenhout, lock David Bulbring and reserves Francois du Toit and Elton Jantjies, answered to that description: "Martin was busy, scrumming and throwing well. Bulbring's got promise, he's growing with every outing as he develops physically."

Baby Bok centre Jaco Taute, in his second Currie Cup season, also had a decent outing at fullback.

"He was tested incessantly with the high ball and dealt with it strongly and counter-attacked well," said Mitchell.

The former All Black coach was satisfied with the scrappy win, which showed that scrumhalf Jano Vermaak is over the effects of the ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the Super 14. Vermaak scored two tries and newboys Taute and Waylon Murray one apiece.

"I was happy with the fact that we got started and stuck to a lot of the stuff we wanted to do," said Mitchell. "We absorbed the early pressure and were patient in attack."

While the line-up which faced the Leopards had an almost experimental look about it, they shouldn't bank on it being changed for the sake of it.

"It's not about giving everyone a chance to play," said Mitchell. "I've been here for a month and I've taken stock of what the players can do. I'm only interested in reliable footballers."

Looking ahead to the bigger test in the form of Western Province on Saturday, Mitchell said he would give thought to it only tomorrow.

"Our approach will be based as much on the opposition as it is on concentrating on improving our own game."

In the other game on Friday night, the Blue Bulls youngsters, led by old hands John Mametsa and Jaco van der Weshuyzen, held the fort at Loftus with a convincing 38-15 win over the Pumas.

The defending champions started as though they were on their way to a cricket score, but lost focus towards the end as the visitors got a second wind.