Even without influential captain Warren Whiteley the Lions continued to run riot in Super Rugby with an impressive win against the Sharks at Ellis Park on Saturday night. For three-quarters of the match in a chilly Johannesburg‚ the Lions dominated the visiting Sharks with team work seeing the home side running to a 37-0 lead with 20 minutes to go in the clash.It was in that last quarter that the Sharks saved themselves from an embarrassing defeat with a strong fight to bring some deference to the scoreline by preventing a whitewash as the final score ended 37-10 to the Lions.The bonus point win for the Johannesburg-based side ensured they continue to sit pretty at the top of the South African conference as the competition nears the playoff stages.The Lions picked up where they left off before the Super Rugby break at the end of May‚ where they went into the June break on the back of an emphatic 56-20 win over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in the last round of matches before the bulk of the Lions players went on international duty for the Springboks and SA ‘A’ side.From the first whistle the home side took charge of the match as they put the visiting Sharks side on the back foot.It was Bok pivot Elton Jantjies who got the first points of the match on the board through a ninth minute penalty that opened the points flood gates in the first half for Johan Ackermann's pride.The Lions could smell the blood of the wounded Sharks‚ who have had a topsy-turvy campaign so far where they have blown hot and cold.The Johannesburg pride prowled across the breadth and length of the field‚ mauling a nervy Sharks side and scoring four tries in the first half.New Bok winger Ruan Combrinck continued where he left off from the international stage when he scored the first five-pointer of the match. Rohan Janse van Rensburg‚ Malcolm Marx and the coach's son Ruan Ackermann‚ playing in his first start for the Lions‚ contributed with tries of their own to take the half-time score to 27-0.The start of the second half was no different to how the Lions had started the match.The Lions' bite in the first 40 minutes had surely left the Sharks finding it hard to swim at Ellis Park.Nerves‚ errors and being in awe of the Lions' attacking brand of rugby left the visiting side in a slight state of confusion as they desperately defended for the bulk of the encounter.The nightmare continued for Sharks' Bok winger Lwazi Mvovo‚ who found the going tough during the test series against Ireland‚ also at provincial level as the Lions repeated what the Irish did by kicking into his channel with the winger struggling to take charge of the aerial bombardment that came his way.Sharks captain and Bok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira also failed to have any impact on the game‚ so too did pivot Garth April‚ from whom much is expected but failed to impress.For the Lions‚ stand-in captain Jaco Kriel‚ fellow Boks Faf de Klerk‚ Julian Redelinghuys‚ Lionel Mapoe‚ Jantjies and Combrinck continued the fine form they have shown for both province and country as they led the Lions side to the impressive victory.It was after Kriel's 58th minute try that the Sharks forged a fightback‚ although it was always going to be an uphill battle for the visitors.Lwazi Mvovo got the first points for the Sharks when he scored a try in the 63rd minute. Replacement hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle followed up with a five-pointer of his own in the 69th minute.The late 10 points spurred the Sharks on in the last quarter of the game as they attempted to prevent the Lions from securing a try bonus point with a spirited fight towards the death of the game...