Lions ease past Crusaders to earn Super Rugby semifinal berth

23 July 2016 - 20:40 By Chumani Bambani

The Lions have elevated their status as firm candidates for the 2016 Super Rugby title.

Coach Johan Ackermann's side's fairytale run continued on Saturday night when they progressed to the semifinals of the competition as they eased past seven-time champions‚ the Crusaders‚ with a 42-25 victory.Despite having beaten the Lions convincingly earlier in the season at Ellis Park‚ the Crusaders' nightmare in playoff matches in the Highveld continued as they remain without a win in Johannesburg and Pretoria after having lost to the Bulls on three previous occasions.The Lions had the ideal start when they opened the scoring within the first two minutes of the game.The home side enjoyed dominance in the first quarter of the match before letting their guard down slightly.However‚ by the end of the first half the Johannesburg side had ensured a comfortable 22-10 lead at the break after scoring three tries to the Crusaders‚ one five-pointer.The home side continued their dominance in the second half to ensure an easy passage to be one of the remaining places in the competition.In another quarterfinal match played earlier on Saturday‚ the Hurricanes simple carried too many guns for the toothless Sharks and emerged comfortable 41-0 winners. - TMG Digital..

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