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Match Highlights - Impressive Lions see off Jaguares to seal Waratahs semi

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The Lions remain on course for a third successive Super Rugby final after booking a semi-final berth with a 40-23 win over the Jaguares in Johannesburg on Saturday.

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Three first-half tries and 20 points from the boot of Elton Jantjies made it a comfortable victory for the only remaining South African franchise, who are attempting to ease the pain of back-to-back defeats in the decider.

The Jaguares, in their first play-off appearance, did threaten a comeback when Bautista Delguy and Pablo Matera both crossed in the space of six minutes at the start of the second half.

But a converted Andries Coetzee try pushed the hosts’ buffer back out to 11 points and their passage was all but secure with a Jantjies field goal, the 27-year-old later adding a third penalty for good measure.

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Ruan Combrinck, Harold Vorster and Malcolm Marx had earlier set the South African Conference winners on their way with a try apiece in a blistering first 30 minutes.

The Lions’ success keeps alive the possibility of a repeat of last year’s final, when they lost 25-17 to the Crusaders.

First, however, comes a home semi-final against the Waratahs, the Australian side earning their place in the final four with a come-from-behind 30-23 defeat of the Highlanders.

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Nickers 36 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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