Despite a stop-start performance, the Lions kept their slim playoff hopes alive in the United Rugby Championship with a 34-13 bonus-point victory over Cardiff at Ellis Park on Saturday night.
The Johannesburg outfit nearly missed out on an extra bonus point – having opted to take a number of shots at goal instead of kicking penalties into touch – but replacement loose forward Emmanuel Tshituka’s last-minute touchdown secured a much-needed result to ensure the Lions remain in contention for a quarter-final spot.
The recent loss to Munster meant that the Lions will need favours from other teams to reach the playoffs, but they didn’t get one from the Sharks on Saturday after the Durbanites lost 25-24 to Benetton at Kings Park.
At least Munster played their part by dispatching Connacht 47-12 in Limerick on Saturday.
With the Ospreys still to face Leinster late on Saturday night, the current log sees the Lions in 10th position on 44 points, Connacht ninth on 44 (due to having nine wins compared to the Lions’ eight) with Benetton eighth on 48 and Edinburgh seventh, also on 48, after beating Zebre 40-14 on Saturday.
Ulster are now sixth on 49 points after beating the Scarlets 31-20 in Wales, while Ospreys are 11th on 40 ahead of their Leinster encounter.
The Lions’ two remaining league games are against Glasgow – who lost 40-34 to the Bulls – at Ellis Park next Saturday and then the Stormers in Cape Town on June 1.
Coach Ivan van Rooyen would have been delighted with his team’s start against Cardiff as the Lions ran into a 14-0 lead in just 18 minutes.
Flank Ruan Venter opened the scoring by powering through two Cardiff tacklers in the eighth minute, while the try of the night belonged to fullback Quan Horn after captain Marius Louw drilled a penalty kick downfield, with the ball bouncing up perfectly for the No 15.
Quick thinking ⚡️
Emirates @LionsRugbyCo turn a defensive situation into 7 points with this try 👀@Vodacom #URC | #LIOvCAR pic.twitter.com/n4sUAPWLDX
But in between, wing Richard Kriel went off with a right hamstring injury, and that disrupted the backline as usual flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse came on as a replacement.
Hendrikse added value as an additional playmaker and kicker, but doesn’t offer the same skill-set as Kriel out wide.
But Hendrikse produced some enormous touch-finders from penalties, many of which were earned at the breakdowns by the excellent flank JC Pretorius, who was the Player of the Match.
But instead of going for the kill in the first half, the Lions chose to go for goal instead, with flyhalf Sanele Nohamba slotting two penalties.
That kept Cardiff in the game, with former Griquas and Pumas flyhalf Tinus de Beer booting over two three-pointers himself.
When replacement prop Corey Domachowski barged over for a try early in the second half, Cardiff got to within 10 points – and it became a seven-point game at 20-13 with 20 minutes left following De Beer’s second penalty.
The Lions lost their rhythm on attack, with either a knock-on in contact or a breakdown penalty halting their momentum.
But star No 8 Francke Horn made a crucial lineout steal inside the Lions 22, and then Cardiff replacement Jacob Beetham missed a long-range penalty at the posts.
The Lions then found a real spark through Tshituka, who made a massive impact off the bench and then grabbed a well-worked try from a maul with six minutes to go.
The Emirates Lions wrap it up in style 🔥
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 11, 2024
Emmanuel Tshituka scores the bonus-point try right at the end 🤩![CDATA[]]>👇#LIOvCAR | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/duK1hSlA1Q
Tshituka just couldn’t find centre Erich Cronjé following a tremendous surge upfield, but the duo combined again for the bonus-point touchdown in the final minute.
Tshituka got a slight touch to the ball and Cronjé broke down the right, and then offloaded to the flank to provide a sweet end to proceedings for the Lions fans in the stands.
Points-Scorers
Lions 34 – Tries: Ruan Venter, Quan Horn, Emmanuel Tshituka (2). Conversions: Sanele Nohamba (2), Gianni Lombard (2). Penalties: Nohamba (2).
Cardiff 13 – Try: Corey Domachowski. Conversion: Tinus de Beer (1). Penalties: De Beer (2).