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Lions edge Griquas in Kimberley thriller

rugby24 August 2019 15:30| © SuperSport
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The Xerox Golden Lions XV sealed a home semifinal with a thrilling 27-26 (halftime 19-7) win over the Tafel Lager Griquas in their Currie Cup match up in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.

The win pushes the Lions to the top of the Currie Cup log on 22 points, one ahead of the Griquas, while the only team that can catch them is the Toyota Free State XV who will need a full house of points against DHL Western Province in the later game to edge ahead of the Lions on points difference.

The Griquas now face an anxious wait to see if they will hold onto a home semifinal spot, or if they will have to travel for next weekend's semis.

It was a game of two halves as a fantastic first half from the visitors saw them take a 19-point lead after 37 minutes, with a late try on halftime seeing the Griquas staying in the match at the break.

The second half then belonged to the home side who fought back superbly to take the lead after 63 minutes, before the lead changed hands a number of times in a breathless final 15 minutes before Lions replacement scrumhalf Dillon Smit gleefully booted the ball into touch to end the match.

It was a cracking start to the game as the ball went from end to end with the Lions first threatening to score and then the Griquas following suit.

But the opening score then came from great line defence from the Lions as they charged the Griquas line, hurrying eighthman Niell Jordaan into an offload that Lions wing Stean Pienaar intercepted on the halfway line to run in under the posts untouched.

Flyhalf Shaun Reynolds' extras made it 7-0 after seven minutes.

In the 15th minute, Pienaar then thought he had scored his second as he was driven to the try line and dotted down, only for the TMO to overrule the referee's decision for a knock-on.

The Lions, however, did not have to wait too long for their second as nine minutes later a brilliant attack from their own half saw Reynolds, lock Ruben Schoeman and flank Marnus Schoeman all make good metres before fullback Tyrone Green received the ball out wide in the 22nd minute and dived over in the left-hand corner, with Reynolds missing the conversion.

The Griquas had a chance to get on the board in the 34th minute after earning a breakdown penalty in front of the 22-metre line, but opted to go for touch and eventually lost the ball.

This allowed the Lions to score their third three minutes later from a defensive line out. Lions eighthman Hacjivah Dayimani stole the ball, which was then swung out wide where Green made the break and offloaded to wing Madosh Tambwe to burst through two tackle attempts and score in the corner, with Reynolds' conversion putting them 19-0 up.

The never say die Griquas, however, forced one last chance before the break, with a penalty kicked into the Lions 22-metre area again, this time the maul powering flank Gideon van der Merwe just short, allowing him to dive over and score.

Flyhalf George Whitehead slotted the conversion from out wide to end the half on a good note for the home team.

The Griquas took that momentum into the second half and in the 52nd minute they again trusted their maul, with hooker AJ le Roux emerging with the ball over the line and Whitehead's extras bringing them within striking distance at 19-14.

Another line out in the 63rd minute then gave the Griquas the perfect platform to attack from, leading to replacement hooker Wilmar Arnoldi crashing over under the sticks, with Whitehead putting them ahead for the first time in the match.

An exhilarating final 15 minutes then followed, as Lions wing Pienaar scored a wonderful individual try in the corner, only for Van der Merwe to get his second try after a great break from prop Mox Mxoli, both unconverted, to put the Griquas back in the lead at 26-24 with 10 minutes to play.

This allowed Reynolds to line up a shot at goal from in front of the 10-metre line after the Griquas were penalised at the breakdown for not rolling away, with him sending the ball through the uprights to push the Lions ahead for the final time.

Point Scorers

Tafel Lager Griquas
Tries: Gideon van der Merwe (2), AJ le Roux, Wilmar Arnoldi
Conversions: George Whitehead (3)

Xerox Golden Lions XV

Tries: Stean Pienaar (2), Tyrone Green, Madosh Tambwe
Conversions: Shaun Reynolds (2)
Penalty: Shaun Reynolds

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