Lions player celebrate The Lions produced an incredible first-half display to run out convincing victors in their United Rugby Championship clash against Edinburgh on Saturday. Picture: @LionsRugbyCo/X
The Lions produced an incredible first-half display in a 55-21 victory over Edinburgh in their United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Lions were two short of putting 50 unanswered points past Edinburgh in as dominant a first half display, that the few fans gathered in Johannesburg could wish to see.
Though the Lions took their foot off the gas in the second half as Edinburgh scored 21 points without a response, they had done enough in the first 40 to ensure the result was never really in doubt.
The Lions got off to a thumping start as fullback Quan Horn and wing Rabz Maxwane were over for tries inside the first quarter of an hour. Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter added one conversion and a penalty to see the Lions out to a 15-0 lead.
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The procession continued unabated as wing Edwill van der Merwe and centre Rynhardt Jonker both scored tries before the half-hour mark. Wolhuter converted both as the Lions raced 29-0 ahead.
Maxwane bagged his brace before skipper and eighthman Francke Horn got in the action with a try of his own in the next few minutes.
Just for good measure, Van der Merwe also notched up his second five-pointer as the half-time hooter sounded to the relief of the Edinburgh players. With Sanele Nohamba coming on, he nailed his conversion to make it an incredible 48-0 to the hosts at the interval.
If the game was to resemble anything like a contest, Edinburgh needed to score first after the break, and they did just that.
Co-captain and lock Grant Gilchrist dived over for his side’s first points of the encounter in the 45th minute, right under the uprights. Ben Healy nudged over the conversion to make it 45-7, as the visitors may have held a glimmer of hope.
The comeback continued for Edinburgh as Patrick Harrison dived over for a try towards the left touchline. Healy was successful again with the conversion to make it 48-14 after 51 minutes.
The Lions were reduced to 14 men in the 65th minute when Heiko Pohlmann was yellow-carded, and after spending some time in the hosts’ 22 replacement Ben Muncaster was next to score for Edinburgh. Another replacement, Ross Thompson stepped up to make the conversion as Edinburgh led 21-0 in the second half (48-21).
It took over half an hour in the second half, but the Lions finally scored their first points after the break as Maxwane sprinted away for his hat-trick to help his side eventually bring up their half-century. Nohamba kicked the conversion from a tight angle to make it 55-21.
Up the N1, the Bulls were next up in the afternoon action on the Highveld as they hosted Ulster at Loftus Versfeld at 4pm.
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