The Golden Lions registered a much-needed 29-28 bonus-point win against the Pumas at Ellis Park on Saturday. MARIETTE ADAMS reports.
The Lions had lost five of their six games coming into this clash, and were rooted to the foot of the standings. They remain there, a point below the Pumas, but will have gained some confidence from their second win of the campaign.
The first half of this match was like a sevens game, as both teams scored freely. The second half was less action-packed, but played at the same level of intensity. Ultimately the Lions outscored the victors five tries to four to come away with maximum log points, while the Pumas picked up two bonus points.
Ryan Kankowski and Ruan Dreyer scored the Lions’ first two tries, with the former’s coming in the 57th second of the game. But two converted scores from scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer and flank Lambert Groenewald saw the Pumas take a 14-10 lead.
Wing Madosh Tambwe’s try, originating from a kick-pass, and another by lanky scrumhalf Marco Janse van Vuuren, allowed the Lions to take a 22-14 advantage into the break.
The Pumas were down to 14 soon after the interval when outside centre Jerome Pretorius received a yellow card for a high tackle on opposite number Manie Rass. Fortunately for the hosts, they didn’t concede any points in that 10-minute period, but they did manage to breach the Lions’ line when Groenewald crossed for his second try. Flyhalf Kobus Marais coolly added the extras to make it 22-21.
Hard as they tried to overturn the deficit, though, it remained a one-point game in favour of the Lions until the end, after Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Pumas wing Ruwellyn Isbell ran in long-range tries for their teams.
Golden Lions – Tries: Ryan Kankwski, Ruan Dreyer, Marco Janse van Vuuren, Madosh Tambwe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Ashlon Davids (2).
Pumas – Tries: Stefan Ungerer, Lambert Groenewald (2), Ruwellyn Isbell. Conversions: Kobus Marais (4).
Golden Lions – 15 Sylvian Mahuza, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Manual Rass, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Fabian Booysen, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Jacques van Rooyen (c).
Subs: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Corné Fourie, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Branco du Preez, 22 Jaco van der Walt.
Pumas – 15 Gerrit Smith, 14 Jean-Paul Lewis, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 Hennie Skorbinski (c), 11 Ruwellyn Isbell, 10 Kobus Marais, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Lambert Groenewald, 6 Thembelani Bholi, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Stefan Willemse, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Mark Pretorius, 1 Kwezi Mona.
Subs: 16 Frankie Herne, 17 De-Jay Terblanche, 18 Cameron Lindsay, 19 Brian Shabangu, 20 Chris Cloete, 21 Reynier van Rooyen, 22 Neil Maritz.
Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
