Click:Hunter
The Golden Lions claimed a hard-fought come-from-behind 38-35 victory over the Blue Bulls in a topsy-turvy encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Tries from Shaun Reynolds, James Venter, Dillon Smit and a Hajcivah Dayimani brace proved too much for the Blue Bulls who scored through Johnny Kotze, Andre Warner and a Ruan Steenkamp hat-trick.
The away side bossed the opening exchanges and were rewarded with the game’s first try. Having taken a quick-tap penalty close to the Blue Bulls’ try-line, the ball was swung to centre-field, where fly-half Reynolds showed dazzling footwork to cut through the centre of the hosts’ defence.
Warner would hit back for the home side, however, as a Blue Bulls’ counter-ruck forced the turnover. The scrum-half pounced on the loose ball and dummied his way past a couple of defenders to go in untouched under the posts.
Soon after, the Blue Bulls took the lead for the first time in the match when flank Steenkamp scored a superb individual effort, breaking his way past a number of tacklers.
The visitors’ second came after come superb interplay between backs and forwards. Howard Mnisi was the creator as his long pass put Venter in for the score-equalling try as Reynolds added the extras to make it 14-14.
Kotze would go over due to some questionable Golden Lions’ defending moments later to regain the lead but the away side would restore parity once again through scrum-half Smit with a fine individual effort.
The home side would have the last laugh of the first-half as enforcer Steenkamp spun his would-be-tackler to twist his over way from close range and grab his brace as Manie Libbok added the extra two points for a 28-21 lead as the sides went into the interval.
10 minutes after the break, the visitors found themselves even further behind as Steenkamp went over for his hat-trick. However, the Blue Bulls enforcer would turn from hero to zero moments later, when he was sin-binned for a neck roll.
This would give the Lions a route back into the game as they capitalised on their numerical advantage through a magical Dayimani brace – the flanker showing his winger-like speed on both occasions to snatch the back lead dramatically at 38-35.
It looked as if the Blue Bulls might steal it in the closing stages, but for a brilliant turnover steal by Golden Lions’ hero Dayimani at the breakdown to seal victory.
The scorers:
For Blue Bulls:
Tries: Steenkamp 3, Kotze, Warner
Cons: Libbok 5
Yellow Card: Steenkamp
For Lions:
Tries: Reynolds, Venter, Smit, Dayimani 2
Cons: Reynolds 5
Pen: Reynolds
Blue Bulls: 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 JT Jackson, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Andre Warner, 8 Hanro Liebenberg (c), 7 Jano Venter, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Eli Snyman, 4 Hendre Stassen, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Matthys Basson
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Conrad van Vuuren, 18 Ruan Nortje, 19 Thembelani Bholi, 20 Ivan van Zyl, 21 Tinus de Beer, 22 Duncan Matthews
Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Len Massyn, 6 James Venter, 5 Marvin Orie (c), 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Sti Sithole
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Madosh Tambwe, 22 Wandisile Simelane
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant referees: Jaco Pretorius, Ricus van der Hoven
Television match official: Willie Vos