The Lions snatched a one-point win against the Sharks in Durban. Picture: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images The Lions snatched a nail-biting 23-22 win over the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship local derby at Kings Park on Saturday. The Joburg side raced to a 15-0 lead, weathered a Sharks resurgence while the Lions were down to 14 men for 20 minutes, where the Sharks scored three tries, and then went on to retake the lead courtesy of a Haashim Pead try in the corner after the hooter sounded.
This ended the Sharks’ two-game winning streak, whilethe Lionsended their three-match losing run. The Lions have now won four out of nine URC clashes against the Sharks. The Lions got off to a blinder in the opening quarter.
Chris Smith slotted a penalty kick in the fourth minute before Etienne Oostuizen crashed over for a try after several phases three minutes later, and then Francke Horn crossed for a try after a Ruan Venter line break to make it 15-0 after nine minutes. The Sharksresponded with their own try by Emmanuel Tshituka after a drive in the 15th minute. Siya Kolisi then scored from a pick-and-go in the 26th minute.
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The Lions extended their lead to 18-12 with a penalty kick in the 32nd minute. But Venter received a yellow card in the 38th minute for a dangerous tackle onAphelele Fassi. The Sharks scored one minute later when Jason Jenkins crashed over after strong runs from Edwill van der Merwe and Makazole Mapimpi.
That made the score 18-17 to the Lions at half-time. The Sharks had a try disallowed early in the second half for a knock-on, but the Lions were dealt a blow when Venter’s yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red. The Lions had the option of a straightforward penalty kick after 56 minutes but instead went to the lineout, which was stolen.
The Sharks capitalised with a try from Edwill van der Merwe, who chased a kick, collected and grubbered past a defender before dotting down. The score was 22-18 to the Sharks after 59 minutes. The Sharks also passed up a straightforward penalty kick in the 70th minute, opting instead for a scrum that the Lions turned over.
The Sharks also saw their ball held up over the Lions’ try line four minutes from time. The Lions had their last opportunity with an attacking lineout 90 seconds from play. They won, secured repeated offside advantages and then opted for a tap-and-go. SA U20 star Haashim Pead then scored in the corner from a pick-and-go after the 80th minute.
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