Staff Reporter.
Fred Zeilinga scored a late self-converted try to hand the Lions a shock 34-33 win over the previously unbeaten Bulls at Ellis Park on Saturday.
It was a case of the ‘undefeated’ up against the ‘winless’ in this Jugskei derby. And while the Lions’ bright start coupled with the uncharacteristic sloppiness by the Bulls threatened to upset the apple cart, normal service resumed as the visitors stepped up their game. However, Zeilinga’s heroics guided the Lions to their maiden win of the campaign and subjected the Bulls to their first defeat.
Having dominated territory and possession, and surprisingly dictating at the set pieces, the Lions were rewarded with an early converted try by lock Ruben Schoeman next to the posts. It took the Bulls a while to get into their work, but as soon as they did the impressive Elrigh Louw barged over from close quarters after a patient buildup. But the scores weren’t level for long before Jordan Hendrikse drilled a penalty between the uprights to put the hosts back in front.
Both teams kept it close in the first 20 minutes with the packs rumbling forward to trade tries through the efforts of Ruben Schoeman, and then Eltich Louw. The match opened up a bit more as the half entered its second stanza, and both wings were unleashed as a result. Rabz Maxwane finished off an excellent individual effort, collecting the ball from a chip-kick to dive over the whitewash. Not to be undone, his counterpart Madosh Tambwe then bewildered the Lions’ cover defence moments later to dot down a superb effort for the Pretoria-based side to take the lead 19-17.
The Bulls came out firing in the second half, scoring 14 points in as many minutes through upping the ante in attack. First Smith cantered over, and then Mandosh Tambwe found himself in oodles of space, allowing fullback David Kriel to score his brace in the corner. But the Lions never gave up, and arguably played their best rugby of the season in the final 20 minutes of the encounter.
In the end, it was a dominant scrum performance that punished the Bulls and racked up the penalties which killed off any chance of them getting themselves out of the game with a victory.
The Lions deserve credit – few would have given them a chance to challenge the log leaders, yet they went toe to toe and came out on top, leaving the competition open as teams take a one-week break.
The Bulls still enjoy a four-point lead over both the Sharks and Stormers – both teams they will have to face in the last two rounds of the competition if they want to be crowned winners.
Meanwhile the DHL Stormers came back strongly from a poor start to score a deserved 25-22 win over the Cell C Sharks at a wet Jonsson King’s Park on Saturday.
Elsewhere Toulouse broke down a defensively stubborn 14-man La Rochelle side to claim a 22-17 victory in the European Challenge Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday.