The Lions opened their Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign in spectacular fashion, edging defending champions Leinster 27-26 in a thrilling contest at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Ivan van Rooyen’s charges looked set for a comfortable finish after building an eight-point advantage late in the match, but Leinster produced a frantic final push that ensured the home side had to defend until the final whistle.
Despite the late pressure, the Lions held their nerve to claim an important opening-round victory against the reigning champions.
Gunne puts Leinster in control early
Leinster wasted little time making their presence felt, with scrumhalf Fintan Gunne crossing inside the opening six minutes.
The Lions responded quickly, with Erich Cronje finishing a well-executed attacking move from a strong scrum.
Chris Smith added the conversion before kicking a penalty as the Lions moved ahead, but Gunne continued to cause problems for the hosts.
The Leinster scrumhalf completed his hat-trick before the interval, with Caspar Gabriel converting, sending the visitors into half-time with a narrow 19-17 advantage.
Lions turn the game around after the break
The second half was considerably more tense, with both defences keeping the opposition away from the tryline for a long period.
Smith eventually found the target from the kicking tee to put the Lions back in front before Leinster were reduced to 14 men following Dylan McNeice’s yellow card.
The Lions capitalised on the numerical advantage.
A pinpoint cross-kick from Cronje created the opportunity for Kelly Mpeku, who finished in the corner to extend the hosts’ lead. Smith converted, putting the Lions eight points clear.
Leinster fight until the end
The defending champions refused to surrender.
With the clock running down, the Lions were also reduced to 14 men after SJ Kotze received a yellow card.
That gave Leinster a crucial attacking opportunity close to the Lions’ line, and replacement hooker Stephen Smyth powered over after the hooter.
Harry Byrne converted, ensuring Leinster left Ellis Park with two losing bonus points.
However, the final score remained 27-26 in favour of the Lions, giving the Johannesburg side a statement victory to begin their campaign.
Lions have plenty to build on
Beating the defending champions will provide Van Rooyen and his players with plenty of encouragement, although the dramatic finish also highlighted areas that will need attention.
The Lions will know that conceding late pressure against quality opposition could prove costly later in the season.
For now, however, the focus will be on celebrating a memorable opening-round win and carrying that momentum into the next URC challenge.
