Lions 25 (15) vs Brumbies 17 (10)

Lions score second win of the season

Brumbies fail to score any log points at at Ellis Park

The Lions did what they had to, and scored a much needed win to get their Super 14 season back on track. Some of their tries were because of some good fortune, but a win is a win, and we'll take it. The Brumbies could have gone fourth on the log, but received no log point from the match.

Mark Gerrard opened the scoring for the Brumbies very early in the game with a penalty, this after the Lions went offside at a ruck in their own 22.

In the 14th minute the Lions took the lead when Jaque Fourie scored, the move came from a Lions line-out on the Brumbies 22 meter line after a penalty, Jano Vermaak received the ball from the line-out and passed a flat pass to a straight running Jaque Fourie, who juggled the ball a few times before getting it under control, but he also managed to evade the tackles from the Brumbies and scored the try next to the poles. Pretorius kicked the easy conversion to put the Lions in a 7-3 lead.

In the 19th minute the Lions went further into the lead when Jano Vermaak kicked a loose ball ahead just outside the Brumbies 22 meter line and chased after it. Gerrard had to turn which meant Vermaak won the race and dived on the ball for the try, the cover also too slow to stop the try. Pretorius missed the conversion but the score now 12-3 for the Lions.

In the 33rd minute Cobus Grobbelaar was sin-binned for a transgression at a ruck, and seconds later the Brumbies capatalised when they set up a ruck close to the Lions try-line, and when the ball came down the backline on the left, they had a overlap and Stirling Mortlock walked over for the try. Gerrard converted to make it 12-10 for the Lions.

Just before the break the Lions managed to get close to the Brumbies 22 meter line, and from the ruck the ball came out to Pretorius who calmly slotted the drop goal, the score now 15-10 for the Lions, also the halftime score.

The Brumbies scored first in the second half, it was in the 43th minute when Mark Chisholm managed to charge down a kick from Pretorius in his own 22, the ball bounced for Chisholm who grabbed it and score the try as there were no other defenders behind Pretorius. Mortlock kicked the conversion to make the score 17-15.

In the 50th minute the Brumbies conceded a penalty right in front of their poles, just outside their 22, and Andre Pretorius kicked the 3 points to put the Lions back in a 18-17 lead.

Just four minutes later Pretorius had another opportunity with a penalty from about 10 meters outside the 22 and next to the touchline, but he pushed the kick to the right of the upright.

Two minutes from time Louis Ludik sealed it for the Lions when he pounced on a loose ball that the Brumbies dropped meters from their try-line, and he dived over for the try. Pretorius kicked the conversion for the Lions to win 25-17. 
 

The scorers: